Faith leaders issue global appeal to pray for Ukraine

Ukrainian Baptists are joining with other religious groups in asking people of faith globally to pray for Ukraine on Aug. 24.

Valerii Antoniuk, president of the Baptist Union of Ukraine, issued the international appeal as chair of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.

“Millions of people in Ukraine continue to suffer today from the war caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation,” Antoniuk wrote in an online letter.

“In this time of trials, we need not only political and humanitarian support, but also spiritual solidarity—through prayers, compassion and fraternal participation.”

Pray for religious freedom

The date was selected because it marks the 34th anniversary of when Ukraine marked its freedom from Soviet domination and regained its freedom, said Ivan Kunderenko, head of the Baptist Union of Ukraine’s apologetics department.

“As Ukrainians, we have democracy in our blood,” Kunderenko said, noting Ukraine was a sovereign nation long before it was part of the Soviet Union.

Since Ukrainian Independence Day falls on a Sunday this year, Ukrainian faith leaders saw it as an opportunity to involve the global church in interceding for the people of Ukraine and praying for a just and lasting peace, Kunderenko said.

The prayer initiative culminates the next morning with the National Prayer Breakfast in Kyiv, an event sponsored by the Office of the President of Ukraine.

For Kunderenko, that means a future in which Ukrainians maintain their heritage and unique identity as a people, and a future in which their right to exercise their faith freely is protected.

“In Russian-occupied territory, religious freedom is gone,” he said.

Pray for God to strengthen hope

When asked how Texas Baptists could pray specifically for fellow Baptists in Ukraine, Igor Bandura, vice president of the Baptist Union of Ukraine, he asked for prayer “to support our resilient witness for peace.”

“We want to see Ukrainian Baptists, with thousands of churches, remain a beacon of revival, baptizing many despite war,” he said.

Bandura mentioned three specific requests:

• Hope amid suffering. “Pray for Ukrainian Baptists facing war, displacement and loss. With millions affected, pray God strengthens their hope to continue ministries like providing food and spiritual care despite exhaustion.”
• Faith under persecution. “Pray for Ukrainian Baptists enduring persecution including church closures in occupied areas. Ask for steadfast faith to minister boldly and share the gospel with love.”
• Peace amid nuclear tensions. “With fears of nuclear escalation rising, pray for Ukrainian Baptists to find peace in Christ. Ask for wisdom for leaders to prevent catastrophe, ensuring a future peace.

Pray for the children of Ukraine

The Ukrainian government has identified about 20,000 children who have been deported forcibly to Russia. Save Ukraine, a ministry led by Mykola Kuleba, seeks to rescue abducted children and return them to their families, as well as evacuate vulnerable people from combat zones.

“The Global Day of Prayer for Ukraine on Aug. 24 comes at a critical moment,” Kuleba said. He pointed to the abduction and forced relocation of Ukrainian children “one of the most painful and urgent tragedies of this war.”

When asked how Texas Baptists could pray specifically for Ukraine’s children, Mykola identified three requests:

• The rescue and return of abducted children. “Pray that God opens the doors for more children to come home, softens the hearts of those holding them, and protects the teams working to bring them back safely.”
• The emotional healing of children affected by war. “Many of these children—whether abducted, orphaned or displaced—are carrying invisible wounds. Pray for trauma to be met with grace, for hope to be restored, and for caregivers to have wisdom and endurance.”
• Justice and accountability. “Pray that the world does not turn away from this suffering, but continues to shine a light on these crimes and seeks lasting justice for the children and families affected—to prevent such atrocities in future wars, and to ensure that children are never again used as weapons of war.”

Give thanks for answered prayers

More than 700 sacred sites in Ukraine—churches of various denominations and other religious buildings—have been destroyed or seriously damaged by military actions.

Nearly one year ago, bomb blasts devastated the Kherson campus of Tavriski Christian Institute and destroyed its theological library.

However, Valentyn Syniy, president of the institute, reported an answer to prayer.

“We are planning to open a new library on Aug. 29-30. These dates were not chosen by chance, since they coincide with the third anniversary of the destruction of our old library,” Syniy said.

“By God’s grace, we were able to partially restore it in Kyiv, after the destruction of the premises in Kherson. We thank God in prayer for his mercy and help in this difficult time.”

Prayer for continuing needs, new opportunities

When Christians pray for Ukraine on Aug. 24, Syniy asked that they keep the institute’s continuing needs in mind.

“Please continue to pray for librarians who will come from the U.S.A. and Europe, who will begin the work of cataloging new books this summer, and that in 2026 we will find two or three librarians who would be willing to join us and help continue this work,” he said.

“We have also signed a contract to purchase a building for our new training center. Although smaller, it is located in a safer area of Kyiv. Our goal is to raise the necessary funds over the next eight years to fully pay for the purchase of this building.”

Siniy also reported the institute is launching a chaplain training program in partnership with the Baptist Union of Ukraine.

“This will be the first state chaplain training program, and we ask you to pray for the first group of students who will soon begin training,” he said.