Sabeel Wave of Prayer

Each Thursday at noon in Jerusalem, Sabeel holds a Communion service that is open to the community. It is a time to join together to celebrate the Eucharist, to discuss how the scriptures apply to our lives today, and to pray for the specific needs of this region. Following the 2006 Sabeel International Conference, the Friends of Sabeel coordinators met and discussed the idea of "Waves of Prayer." The premise is that in their respective time zones, individuals and groups around the world will pray together at 12:00 on Thursdays, in solidarity with Sabeel in Jerusalem and with "Friends of Sabeel" worldwide. Starting in Australia, passing through Palestine, and on around the world we will pray for Peace with Justice and focus on specific issues each week.


Wave of Prayer for Thursday, July 14, 2011


►As the illegal siege of the Gaza Strip, and the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem continues, we pray for the activists who were participating in the "Welcome to Palestine" campaign. More than 800 international non-violent activists were to fly into Ben Gurion International Airport on a peaceful mission to visit Palestinian families last Friday. We pray for the activists who were prevented from boarding the planes by airlines following a directive given by Israel and for the 120 activists who were jailed in two Israeli facilities. We pray for people to have the courage to stand up for peace and justice. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

► After four decades of warfare and confrontation in Sudan which have caused an estimated death toll of more than two million people and destroyed much of the region's infrastructure, we pray for the creation of the new state of South Sudan. We pray that peace, justice, and reconciliation between Sudan and South Sudan will be possible. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

► We pray for the many Palestinians who work hard for their families. This month the Palestinian Authority is only able to pay its workers half of their salary. The PA is dependent upon foreign aid from governments and non-governmental organizations because of the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We pray for the current reality in which workers in many positions may not receive their salaries in the months to come because of the US Congress's recent passing of a bill which will end support to the PA if its leaders ask the United Nations to recognize Palestine as a member state in September. We pray for the end of the illegal occupation. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

► We pray for Sabeel's programs in Nazareth for the children, youth, young adults and women as they have final programs before their August break. We pray for Sabeel's Young Adult Single's dinner and program this Friday, may the more than 70 participants and leaders be blessed. We continue to pray for the participants from 11 countries that will soon arrive in Jerusalem for the 6th Annual Young Adult's Conference "Christianity in the East, Islam in the West: Prophetic Voices from Palestine and Israel." We thank You, God, for the young people who want to make a Christian difference with their lives. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

With the Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches, we pray for:

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama



http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle.html



Wave of Prayer for Thursday, July 7, 2011



► As the illegal siege of the 1.6 million people who live in the Gaza Strip without freedom and human dignity continues, we pray for the approximately 500 conscience minded people from around the world who plan to fly into Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday in a non-violent act of solidarity with the Palestinian people. We pray for those on the Freedom Flotilla II who have been turned back from coming into Gaza. As new plans are underway for those coming by air and sea, we pray that the illegal siege of Gaza will come to an end so that peace, justice, and hope may be realized. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

► We pray for the group of Protestant pastors in the Netherlands who signed a petition last week to call on the Protestant Church to break all bonds with Sabeel. We pray, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." We pray that they will start to understand that having a bond with the Jewish people does not imply the condoning of injustice against the Palestinians, and that following Christ includes working for peace and justice for all God's children. We pray for wisdom and courage for both Friends of Sabeel and the churches in the Netherlands, to continue to work for a just peace in Israel and Palestine. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

► We pray for the participants and leaders of the Clergy Wives Retreat this week. May they find moments of rest and rejuvenation. We also pray for Sabeel's Youth and Young Adult ministries and programs through bible studies and the upcoming Single's dinner. We thank You, God, for the young people who want to make a Christian difference with their lives. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

With the Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches, we pray for:

Colombia, Equador, Venezuela



http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle.html



Wave of Prayer for Thursday, June 30, 2011



► We pray for the passengers including the journalists from around the world who are joining the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II which sets sail soon. We continue to hold in prayer the over 500 people from 22 countries on board the 9 boats heading for Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's illegal blockade of the Strip. We pray for the 1.6 million people of Gaza who continue to live without freedom and human dignity, may those who come on the Flotilla with humanitarian aid bring awareness to the world about these realities and may all be surrounded with your presence for peace and justice.

► We pray for peace and justice as 100 gravestones from the Mamilla Muslim Arab Cemetery were destroyed on Sunday night by the Israeli authorities who plan to build a Museum of Tolerance on this 12th century cemetery in Jerusalem. We pray that the Israeli authorities stop the desecration of Muslim cemeteries and the confiscation of the Waqf Land (Muslim Religious Trust).

► We give you thanks for the return of about 150 acres of the 490 confiscated acres of land to the village of Bil'in after years of legal procedures, non-violent demonstrations and loss of life. We continue to pray for communities whose land has been taken from them illegally and violently. We thank you for the persistence and non-violent resistance of the Palestinian people in the midst of the legal proceedings.

► We pray for the participants and leaders of the Annual International Women's Methodist conference in the UK. We also pray for Hind Khoury member of the Sabeel Executive Board and a former Palestinian diplomat, who will speak at the conference and will raise "The Voice of a Palestinian Christian Mother." We also pray for participants and leaders of the Sabeel 6th Annual International Young Adult Conference as preparations are being made and plans finalized. May all who participate be moved by Your spirit in truth.

With the Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches, we pray for:

Bolivia, Chile, Peru



http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle.html




Wave of Prayer for Thursday, June 23, 2011



► As the Gaza Freedom Flotilla II sets sail we hold in prayer the over 500 people from 22 countries on board the 10 boats heading for Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's illegal blockade of the Strip. With memories of the 9 flotilla members killed the First Freedom Flotilla last year and with the Israeli military's statements that it will use force if necessary this year to prevent a breaking of the blockade, we pray for the safety of all involved and for an end to the 5 year old blockade that has deprived Gaza's 1.6 million residents of freedom and human dignity and created a humanitarian crisis.

► We pray for all the Palestinian children who are routinely arrested and held without charge by Israeli authorities, especially remembering the 8 year old boy in Hebron whose arrest Christian Peacemaker Teams witnessed on Sunday, June 19. We are encouraged by children and young adults who are nonviolently acting and speaking out against the occupation that affects every part of their lives, including Jalal Abukhater, a 16 year old Palestinian blogger from Jerusalem who is a part of the growing movement using social media (http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june102011/palestine-citizen-ja.php).

► We hold in prayer the families affected by Monday's demolition where Israeli bulldozers destroyed homes in the Bedouin herding encampment of Khirbet Bir Al-Idd, displacing 60 men, women and children. We pray for an end to this policy of demolishing Bedouin villages, of which this is the latest in a series over the past months: including on June 14 the Jordan Valley Bedouin community of Fasayil was demolished, in March tent homes were demolished near Tubas and in April homes in the same area were demolished and shepherd dwellings in the northern valley were destroyed.

► We pray for participants and leaders of the Sabeel Women's program on Friday where participants from the Jerusalem and Nazareth areas will visit the villages of Abboud and Bir Zeit, visiting Christian Holy sites and learning about the archeological, historical and contemporary importance of these villages. We also thank God for the Nazareth staff who continue to offer programs and gatherings, including last week's meeting of Christian and Jewish women working for peace and justice and the Children's program for Pentecost.

With the Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches, we pray for:

Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay



http://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/prayer-cycle.html