The Invasion of Ukraine
On the evening of February 23, 2022, the lives of millions of Ukrainian citizens were changed as Russia began a calculated takeover of that nation. Now the Baltic states are nervous they may be next. (1) It’s a scary time to be in that region of the world. We must pray for the Ukrainians, asking for God’s grace and mercy as they make challenging decisions regarding their safety. The situation there is volatile and unpredictable. We must not forget them.
It is not always easy to know how to pray for situations like the invasion of Ukraine. God cannot always stop evil from occurring, whether it be rape, murder, hunger, or war. It is not a power issue - of course God is all-powerful. It is a matter of allowing humans the privilege of a free will. When the human race became defiled at Adam’s fall, evil entered the world. One day it will end. For now, it exists.
Since God works on earth through people, not independently of them, dealing with evil requires human participation and cooperation with God and His laws. He uses righteous authority, laws, and government to suppress evil. At times, these restraining authorities must use force. However, stopping evil regimes that have gained power and control can take time - again, because God uses people.
All this to say it is not possible to simply pray a good prayer/s and end what is occurring in Ukraine. Does this mean we don’t pray? Of course not. We ask God to intervene in whatever ways He can, as quickly as He can. We pray for comfort to those suffering. We pray for other countries and leaders to make wise decisions that will mitigate the suffering and stop the evil. We pray for people to come to Christ - God uses tragedies such as this to reach people.
We also continue to pray for America’s complete turnaround. What occurs here affects the world. Secretary of State under President Trump, Mike Pompeo, said in an article regarding Ukraine, “This invasion was by no means inevitable. We in the Trump administration knew it was Putin‘s aim to establish Russian dominance and influence over all the old Soviet bloc countries, including in Ukraine. We were able to keep an invasion like this one from occurring by establishing a model of deterrence, not just with respect to Russia, but with anyone who threatened to harm or undermine our interests.” (2)
Pompeo went on to say, “[the Biden administration] failed because sanctions are just one tool for executing effective diplomacy and establishing deterrence, yet the Biden administration has acted as if they are sufficient as a reactionary strategy. They are not; deterrence must be multifaceted - military force projection, American energy dominance, allied resolve, and clear, concise dialogue and expectations.
“In the Trump administration, we incorporated all these factors into our strategy of diplomacy and deterrence, yet the Biden administration has allowed each to slowly erode with feckless, muddled responses to Russian aggression that have neither projected strength nor imposed costs on our adversaries. They have stopped speaking in the one language Putin understands: strength.
“President Biden has been weak toward Putin, unstable and unclear - he doesn’t understand what is at stake in the fight against Russia and doesn’t know that it takes strength to defend America and keep us out of war.
“America has been weak and unclear with our adversaries when the world needed it to be at its strongest and most clear. Our adversaries have noted the Biden administration‘s failure to act with resolve in Afghanistan, in the face of Chinese aggression, and now in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine….[China], the ayatollahs in Iran, will each see these failures of American leadership as a green light for them to execute their sinister designs to disrupt peace and make war. This will make the world far less safe for all people, including Americans.” (3)
President Trump’s policies were good. Though he was framed, lied about, (4) and opposed by evil people for 4 years, he still did much to strengthen and turn America in the right direction. Now, with Biden’s predictable policies and mistakes, Europe faces its greatest crisis since WWII, and madmen around the world are emboldened. They see this as their window of opportunity to take over as much of the world as possible.
We must pray!
We will pray for Ukraine and the Baltic States, just as we do Afghanistan. We will continue to pray for America’s turnaround and Third Great Awakening. Changed hearts will turn America back to God, which will allow Him to heal our land. We pray that in the meantime God helps us minimize the damage the left can do here and abroad. And we’ll pray for Congress to turn from being controlled by liberals and leftists this November, for women and men with biblical worldviews and values to take their positions. And we will pray for mercy and great grace to be poured out.
Pray with me:
Father, we ask for Your mercy to be manifested for the people in Ukraine and the Baltic States. We ask You to cause alliances and actions that will minimize violence and destruction. We pray that evil doers will be exposed and judged for their wickedness. We ask You to cause them to be hung on their own gallows. We pray that those who don’t know You will come to know You through the difficult times they experience. Bring revival to eastern Europe.
We pray for our government to make wise decisions. Cause them to think clearly. May they not fall into the traps and strategies of evil leaders. Give NATO leaders wise strategies and sound decisions.
We believe You will somehow use all of this to bring forth the great harvest You’re planning. Amp it up quickly, we pray. Redeeming God, bring a tidal wave of glory into the earth. We ask for this in Christ’s name. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that evil will ultimately fail, love will win.
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