How to pray for Ukraine
Just as we are beginning to emerge from the turbulence of the global pandemic, we are faced with a new crisis - the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.
The moral case against Putin’s actions is stark and clear. It is an unprovoked outrage and even a significant percentage of the Russian people do not agree with it. However, The Russian leader has chosen his moment carefully. America is paralysed by her own internal divisions and so is the EU. China is playing a tactical game, no doubt with their eye on Russian backing for a move on Taiwan.
Our leaders are making fine speeches but there is very little they can actually do without triggering a European war. Their concern over the situation in the Ukraine seems genuine but they have to calculate the value of their outrage with one eye on their need for Russian energy and mineral resources.
Ordinary men and women all over the world are left with a strong sense of injustice and anger about what is happening. Many are frightened and bewildered by the events of the last few days.
The eruption of Ukrainian flags and posts urging us to pray for Ukraine, on people’s social media accounts, is an eloquent testimony to people’s frustration and desire to “do something.” Deep down, we know that changing our facebook profile pictures won’t really make any difference to the situation but what else can we do?
Well, there is one, very powerful thing we can do. Pray. Or, to be more accurate, we can intercede.
Just as a prophet is someone who brings the cry of God’s heart to the people, an intercessor is someone who brings the cry of the people to God’s heart.
Intercession is much more than just thinking good thoughts about a situation. It is a determined, detailed, perseverant representation of the needs of a group of people to the Lord.
As human beings, we have a vote, we have access to our MP’s, we have time and we have bank accounts. These are all resources we may use to try and do something for the people of the Ukraine. To do so is our obligation as good citizens of the nations we live in.
As citizens of heaven though we have a supernatural weapon at our disposal - the ministry of intercession. This is not a specialist subject: It is something we can all do.
At its simplest, intercession is the act of taking upon ourselves the needs of others and bringing those needs to God’s attention through prayer. We stand in God’s presence and ask him to help the people we care about. We do this because we have faith that God is control of all things and that He is capable of doing anything He wants to. Our confidence is not based on our own estimates of how likely it is that God will act. It is based on our understanding of His will and His power.
There are a few things that can help us pray more effectively:
Pray in Faith (Step outside your intellectual assessment of the situation)
The Bible tells us that prayer works.
In James 5:16-18 we are reminded of the effectiveness of Elijah’s prayers:
“…The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
The big picture may be set but you can always pray about the details
In Mark 13, Matthew 24 and Luke 21, Jesus warns His disciples about the coming destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem (This warning is also believed to describe the times immediately before Jesus’ 2nd coming).
This warning is mostly a statement of fact about what is to come but, in Mark 13:18 Jesus advises HIs disciples to “Pray that this will not occur in the winter.” He does not tell them to pray that the Temple will not be destroyed because that was already fixed in His plan but He does leave room for them to pray for the well-being of the people caught up in those events.
So, we may not have the faith or the permission to pray that Russia will not invade the Ukraine but we can certainly pray for the well being and safety of the innocent people caught up in the war.
Don’t stop praying ’til it’s over
I Thessalonians 5:16-18 exhorts us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
Prayer is almost never a one-shot deal. Perseverance is a big part of intercession. It is the proof to God, Satan and the heavenly hosts that we are serious about what we are asking for. It is also a means of collaborating with God to make sure His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
In Daniel chapter 10 we read the story of how Daniel - inspired by a vision - prayed steadily for 21 days, without any apparent success. It was only on the 24th day of his fasting and praying, that a messenger came and explained that the answer to his prayers had been withstood by a powerful spirit called the Prince of Persia.
We humans are not called to do battle with those powerful spiritual warlords but we are called to keep our end of the prayer-line open whilst the heavenly hosts secure us the answers and relief that we need.
Pray with others
Matthew 18 verse 20 tells us that: “where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Praying together boosts our courage, gives us a greater sense of God’s presence and significantly boosts our stamina.
There is also a mysterious, supernatural multiplying force that is liberated by agreement and unity. Psalm 133 is a beautiful reminder that the Lord commands His blessing on those that walk together in unity. Matthew 18 verse 19 promises us that “ if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.“
So let’s pray for the people of Ukraine at our tea tables, at our coffee meets, on our family zoom calls or while we do the washing up.
Remind yourself who you are praying to
We have already mentioned I Thessalonians 5:16-18, that tells us to “rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances.”
Rejoicing and thanksgiving boost our faith and remind us that the God we are praying to is not a mute idol but a living, powerful and active Lord. So as we approach the Lord to ask for His intervention in the Ukraine, let’s follow the pattern laid out in Psalm 100:4 and “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
Remind yourself who is really in charge
God has delegated earthly power to earthly rulers but He is in ultimate control. Psalm 2:1-6 reminds us that men cannot do anything that God has not allowed:
“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,‘Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.’
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.’
Visit a pile of stones
The Israelites of the Old Testament had a tradition of building piles (cairns) of stones as reminders of agreements they made between themselves and as memorials to the great deeds God did for them. Joshua 4:1-7 tells of how Joshua commanded a pile of 12 stones to be built to commemorate the miraculous crossing of the River Jordan. That pile of stones stood for generations as reminder, to those who came later, of God’s tremendous power.
In our modern, digital age we have websites like the wall of answered prayer (www.eternalwall.org) to do that same job for us.
One of the stories of answered prayer they hold concerns the national prayer meeting called by King George the 6th on May 26th 1940. At that time, France had fallen to the Nazis, the British army was in full retreat and all hope seemed lost. Millions attended prayer meetings in churches up and down the nation and the queue to get into Westminster Abbey was more than a quarter of a mile long.
In the following days, three miracles took place:
Hitler halted his advance
A huge storm on May 28th meant that the Luftwaffe were unable to fly and then…
An unusual calm fell on the English channel, enabling thousands of small boats and ships to rescue 335,000 British troops
The war itself did not stop but the rescue of those vital troops meant that Great Britain was able to continue its defence and eventually to prevail against the forces of Nazi Germany.
So let’s engage in serious, faith filled steadfast prayer for the people of the Ukraine. Let us deploy the powerful, spiritual weapon of prayer and lets us witness God’s incredible ability to execute His will, regardless of the plans of men.