By Robin Sam
PEACE begins with a smile, said Mother Teresa once. In these times of Covid-19 and the general gloom pervading all around, we don’t know if people are smiling through their masks or glaring at us and gnashing their teeth. When smiles have become a rare commodity, what hope does peace have on earth?
Ukraine is pummeled by rockets and missiles from Russia as I write this. There are reports that Russian attacks from several fronts are being resisted by an outnumbered but brave Ukrainian army. Hundreds of people have sought shelter in metro stations in basements and sirens and ambulances are heard and seen everywhere in the capital city Kyiv.
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Without going into the right and wrong of the issue at hand, how can we pray for Ukrainians? How can we pray for world peace? Here are 7 things we need to pray for right now.
Pray for love to overcome power
American singer Jimi Hendrix is reported to have made this great quote: ‘When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.’ That’s an excellent premise to start our prayer. Shall we pray to the Lord that He will make world leaders who are participants and spectators in the Ukrainian crisis realize that their love for power is futile? We need to pray that God will do something that will make the Russian president, the Ukrainian president, the NATO head, the US president and other world leaders realize they are not what they claim to be and that they are mere stewards in the world where God alone is supreme.
Pray for God to move Putin’s heart
Vladimir Putin was born to a devout Christian mother and an atheist father. His mother baptized him in secret and he is rumored to wear the baptismal cross even now. Ever since his ascension to power, Putin has been careful to cast himself as a champion of Christians not just in Russia but around the world. But, does a champion of Christians tread upon human rights and act like a bloodthirsty monster? Putin publicly blames NATO and the US for the crisis but news analysts have dissected his secret ambition to bring back Ukraine, Belarus and other former Soviet allies back into the grip of Moscow. Pray that God moves Putin’s heart. I wish Putin would read Daniel 4 where the Bible describes what happened to Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king of the Chaldean dynasty in Babylon, and take a lesson or two from it.
Pray for wisdom among world leaders
When the Ukrainian crisis escalated, the country’s ambassador to India went on record to express his displeasure at India’s silence. He wanted prime minister Modi to speak to Putin and impress upon the latter to call off the attack on Ukraine. The problem with our world today is that we don’t have a single credible leader. India was the founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement under Jawaharlal Nehru, but then that was another era and Nehru a leader of great stature. Joe Biden is seen as untrustworthy by his own countrymen, UK’s Boris Johnson’s approval rating is plummeting, German chancellor Olaf Scholz is a lightweight among leaders. France’s Emmanuel Macron is ambitious but will his words carry weight is a moot question. However gloomy things may be, we need to pray because our trust is not in men but in God who works in us both to will and to act (Philippians 2:13).
Pray for the suffering people, soldiers and leaders
Jesus Christ desired peace for His disciples. His desire for us even today is the same. One of the first things He told His disciples after He rose from the dead was: ‘Peace be with you.’ Jesus Christ is the Prince of peace. He is the author and finisher of our faith. That means he knows how to sustain His children’s faith in these turbulent times. There’s nothing noble about war. War has far reaching consequences than we can imagine. It kills, maims, dislocates, subjugates and leaves long lasting scars. US intelligence estimates say if an all out invasion happens, up to 50,000 people could be killed and many more wounded and roughly 5 million people could become refugees. It is important for us to pray for the suffering people on both sides of the war. Pray for the Ukrainians; pray for the Russians as well. And, pray for all those who are caught in between them. Pray for the common folk. Pray for the soldiers and generals. Pray for them to show mercy to people who are disarmed and vulnerable.
Pray for relief agencies like Red Cross
If the current attacks on Ukraine become a full blown war, there will be enormous losses on both sides. There will be thousands of homeless people. The wounded may not get immediate medical attention. Old people, women and children are the most vulnerable in any upheaval. Pray for their safety. Pray for the relief agencies such as the Red Cross to quickly reach the war-torn areas and provide medical aid and treatment to the wounded, the dying and the displaced. Pray for the armies on both sides to grant the relief agencies access to the affected people. Pray for uninterrupted medical supplies. Pray for restoration of electricity and access of water and food to all people in Ukraine. Pray for those who are working in the relief agencies – that they will be compassionate, caring and swift in dealing with the people. Pray for their health, both physical and mental.
Pray no nuclear weapons are used in this war
Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads in the world. According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Russia has about 4,447 warheads, 1,588 of which are deployed on ballistic missiles and bomber bases. Besides these, it has 977 strategic warheads and 1,912 nonstrategic warheads in its reserve. Although Putin has not announced any plans to use nuclear weapons, the distance between the hand of authority and the nuclear button is the line between sanity and insanity. Nuclear weapons are the most destructive, inhumane and indiscriminate weapons ever created by man. A single nuclear weapon can destroy a city and kill most of its people. Several nuclear explosions over modern cities would kill tens of millions of people. Ionizing radiation produced by nuclear weapons will kill or harm those exposed to it. It contaminates the environment and has long term health consequences including genetic damage and cancer.
Pray for the church and the world at large
No war has limited or local consequences. It affects the whole world. Already, the price of crude oil has soared above $105 a barrel for the first time since 2014. We live in a country where the powers that be are waiting to jack up the prices at the drop of a hat. Globally, stock markets have crashed. The oil market has been dwindling ever since the pandemic in 2020. With low inventories and spare supply, the world market cannot afford any disruption in oil supply now. Russia is the 3rd largest oil producer and the 2nd largest oil exporter. India relies heavily on Russia for thermal coal and oil. Disruption in supply of oil will be bad news not just for India but for the whole world. In a war, it is the poor and the middle class that take a severe beating. Pray that the crisis is resolved quickly or we are all in danger. Pray for the church – that it is ready to meet with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He has already warned us about wars and rumors of war (Matthew 24:6), But then the end is still to come. Pray for the Lord’s intervention in the world’s affairs. Pray that God shortens the days of war. Mark 13:20 says: ‘And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.’
Let us pray! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
