A prayer that divides the sea and brings peace
Today we unite in sincere prayer for the most important needs of our country. We pray for God’s will in the negotiations, for the end of the war and God’s true peace, as well as for the protection of Ukraine from missiles and drones. We ask God for wisdom and blessings for the leadership of our country, protection for all soldiers, and we pray for the healing of the wounded, the return of the captured and the missing, as well as for all the forcibly displaced, orphans and widows who have survived the loss.
In the Holy Scriptures, in the 15th chapter of the book of Exodus (verses 1-4), it is described how Moses and all the people of Israel loudly chanted and sang a song of praise to the Lord. They praised God for glorifying himself by throwing Pharaoh’s horse, rider, and chariots into the sea. The best commanders and the most powerful weapons of the day—the tanks of the day that simply swept away the infantry—were drowned in the Red Sea because God caused their wheels to fall off and skid. This great miracle and deliverance from slavery became possible because the people of Israel began to cry out to God and repent of their sins, and Moses came as an answer to this prayer.
Today we find ourselves in a similar situation: an enemy has come into our land to kill and destroy, but answers to our prayers for peace are often delayed. We must be honest and admit that the reason for this is also our sins and lawlessness in the country. Corruption, the construction of estates with stolen money during wartime, a dysfunctional judicial system where offenders are bailed out or avoid punishment due to the statute of limitations—all these are sins before God. Moreover, we see terrible things when their own citizens are tortured and beaten to death inside the country. All this requires deep repentance from us as a church and the whole nation. When we sincerely stop, admit our responsibility and sins, God will be able to perform a miracle – in the same way to break enemy missiles and drones, give fear to the Lord’s power and grant peace, not for our merits, but by His grace.
The importance of children’s camps and intergenerational service
No less important is our prayer for the younger generation. In the Gospel of Matthew (19:13-14), Jesus said to his disciples: “Let the children go, do not prevent them from coming to me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Sometimes even close people or life circumstances become an obstacle for children on their way to knowing God.
Christian camps are a special time and place where children’s hearts are extraordinarily opened to the Lord, they repent and experience His love in a way that rarely happens during an ordinary year. We must constantly pray for God’s protection and protection in such camps from water, insects, wild animals and heat. At the same time, we ask for blessings, strength and financial support for the ministers, counselors, pastor of the church and the bishop, because ministry requires careful preparation and great commitment.
Renewal of character in the image of Christ
Our spiritual condition requires constant vigilance. Just as we update apps on our phone (like Privat24) so they don’t crash, we need to regularly update our character into the image of Christ. This process cannot be postponed for “later”, because during the war, facing fear, excitement and even insomnia, we can weaken spiritually. In the book of Proverbs, it is said that hope that does not come true for a long time weakens the heart. Unrealized predictions about a quick end to war sometimes bring disappointment, making us angry or angry with those around us.
However, the Bible teaches us otherwise through the example of David and Abigail (from the 1st book of Samuel). When the audacious Nabal insulted David, he became angry and wanted to take revenge, but God sent Abigail to meet him to stop the bloodshed. David blessed God for the fact that He saved him from sin, because later God Himself justly dealt with both Nabal and King Saul. Our duty is not to take revenge, but to watch our ways and be in God’s presence.
As the Epistle to the Hebrews (chapter 12) exhorts us, we should straighten our drooping hands and weak knees, have peace with everyone and be careful not to lose God’s grace, because without holiness no one will see God. Together with the apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:14-21), we bow our knees, praying that God, according to the riches of His glory, may strengthen us in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, and that we may know His boundless love.
Fruits of service
We are glad to see the fruits of our joint work. Recently, a wonderful art party in the park on Potapovo took place, as well as the “Pilgrim’s Journey” children’s camp in Pustovarivka. Children and their parents, many of whom had never been to church before, were able to jump on trampolines, blow bubbles, participate in workshops and hear about God for free. It became a powerful testimony to the world. Many thanks to all volunteers and ministers for prayers, hard physical help in organizing, preparing food and holding these events.
- Financial service and communication: After the gathering, there is an opportunity to serve God with your finances (which is especially important to cover the costs of the held camps and art parties).
- Monday: We continue to pray for all the expressed needs; praying for God’s answer is our constant business.
- During the week: There will be meetings of home groups – be sure to confirm the time and place with the ministers and do not miss it.
- Next Sunday (10:00 a.m.): There will be a Sunday service and breaking of bread.
- July 15 – 18 (Wednesday – Saturday): There will be a tent camp on the Kyiv Sea. We invite you to send your children and grandchildren; there is no limit, but be sure to come and sign up in advance so that we can calculate the number of products.
- Early August: Another art party is planned for children and parents (pray for this event and prepare to help physically).
- Mentoring: For constant spiritual renewal, we invite all members of the church to organize and undergo mentoring. Come and sign up.
- Social networks and communication: Follow our new pages on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, where we post announcements and videos. If you need prayer support or advice, write or call using the provided contacts or QR code.
