[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 20/February/2022]
A Call to All Members of HBC to Pray for Peace in Ukraine
Although we continue to pray for peace, the death and devastation of an invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army now looks like a very real prospect. It’s been inspiring to see how some Christians are responding to the threat of war. I recently spoke with my friend, Pastor Roman, who leads a church in eastern Ukraine. He told me that his church recently led a series of training sessions for their young people to help them learn basic first-aid skills to enable them to help war-wounded soldiers and civilians in the event of a major armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia. When I asked Roman about what he thought Christians should do when faced with an armed invasion, he said that he believed that his role was simply to pray and try to be a sign of peace and reconciliation.
Although he and his church in Ukraine don’t take sides in a national or geopolitical conflict, they do regularly travel to the front line to minister to the Ukrainian soldiers. They see it as their Christian duty to show God’s love to people in difficult situations. Most of the Ukrainian troops that they meet are either teenagers or in their early twenties, often spending months away from their families living in frozen trenches, not knowing if or when they might be killed by a sniper or by an invasion of enemy forces.
Please could all members of HBC pray for Ukraine at this critical time. Please pray that in these anxious times, God’s people will remain steadfast in unity, standing firm shoulder to shoulder for the sake of the gospel (Phil. 1:27). Pray that those who work to resolve the existing political tensions act in fear of God and pray that God holds back the leaders and authorities from military actions. Above all, please pray for peace and for God’s protection for the people of Ukraine.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt. 5:9)
An update to this prayer request is available here.
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Contributed by Joshua Searle; © the Author
