Save me, O God, by the Power of Your Name
Pastor Mykola Romanyuk, President of Irpin Seminary shared these words on the 3rd anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
“The third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The first is the National Day of Prayer.
My thoughts and feelings are best conveyed by the prayer of David in a difficult period, when in the face of a deadly enemy, those who could help act treacherously. It seems that evil and crime will soon cease to be considered as such…
“Save me, O God, by the power of Your name; defend my righteousness by Your might. Hear my prayer, O God; incline Your ear to the words of my mouth, for foreigners have risen up against me, and the cruel in heart threaten my life. They have no God before them. Musical pause.
But God helps me, the Lord upholds my life. Let evil turn against my enemies. For Your faithfulness You destroy them! I will willingly offer You a sacrifice; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is wonderful. For He has delivered me from all trouble, and my eyes have seen the retreat of my enemies.” Psalm 54:3-9 CUV
After eleven years from the beginning and three years of full-scale war, we realize that we understand nothing about our future. This can be quite depressing and disappointing, and the only thing worth the effort is to focus our dependence on the Lord God.
Second thought: while asking for mercy for Ukraine, we cannot for a moment forget about the good that we already have. That is, our gratitude should be powerful: to the Lord God for the fact that we exist, can live and work, for our army — men and women who sacrifice their lives for our peace, for partners who support us with money, weapons, wise words and positions.
Commenting on this prayer of David, the Baptist pastor and outstanding preacher of the 19th century. Ch. Spurgeon said: “To have friends is a great blessing, and to have the Lord among our friends is the highest blessing. No matter how many friends we have, they are all zero until the Lord stands before them, like a unit, to make them a real number.
Please Pray with Us
We thank You, Lord God, that you showed mercy and what the enemy hoped for did not happen. We thank You, Lord, for the brave soldiers and officers whose deadly and dangerous service protects us. Thank You for everyone who contributed in the most diverse ways to the defense of Ukraine. Thank You, Jesus, that amidst the horrors of war we can see the rays of Your light in the volunteers and people of good will who, both in Ukraine and around the world, pray, accept and support Ukrainians in their needs. Thank You, Jesus, that the disasters of war have prompted many to seek You and depend on You.
We ask you, Lord God, to have mercy on us and forgive our sins and those of our people; forgive us for our crimes that dishonor you — corruption and contempt for the common good, disrespect for the life, honor and property of our neighbor; forgive us for pride, selfishness and self-confidence.
We ask you for a better fate for our Ukraine; we ask for liberation from Russian troops; we ask for the necessary funds and strength to rebuild our cities and enterprises destroyed by the occupiers. We ask you, Lord God, for a miracle: grant Ukrainians to form a government that could work for the good of Ukrainians without corruption.
We ask you, merciful Father, to bless the Ukrainians scattered throughout the face of the earth — grant them protection, wisdom in knowing the stranger, strength for the gospel and a heart full of concern for Ukraine.
We pray, the only God, to protect Ukraine for us, and to direct all your graces and generosity to our people… Amen”
