Sabeel Wave of Prayer – Week of March 30, 2026
50 years ago, on March 30, 1976, six unarmed Palestinians were killed, and more than 100 were injured by Israeli police during protests against Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian land in the Galilee. Since this date, Palestinians have commemorated Land Day as a day of remembrance but also resistance.
God of the dispossessed, we remember all the people of Palestine and indigenous peoples everywhere, who keep the memory and refuse to forget the land which is the source of their hope and dignity. Bless those who endure, who plant, and who resist. Help us to continue to bear witness to and resist land confiscations and dispossession.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Israel is expanding its ground invasion of southern Lebanon. The United Nations says that more than 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon, and at least 1,238 people have been killed.
Lord God, you know what it is like to be a refugee displaced and persecuted by empire. Be with the millions who are displaced in our region with nowhere to go. In the face of such evil, we pray for your goodness and righteousness to reign.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Israel’s parliament has advanced a bill to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of terrorism to its final vote, after the Knesset’s national security committee approved the measure. The legislation, initiated by the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, would mark a significant escalation in Israel’s penal policy. UN experts last month urged Israel to withdraw the bill, saying it “would violate the right to life and discriminate against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Holy God, we grieve this deep injustice. Help us to understand that the death penalty is one of many tools that empire uses to persecute and destroy, and that the fight for liberation entails the dismantlement of all structures of violence. Man of Sorrows, help us to be witnesses to the suffering of the oppressed even though it is hard to see if you are with us “for we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) We pray for all prisoners, especially those held for their beliefs and conscience. Strengthen and comfort their families who long for justice.
Lord, in Your mercy… hear our prayer.
After being unfairly sentenced to 32 months in prison and a fine equivalent to $3,836, Shadi Khoury and his family has decided to appeal to the Supreme Court. Shadi Khoury recently had a court hearing over the weekend which was postponed to April 16. As a result, he will not turn himself in until the case convenes and a decision is made. More information about his case can be found here: https://afsc.org/newsroom/justice-shadi-khoury-and-all-palestinian-children
Loving Christ, we lift up Shadi Khoury and his family in our prayers as they undergo the stress and trauma of the colonial system. Help us to be faithful witnesses and partners to Shadi’s struggle for freedom.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
On April 24th, FOSNA and other partners will be hosting a conversation with Christian student activists, seminarians, and Palestinian liberation theologians. This webinar invites emerging Christian leaders to discuss tangible ways to engage questions of justice and peacemaking in Israel/Palestine from within their theological commitments. Together, we will consider how faith shapes public engagement and how students can pursue advocacy on their campuses with wisdom, courage, and humility, asking “what are the demands of discipleship in a time of profound moral upheaval?” To register, visit the FOSNA website or visit this link. (https://actionnetwork.org/events/seminariansforpalestine)
God of Justice, we give thanks to those who live out liberation theology and follow your call to be peacemakers in our world. We pray for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in this upcoming conversation, that those involved will commit to a discipleship modeled on your love and justice. Continue to embolden the Palestinian church to continue its living prophetic tradition of theology and leadership.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the people of Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers