One of the great things about being an alumni of the World Race is that the contacts and the people that you work with or minister to don’t just stop being a part of your life at the end of the month. Since the end of my time on the race in 2011 I have retained contact with several different people that I met while I was away and I check in on them every couple of months. Over the last several weeks I have been reading updates from a friend in Ukraine about the violence and the protests taking place there – as he put it in his last one ‘…indeed we need to pray as never before…’
The interesting thing is that while I am reading his updates the information I am receiving through media sources is focused largely on the Olympics and when I scroll through my Facebook feed no one except my friends in Ukraine are posting about the protests there. So I decided to do what I can do to raise awareness and encourage everyone who prayed and supported me on the race to do the same for Ukraine at this time of need.
A Facebook status posted by a woman in Kyiv on 19/02/2014 explains what it’s like in the city:
“Marshall law is in effect in Kiev without official announcement – subway is completely shut down, in the downtown the traffic is paralyzed, the roads into Kiev from other cities are closed, mobile internet is shut down (we still have broadband internet, but for how long?), Maidan is surrounded by thousands of riot police threatening to attack any minute…Riot police through load speakers is warning women and children to leave Maidan. The number of people on Maidan is still growing! We need a lot of prayers! We need God’s miracle to stop a major bloodshed. Hundreds of people have been seriously injured today and 9 are confirmed killed.”
I know that when you hear reports of conflicts like the one taking place in Ukraine it can be difficult to know exactly how to pray. With that in mind I just wanted to share a few of the things that I am praying for and invite you to join me in praying for them.
1. Pray for my contacts in Kyiv.
I know several people within the city who are dedicated to loving the people of Kyiv and seeing them come to understand the gospel in a real and life giving way. Right now they are in a city that is torn apart by violent conflict. On one hand that is extremely scary – so pray for courage, boldness and safety – but on the other hand it is an opportunity for them to reach out to the people of Kyiv at a time when people are truly desperate for the things they have to offer. Pray that they would have wisdom and that God would open doors for them so that beauty and victory can rise up in the midst of chaos and confusion.
The name of the church is Living Hope and these are a few names to keep in mind specifically as you pray for them:
Vitaliy, Kate, Sergey & Julia, Andrey, Anton & Lidia, Michael, Marianna and Arkadiy (and his family). There are many others but I don’t remember all of their names so just pray for the congregation of Living Hope and all of those in connection to them.
2. Pray that God’s presence and hope would be felt all across Kyiv and throughout Ukraine.
Through the conflict God is in control and his love for the people of Ukraine does not falter. Pray that the church would be strengthened through this time and that as they face the dangers God would give them wisdom, grace and love. Pray that within the conflict there would be a huge outpouring of the goodness of God and that the impact of that would be deeply felt.
3. Pray for peace.
Pray that there would be peace within Ukraine – in all levels of government, within the police force, among protestors and for all citizens of the country. Pray for the economy of the nation and for the resolution of the political issues and social injustice at the heart of the conflict. Pray for an end to further conflict and for safety over all of Ukraine but specifically Kyiv and Madain (Kiev Independent Square) where much of the main protest is located.
