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Marissa MayerMar 1, 2022 12:00:00 AM3 min read

How Ukrainian Christians Are Handling the Invasion: Hope, Prayer & Worship

It’s hard to imagine what you would do if your country was suddenly plunged into war. It would be easy to succumb to the chaos and fear, but that’s not what we’re seeing in Ukraine.

In the midst of the rubble, stories of the Ukrainian people's strength, faith and hope have shined through. Their resilience in the face of such terror and destruction has inspired the world — and we hope it will inspire you too.

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Church Services Continue Uninterrupted in Ukraine

This past Sunday, the dawn brought news of heavy fighting in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Buildings were destroyed, lives were lost and the situation appeared to be escalating. But the day also brought news of Ukrainian Christians gathering in churches across the country to worship, pray and strengthen themselves as a community.

“The whole church prayed on their knees for our president, our country and for peace,” said Vadym Kulynchenko of his church in Kamyanka, 145 miles south of the capital. “After the service, we did a first-aid training.”

This may sound incredible to those of us who have never experienced war, but the Book of Psalms is filled with similar moments of anguish as the Psalmist cries out to God in distress. This act of worship glorified God as the Creator and Ruler of all things — and it brought peace, a peace that is likely desperately needed right now in Ukraine.

In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. – Psalm 18:6 (NIV)

In fact, a senior international correspondent for CBN News who is currently reporting from Ukraine, was present in one such church service.

He posted a powerful video of the church worshipping the Lord saying, “Despite the anguish and turmoil of Russia’s war, Ukrainian Christians remain steadfast, vowing to preach the unending, compassionate & redeeming love of Christ. Take heart, your prayers are being heard. God is moving powerful (sic) on their behalf!”

Word of God: Comfort & Peace to Ukrainian People

There is nothing that brings comfort like the Word of God. It’s often said that the Bible is God’s love letter to us, demonstrating how much He cares for us.

Right now, the Ukrainian people have been seeking out the Word of God so much that stores in Ukraine have begun to run out of Bibles.

Anatoliy Raychynets, who serves as the deputy general secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society, revealed that Ukrainians “need more Bibles,” saying that the Word of God has been the ultimate source of comfort and encouragement to people – even those who are hearing Scripture for the first time.

Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege. – Psalm 31:21 (NIV)

Ukrainian Christians in America are in shock, but prayerful

If there was one word that captures how Ukrainian-Americans feel about the situation in their home country, it’s "shock." They can’t believe this happened. They can’t believe that their cities lay in ruins and their brothers and sisters are fighting for their lives and freedom.

“I’m still kind of in shock,” said one Ukrainian-American pastor in Virginia. “Honestly, I’m grieving. It’s very painful to know what my friends and family and ministry partners are experiencing in Ukraine and [it’s] a little bit unbelievable that something like this could be happening right now.”

But in the midst of these overwhelming emotions, Ukrainian-Americans continue to ask for and encourage people to pray for Ukraine.

“There’s a saying in Ukrainian: When there are troubles, we go to God,” a Ukrainian-American in Los Angeles revealed.

Please join us in prayer for all Ukrainians and read our piece on the four ways you can be praying for the Ukrainian crisis right now. 

Feature Image: Twitter

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Marissa Mayer

Marissa Mayer is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of professional experience. Her work has been featured in Christian Post, The Daily Signal, and Intellectual Takeout. Mayer has a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Arizona State University.

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