The United States and Iran have officially signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war in Iran. The 14-point agreement includes an immediate end to fighting on all fronts including Lebanon, an end to the U.S. naval blockade on Iran and the full resumption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Holy God, we are grateful for a potential end to violence and death, especially in Lebanon. We pray that this peace will be extended to the whole region and for the people of Gaza who are still suffering from violence and deprivation of basic needs by the Israeli occupation. May your peace and justice, which surpasses all human understanding, prevail and liberate us.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Israeli occupation forces arrested Palestinian physician Dr. Mazen Al-Rantisi in his home in Ramallah. Israeli authorities have not announced the reasons for Al-Rantisi’s arrest or disclosed where he is being held. Al-Rantisi is widely known throughout Palestinian cities, towns and villages as “Doctor of the Poor” because of his long-standing commitment to treating low-income patients and providing them with free affordable care. Israel has arrested approximately 360 doctors and healthcare workers since 2023, the majority from Gaza. Roughly 82 remain in Israeli prisons.
God of justice, help us move our righteous anger into disruptive witness for Dr. Al-Rantisi and all healthcare workers who are imprisoned. Be with them in their pain and suffering. We pray for the safety of healthcare workers still serving their community in Gaza and the West Bank.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week, Ms. Cedar Duaybis, a Sabeel co-founder and Palestinian theologian, joined Rev. Fadi Diab for a conversation on “Theology from the Underside: Palestinian Christian Witness and Liberation.” The multi-generation conversation touched on ecumenical grassroots activism and liberation theology.
God of justice, we thank your Holy Spirit who is working creatively and generationally to share messages of love and liberation through Cedar, Rev. Fadi, and all involved in our Palestinian Christian movements. Remind us that the work of liberation is not immediate but is sustained faithfully through each age and generation. In doing so, give us the sumud (steadfastness) and hope of the Holy Spirit that we may continue planting seeds for a better world.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week in the United States, people observed Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Texas learned they were free more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had declared their emancipation. Over the 419 years since the beginning of European settlement in what is now the United States, slavery existed for approximately 250 years. Most enslaved people were either brought from Africa through the Atlantic slave trade or were descendants of those who had been.
Holy God, while we celebrate a historical event of freedom, we know that the violence and dehumanization of slavery still lives on through the structural sins of racism, ethno-nationalism, and colonialism today. Help us to work towards true liberation by dismantling these systems of harm and building radical solidarity in their place.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Sabeel continues to lift in our prayers the over 10,000 Palestinian prisoners and all those detained and kidnapped without charge or trial in Israeli prisons, which have been described as torture camps by human rights groups.
Holy God, protect all the young people on our land as they face uncertainty and suffocation of life from all angles. We hold onto faith that you do not abandon us in our tribulations and pains. Liberate all those shackled in prisons and liberate us from our complicity and participation in systems of incarceration and injustice.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the people of Malawi and Zambia.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers
