Do you say “Ukraine” or “the Ukraine?” When I was in English class in high school, we specifically learned that the right way was “the Ukraine.” I only found out during this last month that Ukraine’s name means “the borderland,” referring to the country’s place and role in the former Soviet Union, as a territory of Russia. Not using the definitive article is a sign of acknowledging the autonomy of Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, a little over a month ago. This is the closest I have ever been to a war. My family and I live in Hungary, a country that shares a border with Ukraine. During the last week of February, I poured over the news in disbelief. Several mornings I lay in bed half awake way before my alarm went off, my body and mind filled with anxiety. A friend reminded me that my grandparents had experienced war and Russian oppression, and transgenerational trauma is real.

My kids were asking a lot of questions, wondering why these things were happening, how we would be affected, and what the people in Ukraine were going through. This was all everyone talked about for a while. Articles started appearing on social media with titles like “How to talk to children about war.” The pictures I saw on the news of the cities that were being bombed and the people that were hurt, grieving, hiding, or fighting looked like they could have been Hungarian cities and Hungarian people. It felt easy to feel a deep sense of concern and empathy. Prayer came easily.

This, in turn, brought about some shame. There are other people impacted by war right now in several parts of the world. Why don’t I have the same sense of concern and urgency to pray for them? Do they seem less real or less important because they live far away from me? Because they don’t look like me? Because their wars have been going on for a while? I ask the Holy Spirit to examine my heart and guide my understanding.

What I found after 5 weeks of war next door and hundreds of thousands of refugees entering my country is that it is up to us to get involved and stay engaged, even when things are happening right under our nose. If we don’t intentionally choose to, then we will slowly be lulled back to the normalcy of our own life, shielding ourselves from any impact. We get used to hearing about the war, we get used to seeing the terrible images on the news, and we lose interest.

Let’s not be the kind of people who pray out of urgency, only when our anxiety runs high, our social media feeds are filled with a certain topic, and we feel personally affected. Let’s be faithful and consistent pray-ers motivated by the belief that God calls us to lift up hard situations near and far, He hears us, and our intercession matters.

“It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.” (Hudson Taylor)

Lord, we pray for peace. We pray for the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia to be fruitful. Bring down the proud and greedy and lift up those who are working toward peace. Give wisdom, humility, and humanity to the leaders involved.

Lord, we pray for lives to be spared, for machinery and weapons to break down, for people to be able to hide and escape. We pray for your protection especially over the most vulnerable: babies, children, older people, and those differently abled. Protect bodies, minds, and hearts.

Lord, most of us can’t imagine what it is like to hide in a bomb shelter, to have to leave our home out of the blue, to say goodbye to our husband not knowing if we will ever see each other again, or to lose loved ones in a war. We ask You to make Your comforting presence known to Ukrainians grieving, hurting, terrified, and traumatized.

Father, we pray that Ukrainians, Russians, and others involved would be crying out to You and You would hear them and answer. May people find glimpses of hope in the suffering when they hear Your voice.

We lift up to You the more than 10 million refugees who fled Ukraine so far. We pray that they encounter compassion and every kind of help they need, no matter their skin color.

We pray that You keep away and destroy the plans of sex traffickers preying on girls at the border.

We pray for ourselves, the church. Guide us deeper into sacrificial love, faithful prayer, and compassionate attitudes.

Lord, have mercy.