A Prayer for Ukraine
We are glad to offer this prayer for the people of Ukraine. Commenting has been left on so that you can offer your own prayers too…
Living God, joyfully we find in Jesus what it means to be fully human.
You give us hope that one day we shall be like Him.
May all the sisters and brothers of Christ know fullness of life and reflect God’s glory to the world.
Living God, we come to you not with glib prayers about the poor or the sick, words that we say because we think we ought to, we come with real and genuine concern in our hearts for the people of Ukraine who are having the homes, their lives, their safety and security stolen from them in premeditated and brutal war. How could they ever withstand the might of a super power’s army, 170,000 troops, vast arrays of armaments amassed against them, attacking from the north, the east, the west? For some dream, illusion of re-creating the Soviet Union, reclaiming territories that once belonged but have long since determined their own destiny.
We cry for them; we fear for them and fear for ourselves that we might be drawn into a war that spreads across Europe.
We are tempted to stand back, not wishing to be drawn in, but what does that say about us if we no longer wish to defend the oppressed, the innocent, the victim?
We might pray for peace yet know that peace is a long way off and comes at the end of much bloodshed and destruction.
We might pray for God to act, as God can, to change the heart of man, so man might set aside plans of power and dominion that cause pain and hurt and generations of animosity on all sides; for even the victorious endure loss in the pursuit of glory.
Why Lord can we not learn to love our neighbour – a way so much more powerful and world changing than hatred or power or greed.
What words do we say, what thoughts should we think, what actions should we take that helps right the wrongs?
Lord hear these prayers…
Amen