Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Sept. 28, 2020

A BBC enquiry has discovered that, Roman Abramovich, the Russian owner of Chelsea Football Club, controls companies which have donated $100 million to Elad, an Israeli settler organization. Elad has been confiscating Palestinian property and buying up homes in East Jerusalem to re-house 450 Jewish settlers in a predominately Palestinian neighborhood. Any settler group activity in occupied East Jerusalem is a breach of international law. While in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli authorities are planning to confiscate 3,800 dunams,(almost 1000 acres), of Palestinian land in seventeen different locations around the city.

Omniscient God, you see everything that happens on the earth and you listen out for the cries of the poor and the oppressed. You see when the rich and powerful oppress the poor, as your prophet Micah said: ‘ They covet fields and seize them and houses and take them away, they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance’ ( Micah 2:2). We pray for an end to the seizure of Palestinian homes and land by the Israeli authorities and settlers. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Kumi Now Initiative hosted a speaker for the Tent of Nations project on the 29th of September to discuss the discrimination suffered by Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank over the lack of building permits issued by the Israeli authorities. The Tent of Nations is an educational and environmentally friendly farm which stretches over a hundred acres south west of Bethlehem. It is run by Daoud Nassar and his family. He is a Palestinian Christian and is committed to creative and non-violent resistance to all attempts from the Israeli authorities and illegal settlers to strip him of his land and resources.

Dear Lord, we pray for Daoud Nassar and his family particularly at this time when he has come under violent attacks from nearby communities who have damaged his crops and his property. We pray that Daoud will be able recover from these serious attacks and will continue to resist attempts to confiscate his land. We pray he will receive support and encouragement from his many friends in Israel/Palestine and abroad, even when they are unable to visit in person due to the pandemic. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Sunday, the 20th of September, the Honduran President, Juan Orlando Hernandez announced his intention to move his embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Currently Israel does not have an embassy in Honduras, but opened up a diplomatic mission there last month.

Lord, we pray for the city of Jerusalem. We pray that countries across the world will continue to abide by international law and not bow to political expediency. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The olive harvest is fast approaching in Palestine. This time was once a joyous celebration of the fruit of the land. For many Palestinian farmers living under occupation it is now a time of stress as they face increasing violence from illegal settlers.This year the Israeli army have imposed further restrictions by granting the farmers access to their land to harvest the olives only on particular dates. No consideration has been given to whether the crop is ripe for picking on that date or how long the farmers might need to harvest their crop.

Lord, we thank you for the provision of the olive harvest each year which is so important for the livelihoods of many Palestinian farmers. We pray that the farmers may safely harvest their crops this year. We pray too that the unreasonable military orders will be rescinded. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The city of Bethlehem is about to become the most recent member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. This network of cities around the world have all demonstrated a  commitment to provide inclusive and equitable opportunities for their citizens to continue their education throughout their lives. Every two years the cities come together to share ideas and best practice to support and inspire each other.

We thank you, Lord Jesus, that the little town where you were born two thousand years ago has grown into a city which is working to give its community new and sustainable opportunities throughout their lives. We pray that Bethlehem will bless this global network with its membership. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.