Prayers for Ukraine and Russia

Colleague and friend, Pastor Doyle Theimer (Christ the King Lutheran Church in Kingwood, Texas) posted this today. It’s a thoughtful and touching prayer honoring Christ and seeking his mercy for the people torn by war.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

God, you appointed your Son, Jesus, to be the rightful King (Christ/Messiah) of Israel and Supreme Ruler of all peoples. As the overseer of human governments, He supports their divinely established purposes of justice and protection. As the head of the Church, he rules in individual hearts through mercy, forgiveness and embodied love. His purpose is to redeem our human affairs and convert them to an eternal, supernatural kingdom from which evil will have been eliminated.

Therefore, my first prayer is for the Gospel of his Kingdom to be a source of hope and comfort for all who witness Putin’s invasion, and especially the victims.

May the established churches of Ukraine, Russia, and surrounding countries “seek first the Kingdom of God.” May they renounce false values and subordinate their nationalistic loyalties to the Kingdom of God. May they get a fresh awakening of faith and a renewal of hope and the inspiration to love as they read the Bible in their services. Pour out upon them the fullness of your Holy Spirit. May they resonate with the Lord’s commands to love their enemies, to disciple the nations, and to preach the forgiveness of sins to the ends of the earth.

I pray for the refugees, the pinned down, the wounded, the grieving. May their immediate needs be met—physical, relational, and spiritual. May they receive compassionate personal attention and support from relief agencies and volunteers. Enable the oppressed to come together in human solidarity. May they turn to Christ in repentance and faith.

I pray against the invaders.

May the militant heads of state, their war council, and their military commanders experience mental confusion, miscommunication, internecine conflict, breakdowns of discipline and increasing hatred of the situation for which they are responsible. May they turn to Christ in repentance and faith.

May the rank-and-file Russian forces become disillusioned with their leaders. May they contemplate the humanity of the citizens whose country they are invading. May they experience grief and regret about the killing they engage in and the dying they witness. May they experience despair and hopelessness with regard to fulfilling their orders. May they resent this unprovoked invasion and desire to surrender. May they turn to Christ in repentance and faith.

May the citizens of Russia resolve to live in peace. May they elect leaders who protect and preserve the dignity of all of their people. May they turn to Christ in repentance and faith.

I pray for the defenders of Ukraine.