Sabeel Wave of Prayer – Week of Oct. 26, 2026
Last Friday, gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Karak, Jordan, killing nine people and wounding dozens. Jordan’s Prime Minister, Jafar Hassan, described the attack as the result of terrorist ideology and blind extremism. Jordan is home to approximately 250,000–400,000 Christians, many belonging to some of the oldest Christian communities in the world. They have long lived alongside their Muslim compatriots, contributing to the country’s rich religious and cultural heritage. In solidarity with the victims and their families, Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center will hold an ecumenical prayer service on Friday, 30 October, at the Dominican Church in Jerusalem. The service will offer prayers for the families of those who lost their lives, for the healing of the injured, and for comfort and strength for all those affected by this tragedy.
Holy God, we grieve all acts of violence and the ideologies that lead to violence. We pray for the victims and their families, that they may receive your comfort and presence during this time. Lord, help us unite as one community against hatred and hold accountable those who sow hatred and division within our community.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Following a shooting attack last week that killed two Israeli soldiers in occupied Hebron in the West Bank, Israeli forces imposed a lockdown on the city and carried out measures amounting to collective punishment. At least 47 Palestinians were detained, and dozens of Palestinian buildings were demolished. The military also raided an entire Palestinian neighborhood, displacing more than 400 Palestinian families overnight.
Divine Creator, help us break this cycle of structural violence which violates the sanctity of life. We pray for the end of all forms of violence, collective punishment, and the destruction of homes and communities. Illuminate the crimes committed by systems, governments, and individuals, and give us the courage to stand alongside all who suffer under oppression in the West Bank and beyond.
Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer.
Last week, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem issued a statement condemning an attack by masked settlers against Palestinian olive farmers and visiting European diplomats and officials in Taybeh. The attack happened during an olive harvest event coordinated with the town’s Latin Patriarchate parish.
God who advocates for the oppressed, help the Church continue to speak out and act against the sins of apartheid, racism, and occupation. We pray for the community of Taybeh and for all community leaders in Taybeh who uphold nonviolence amidst overwhelming violence. Lord, restore the dignity of the oppressed and convict the hearts of those who sin.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
The Palestine Festival of Literature (PalFest) will be held this year in Gaza City and Ramallah, with events in late October and November. The festival was created in 2008 as an act of cultural solidarity and resistance with Palestine by a group of international cultural figures. Since then, PalFest has run an annual festival in which international authors combine with their Palestinian counterparts for free, public events in cities across Palestine. During the daytime, visiting authors are taken to sites of historical and political relevance and meet with artists, authors and activists.
Benevolent God, we thank you for your Holy Spirit which is present whenever we creatively resist and persist. We pray for the organizers and participants of the Palestine Festival of Literature, that their efforts to imagine a world where your justice and peace reigns will bear fruit and inspire others. Remind us, through their example, the words of Apostle Paul: “We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
The Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center (SMRC), a vital rehabilitation facility for children in the West Bank, is facing an alarming new security threat following an intrusion by Israeli settlers onto its grounds. Located on the road between Ramallah and Birzeit, the Center has now been directly affected by escalating settler violence across the West Bank. In early October, a large group of Israeli settlers entered the rear grounds of the SMRC, crossed the property, and exited through the main entrance gate. During this alarming intrusion, a greenhouse was damaged. The Christian Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center (SMRC) was established by the Worldwide Moravian Church as a secluded sanctuary in Jerusalem for individuals sufferings.
Lord Christ, you are the protector of the vulnerable. Make your protecting presence known to the staff and chlidren of Star Mountain Rehabilitation Center who are experiencing the terror of settler violence. We pray for an end to all forms of violence that threaten the sanctity of life and the end of occupation.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the people of The Caribbean.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers