Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of June 9, 2025
Palestinians in Gaza spent Eid under siege, enduring starvation and relentless war. The limited aid that is allowed in is tightly controlled at U.S.-Israeli aid distribution points. Over the past 12 days, eyewitnesses and human rights organizations report that Israeli forces have killed 110 Palestinians and injured 583 others—people who were simply waiting in line for food.
Holy God, We remember that you were born under occupation, that you broke bread with the poor, and that your table made no room for injustice but welcomed the outcast and the sinner. We lift up all who are suffering from this war, especially the children of Gaza. Wrap them in your protection. Stir the hearts of the world to rise in their defense. Let not one more life be taken in silence. May your justice break through the rubble, and may we, your people, refuse to rest until every wall of violence falls.
Lord, in your mercy… Hear our prayer.
According to the United Nations, as of June 2025, Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have injured over 220 Palestinians. Often collaborating or receiving protection from the Israeli military, settlers have contributed directly to the continued and current forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank.
God of justice, we lift up those injured and displaced by settler violence in the West Bank. Amid ongoing attacks and oppression, may your healing presence surround the wounded and your justice dismantle systems that allow such cruelty to persist. Strengthen the resilience of those who resist displacement and stand with the oppressed. May peace and dignity prevail in the land you love.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Sabeel is welcoming multiple delegations this month, with the first delegation made of theological educators who arrived the beginning of June and are returning to their home countries this week. The delegations continue to attempt to bring hope at a time of hopelessness.
God of accompaniment, we give thanks for the delegation participants who walked with our community this week. Bless their return home with courage to speak truth, wisdom to teach with compassion, and boldness to stand in solidarity. May each delegation that comes and goes sow deeper roots of justice, and may their witness help bring liberation closer for all.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week, in honor of World Environment Day, Sabeel’s Kumi Now session featured the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature (APN), who spoke about the importance of supporting green resistance and food sovereignty in the context of settler colonialism. With over 80% of Gaza’s agricultural land now destroyed, APN has been working to rehabilitate Gaza’s agricultural sector and restore local food systems to combat famine, counter the blockade, and build food sovereignty. The link to donate to their “revive Gaza’s farmland” campaign can be found here.
Creator of life, we thank you for those who work the land with vision and courage. As Gaza suffers war and genocide, we pray for the renewal of what has been devastated. Bless the hands restoring local food systems, and sustain the efforts of those reclaiming the right to grow and eat freely. May the work of the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature and all who strive for food justice break through the grip of blockade and bring nourishment where there is hunger.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Members of Jerusalem Voice for Justice issued a SOS from the Holy Land, decrying Israel’s renewed siege and military escalation in Gaza. The statement condemns the weaponization of aid, warns of ethnic cleansing, and calls on the global community to act with urgency. Drawing on the Pentecost story, they urge people of conscience not to give up, but to renew their efforts to fight for justice and life in Gaza and all of Palestine. The statement can be found here or on Sabeel Wave of Prayers website.
Spirit of the Living God, on the day of Pentecost, you filled ordinary people with bold tongues and burning hearts. As the members of Jerusalem Voice for Justice cry out from the land of your birth, may their SOS ignite a fire in the hearts of all who hear. Help us speak out, act with love, and keep showing up for justice in Gaza and all of Palestine. May your Spirit lead us in hope and strength.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Eswatini.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers