Three prayer requests emerge in reference to the #UkraineCrisis from Psalm 69.
1. Pray for the Deliverance of the Ukrainian People.
Clamart “Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.”
2. Pray for the Halting, Upsetting, & Destruction of the Forces Opposed to Peace and Good Order.
“Let their own table before them become a snare; and when they are at peace, let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded. Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you.”
3. Pray for Gospel-mindedness Among the Saints.
That those who belong to Him would be encouraged by His sovereignty and empowered to make His glory known in the world. That they would praise Him and with great gospel-effectiveness turn the hearts of the lost to Him in praise.
“But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high! I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own people who are prisoners. Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them.” Psalm 69:29-34
And Finally for Yourself.
Pray that the peace which surpasses all understanding will Guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This is promised to us when we submit all things to our Heavenly Father in prayer with thanksgiving rather than being anxious about them.
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I am prone to close with a reminder that many Russians, and I must assume many Russian soldiers, oppose this. Many of them will die waging a war they do not believe in. Pray for their courage to defect, to resist, to not pull the trigger.
Lead Pastor, Brian Smith
Brian and his wife, Kellye, have five children, one of whom is with the Lord, and are licensed foster parents in Illinois. He has served at Wildwood since April 2017. His family has a hobby-farm complete with Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs, chickens, goats, a mini-donkey, and a couple Jersey heifers! Brian also serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve.
