Pray for Ukraine

Over the past several weeks, Barnabas International has been actively monitoring the situation in Ukraine.  Considering the recent full-scale invasion on February 24th, I’m able to report that our staff couple who live just outside of Kyiv have been evacuated and are currently in the United States.  However, a great number of those that they serve (Ukrainians) are either still in the country or are attempting to evacuate.  We also have our Romanian couple who are in the United Kingdom that have many contacts in Ukraine who are being impacted by this invasion.  This staff couple have plans to head to Bucharest next week to provide care to their member care team and make themselves available to Ukrainian refugees that are fleeing the country.

Today on a security call, it was expressed to me that one of the greatest needs in the weeks and months ahead will be related to pastoral care.  This is where we come in as an organization.  We currently have personnel who are providing debriefing care for workers who have evacuated out of Ukraine, and we are exploring how we can respond to the emotional and spiritual needs of global workers and Ukrainian national believers. 

First, please join us in prayer for the people of Ukraine, the ministry partners and national church leaders we work with that are being impacted by this invasion.  As you can imagine these circumstances are very stressful.  Join us in praying that God brings peace quickly to the region.  Also, pray that people will turn to Him for their hope during this time of uncertainty. 

Here is a brief Prayer Guide as you pray for Ukraine:

• Ask God to redeem this situation by drawing many people to Himself.  May Ukrainians and Russians discover that Jesus is the only true source of peace, safety, comfort, truth, and freedom.
• Pray that Ukrainians ultimately would hope not in governments, elections, or diplomacy, but in Jesus Christ.
• Ask God to deliver Ukraine from evil. May He have mercy and heal this land.  May He give Ukraine peace and the chance to develop as a nation that values truth, justice, and freedom, all rooted in the goodness of God.
• Pray for a culture in which political disagreements don’t lead to hatred or violence.
• The conflict between Ukraine and Russia can spill over into personal conflict within families, especially when family members live on opposite sides of the border and are influenced by different sides of the “information war.”  Pray for unity and a love for one another that supersedes the problems between the countries.
• Ask God to bless soldiers’ wives and children with peace and safety while their husbands and fathers are gone.
• Pray for the various world leaders involved in diplomacy over Ukraine.
• Pray that the evangelical church will remain united, even as it faces difficult questions, such as how involved believers ought to be in politics or in armed conflict.
• In the past few years, the Ukrainian evangelical church has become much more passionate about sending its own cross-cultural workers to reach the lost.  Pray that this conflict will not dissuade Ukrainians from taking the gospel message to Russia and to other lands.
• Pray for Christians in the military.  This is a challenging time; ask God to guide them as their faith is being tested in new ways.