Jan 30th, 2025
Israel began the “Iron Wall” operation on Jenin Refugee Camp. Already, dozens of Palestinians have been killed including children and women.
God, we are shaken by the reports coming out of Jenin, a city which continues to experience violence. We do not know the extent of the suffering in Jenin, but we trust you know every name, every tear, and every plea. Deliver us from the many forms of oppression. Console us through liberation, heal us through justice, and humble the rulers of the world that are responsible for the continued suffering and dehumanization of lives.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
War is now transferring to the West Bank. People in the West Bank have been living in fear of an unpredictable and worsening situation. The Israeli military has erected almost 900 checkpoints and gates throughout the West Bank, completely controlling the right of movement. As Palestinian cities are cut off from one another, settlers are also burning towns and committing violence, now further emboldened by U.S. President Trump’s lifting of sanctions on West Bank settlers and groups
God of life, we grieve the complicity of nations and leaders that have made violence against Palestinians normal. We cry out for your intervention as people face settler attacks, home demolitions, and settler colonial violence. Illuminate to the world about the horrors, unhidden and hidden, happening in the West Bank. As we keep our hearts and minds on the West Bank, protect us from the desire for revenge and give us the wisdom to seek healing through the end of occupation, siege, massacres, starvation, hostages, and any other form oppression.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Just one day after the ceasefire went into effect, Israeli forces shot and killed a 15-year-old Palestinian child in southern Gaza. His name is Zakariya Hameed Yahya Barbakh. When someone attempted to retrieve his lifeless body, they too were met with bullets. He is one of two Palestinian children killed on the first day after ceasefire.
God of Justice, have mercy on the family of Zakariya and comfort them as they mourn. Lord, help us keep our eyes on Gaza amidst this fragile ceasefire, and humble the arrogant who believe they can act with impunity against international law and human rights.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Sabeel is hosting its first events of the year at its newly established center in the Old City of Jerusalem. One of these events will take place next Saturday, 1st February, featuring Move Within, which will host a Yoga and Pilates class from 10:30 AM to 12:45 PM. Through these events, we hope to bring the East Jerusalem community together and foster joy, even amidst challenges.
God of Hope, we thank each staff member and volunteer of Sabeel who are working against impossible odds. Strengthen our faith when we feel weak, protect us from harm, and help us operate as one body in Christ. Continue to help us find new nonviolent ways of resisting and uplifting our community.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
At the end of this month, UNRWA will officially be forced to close its offices in Jerusalem due to Israeli actions against it. The refugee status of many Palestinians in refugee camps in Jerusalem and the West Bank, which number around 800,000, are at risk. Many will fall below the poverty line, and with the lack of education and healthcare services, violence will only worsen.
Dear God, we remember your days as a refugee who dwelled among the oppressed of your time. We come to you in fear that the most marginalized in the refugee camps will suffer even more due to the closing of UNRWA. Help us to understand that the situation of Palestinian refugees is tied to the entire Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice. Make your presence known in the refugee camps amidst unbearable violence and help us bring down the systems and decision makers that cause displacement and torment.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
The 27th of January marks the international day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. This day commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of one third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities by Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945.
Loving God, we come to you in remembrance of the victims of Holocaust who were massacred, displaced, and murdered due to racism and extremist ideologies. Help us remember and recognize the sanctity of each human life, that all people are made in your image. Help us in resisting extremism and raising our voices for love to triumph over evil. We pray that genocide, hatred, and systems of oppression all around the world will cease.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Cyprus, Greece, and Türkiye.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
