Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Aug. 25, 2025
The Israeli military uprooted around 3,000 olive trees in a village northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The army justified the measure by saying the trees posed a “security threat” to a main Israeli settlement road that runs through the village’s lands.
Dear God, we lift our grief and anger at the destruction of thousands of olive trees that have carried generations of memory, sustenance, and peace. Holy Spirit, wrap your presence around all who suffer, and stir in us the courage to resist injustice and protect all creation. Let your justice bring healing, dignity, and restoration to the land and its people.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Layan Nasir, a 24 year-old Anglican Christian student from Birzeit who was held in administrative detention last year for 8 months until her release in December 2024, will go back to court on September 7th. Her family and community are worried she might be returned to prison, which would be a severe strain on her health.
Holy God, you are present with all who are in chains and who suffer in the darkness. We lift up Layan Nasir to you, asking for your protection as she returns to court. Give her peace, courage, and justice. Strengthen her family and community with hope. We also pray for all who are imprisoned or awaiting trial under an unjust system. We pray for their freedom, healing, and continued witness to your love.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
August 29 marks the anniversary of the assassination of Naji Al-Ali, the renowned Palestinian cartoonist who powerfully told the story of Palestine through his political art. He is best known for creating Handala, the iconic 10-year-old boy who has become a lasting symbol of the Palestinian struggle. As we remember Naji Al-Ali on this day, we also honor the many artists, poets, and writers who have been killed in Gaza.
God of compassion, we remember the countless artists, poets, and writers whose lives have been taken or silenced not only by violence, but by the slow cruelty of famine and deprivation. In Gaza and beyond, where hunger stifles creation and despair threatens to erase stories yet to be told, we lift up those whose voices remain unheard. Strengthen those who still struggle to speak through the darkness. Let their visions endure, and may the world be moved to act, to listen, and to never forget.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Over the last few weeks, protests have intensified across the world, from North America to Europe to Asia, calling for an end to genocide and famine in Gaza. Many protestors have committed to participating in a global strike every Thursday, which calls on everyone to cease buying any goods or services on Thursdays to halt the global economy until genocide stops.
God of the oppressed, we remember that in times of utmost darkness, your spirit moves among all those who labor for justice through their solidarity and actions. Help us continue to center all who suffer in our everyday lives. We especially pray for all who strike, who protest, who risk comfort and safety to bear witness to the truth. Bless their footsteps, their silence, their chants, and their refusal to participate in economies built on oppression.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
In times of great pain and suffering, Sabeel continues to gather our community to grieve and act through our Kumi Now sessions on Tuesdays and our online Worship Services on Thursdays. This Thursday at 6 PM Palestine, we will reflect on readings from the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost with guest speaker Rev. Lilian Patey. To register, visit tinyurl.com/sabeelworship.
Loving God, in moments of deep sorrow and hardship, we turn to you for comfort and strength. Gather our hearts as one community, that we may find healing through shared grief and renewed hope. Guide us to act with courage and love in the face of injustice, and open our spirits to your presence in worship and reflection. May your grace sustain us, now and always.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We invite all people of conscience to join us in praying for an end to famine in Gaza and Sudan, and for the cessation of genocides and wars everywhere.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the people of Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer