Praying for Peace in Ukraine

Uniting Church in Australia President Rev Sharon Hollis has invited Uniting Church members to join with others worldwide in praying for peace to prevail in Ukraine, and to pray for all those impacted by the violence taking place.

“The pursuit of peace is at the core of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We hold in our prayers the people of Ukraine and Russia who are impacted by this conflict.”

Today the President issued a prayer, see below, for congregations to share.

Rev Hollis today joined Churches worldwide in strongly condemning the advance of the Russian military into Ukraine.

“We join the World Council of Churches (WCC) and others across the world in denouncing the use of armed forces. We lament the lives lost and the violence that has already taken place. We call on those in power to seek a path to peace that will save lives.”

Read the statement from the WCC.

The President invited Uniting Church members to join a global call to prayer taking place on Ash Wednesday, 2 March and encouraged all Uniting Churches gathering for worship on Ash Wednesday to include prayers for peace in their service.

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC), the Conference of European Churches (CEC), and the World Methodist Council (WMC) are calling for prayers of peace for the people of Ukraine and the region and will host an online service on Ash Wednesday. Pope Francis has also invited Christians to pray and fast on Ash Wednesday.

“Despite what is happening in Ukraine, I still believe that the international community can make a difference as we collectively work for peace in the region,” said Bishop Ivan Abrahams, General Secretary of the World Methodist Council.

Prayer from the President

God of peace, God of mercy
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
We lament the violence that has come to their country
We ask for comfort for those who mourn, hope for those who despair and compassion for all who suffer.
We plead for an end to violence and aggression in their land

We pray for the people of Russia,
We give thanks for those who protest for peace and pray for ongoing courage
We ask for a change of heart in those who commit acts of aggression and war against their fellow citizens and neighbours
We pray for Russians who will suffer because of sanctions and war

We pray for leaders around the world
We pray that world leaders might work for an end to war and for establishing of peace
We seek wisdom for those who are making life and death decisions about how to respond to violence and threats of violence
We ask for courage for those who campaign for peace.

We pray for aid workers and journalists
We give thanks for the willingness of aid workers to work in situations of war and unrest in order to meet the needs of others
We ask for safety, wisdom and compassion for all working to alleviate suffering and heal the wounded
We pray for journalist and media organisations reporting the situation in Ukraine and Russia, may they report truthfully and compassionately.

We pray for peace
We lament violence around the world 
We plead for the ceasing of violence and the establishment of peace
We pray that you might give us a desire for peace and a willingness to work and hope and pray for peace each day. Amen

Other Prayers

Pray for Ukraine

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
I pray in search for peace in Ukraine
give peace a chance in the time of war
in the world’s history.

O Lord,
enlighten the rulers
they may defend the gift of peace;
We denounce deadly armed force,
call on all leaders back to dialogue;
to respect the international law
to protect lives within the bound of peace.

The LORD is close to the broken-hearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.' (Psalm 34:18)
Give the injured your healing spirit,
Give the dead a rest in peace,
Give the displace a community of peace
Give the world a moment of peace
This is the peace
that the world cannot give,
but only comes from your son Jesus Christ.

O Spirit,
move the hearts of millions into prayer
for peace blossom forth.
Reign over the peoples and the region
with your boundaries of peace,
Let the Spirit of life
connect the people in their fear
and unify their hopes into
a potency of building peace.

O Christ,
we pray for the Ukrainian communities in Australia.
for brothers and sisters in the Orthodox tradition,
and for ourselves.
We pray for
those have been exposed to
the trauma of being caught in the crossfire,
the fear overwhelmed by a deliberate force.
We pray for
an immediate end to the armed hostilities
a protection for all lives threatened by the conflict.

Come, O God of peace,
Move the world out of darkness,
Bring all people into the light.
Send love to each broken-hearted,
Make your Church an instrument of world’s peace.

For peace in Ukraine.
We pray
in the name of Christ.

Amen.

Written by Rev Dr Ji Zhang 张骥

A prayer for Ukraine from the Church of Scotland:

 
The news can be difficult to listen to and to read.
When that news relates to faces we know
And to voices familiar to us,
It becomes all the harder to hear.
Lord God,
We ask you to hold the people of Ukraine deep in your heart.
Protect them, we pray;
From violence,
From political gamesmanship,
from being used and abused.
Give, we pray,
the nations of the world the courage
and the wisdom
to stand up for justice
and the courage too,
to dare to care - generously.
Lord in your mercy,
Take from us all,
The tendencies in us
That seek to lord it over others:
Take from us those traits
that see us pursuing our own needs and wants
before those of others.
Teach us how to live in love
And dignity
And respect - following your example.
In your name and for your sake,
Amen