(The Lord) shall judge between nations and arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2.4)
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O Lord, you are the God of peace; the concord that is the fruit of righteousness, right relationship with you, your creation, and all peoples.
And we, your creatures, from the dawn of time, in denial and defiance of your word, continue to manufacture reasons to beat our ploughshares into swords, our pruning hooks into spears.
Your people, our sisters and brothers of Ukraine, under gravest threat from the East, cry out to you, whose sovereignty encompasses all corners of the globe, for relief.
O Lord, by your Spirit, in the power of hope, move the hearts of all to pray for your peace and the hands of nations to resist the proud.
And, in the meantime, as mortal wills have their way, by your Spirit, salve the wounds of the injured, sanctify the souls of the dead, and save the fleeing fretful from further harm.
And, in all things, by your Spirit, hasten the time when we, whomever and wherever we are, heed your ageless prophetic cry to learn war no more.
I pray in the name of Jesus, your incarnate peace.
Amen.
© 2022 PRA
occasional observations of mind and heart, soul and spirit 
Amen and Amen, Paul. Thank you helping us know how to pray for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. I would also add prayers for all the Russian people who are caught up in their leader’s frightening ambitions and actions, which will complicate, embitter, and threaten their lives as well, and for the entire planet that will undoubtedly be impoverished and damaged by the blindness and hatred of a few men.
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I agree with Karen Paul!! Thank you for your prayer for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters!!! You found every perfect word to describe the horrible situation we are in!! God help us all!
Love to you both!
Loretta
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My dear Karen, yes, I wholly and holy agree that we need…must pray for the Russian people, who, after all, are among those whom God hath made. ‘Tis a horrible (and, my dear Loretta, your word is, for me, precisely right) circumstance when leaders mislead.
As I watched the news stories unfold last night and into this morning, I felt, without immediately, conscious awareness, the tears of my sorrow trickling down my cheeks. I am heartsick.
Still, this international massive violation of peace is, in one sense, a huge manifestation of the numberless daily, worldwide individual and situational human-manufactured aggressions that bear the weight of death and sorrow.
So, as I do each and every day, I pray in hope — that which anticipates what is not yet — that, as the proverbial table of circumstance can be turned, so, too, can the tide of human hubris toward the horizon of peace.
Love
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