By Ingrid Koss, with Albina Nikitina
People gather at a prayer vigil at Calvary Temple in Winnipeg, Manitoba on November 27 to pray for the people of Ukraine, Russia, and Canada.
The war in Ukraine that started in February is upsetting and frightening for people all around the world. For many Canadians who have strong connections and family ties in Ukraine or Russia, the war is especially painful. For those who love the people and the land of both countries, this conflict is unbearable.
When a situation becomes unbearable, we are called to pray!
Albina Nikitina, who leads our Russian media team, is collaborating with Dave Loewen of Kingdom Ventures and Garri Sergienko of Bridges for Peace to organize and host an Inter-church Prayer Vigil for Peace in Ukraine. All three ministries are committed to helping the people of both Ukraine and Russia find hope and peace – in spite of the horrible destruction brought on by the war.
Square One has had a heart for sharing the Gospel with Slavic people since 1957 and still produces Christ-centered media in both the Russian and Ukrainian languages. Albina is the producer of “Ella’s Backyard Vlog”, our current Russian language media project:
“It is so awful to think about the war that is happening in Ukraine. It’s so closely connected to my family… in both countries! My mother is Ukrainian, my father is Russian. We have relatives on both sides. It breaks my heart!”
Kingdom Ventures Inc. has been equipping Christian youth camps in the countries of the Former Soviet Union – including Russia and Ukraine – since 1991. Today their Christian camp facilities serve as refugee camps for those fleeing the war. Bridges for Peace is providing humanitarian aid for Ukrainian and Russian Jews who have been uprooted by the war and is helping them to resettle in Israel.
The first three Prayer Vigils were held at Calvary Temple in Winnipeg in July, September, and November. The people who attended each event represent churches as diverse as the Slavic Evangelical Church of Winnipeg, Teulon Baptist Church, the Interchurch Filipino Fellowship, and Steinbach Mennonite Brethren Church.
Whatever their background, each person shares a passion to gather with other believers to pray for peace. They want to express faith in the Almighty God, intercede for both countries, and stand together to ask God to heal the broken-hearted and set the captive free. They know that God hears their prayers for His Kingdom to come and for His will to be done in Ukraine, Russia and Canada as it is in Heaven.
The prayer vigil has become a regularly scheduled event that meets about every 2 months. It consists of three main parts, with prayer time allotted for Ukraine, for Russia, and for Canada. Specific prayer requests are tailored to each county's needs at the time, such as:
For Ukraine – many Ukrainian families who are left without electricity and heating, and are struggling to survive winter.
For Russia – many people are confused as they begin to realize they have been deceived about what is really going on. Many are fleeing the country; some are conscripted to the battlefield.
For Canada – more and more Ukrainian refugees are coming to Canada.
For the World – we might not be able to see what the future holds, but the Lord is breathing life into every aspect of our present and future.
Ukrainians, even those who are now in Canada, are hurt and traumatized by what is happening in Ukraine. Some of them find it difficult to pray. That makes it even more important for others to intercede for them! When the weight of the burden is so heavy that people can’t even pray, that’s when others need to step in and pray on their behalf – and to keep praying until they begin to feel God lifting the weight.
God is always at work to lift the weight. This summer, a pregnant Ukrainian woman who is married to a high-ranking military officer, fled from her homeland and arrived in Winnipeg with her 9-year-old son. She was welcomed into the home of a Christian Russian woman who also has a son. Even though their home countries are at war and the people they love are in direct conflict with each other, the two mothers have established a loving and secure home together. The Russian woman became the birth coach when the Ukrainian woman's baby was born, and together they are facing the challenges of raising two boys and an infant in an uncertain world. Proof that God can bring about peace and reconciliation, even when the burdens are too heavy to bear.
Another challenge for the organizers is that it’s hard to gather people together for prayer meetings. Many people want to come, but only a few actually do come.
“It takes courage and personal sacrifice to participate in a Prayer Vigil,” says Dave Loewen. “God sees that our faith is in Him alone, and that we have no other hope for relief and healing.”
If you believe in the power of prayer... If you believe that God can work peace and reconciliation in the political situation and in the hearts of people... Come to the next Prayer Vigil.