As I was leaving a doctor’s appointment one morning, I was reminded of all the people in Israel and Ukraine who do not have the meds and medical care they need because of the major devastation and disruption in their lives. God was burdening my heart for what they were going through, so I could pray for them.
When there is much to pray about, especially during wartime, we may feel overwhelmed in knowing what to pray. Why not pray about the things you care for most as they relate to you?
Imagine yourself in a war-torn country. What would be your prayer requests? What would be your needs? Someone who does not have to rely on daily meds may not even think of praying for medical supplies. Or someone who doesn’t have an infant to care for may not think of praying for the much-needed formula and diapers (I know that has been off my radar for a long time). What about the warm cozy bed you climb into every night? How many people need those right now? If you’ve ever been in the military, your prayers might lean towards the soldiers on the frontlines who are risking their lives.
We can’t pray for every single thing, whether it’s for war-ravaged countries or otherwise, but we can pray for what God has burdened our hearts with. Make a list of the things you care about or even take for granted and turn that list into a prayer list for those suffering in Ukraine and Israel. It may seem like an ordinary and everyday prayer list, but it just might be what someone, somewhere in those places is needing right now. God hears our prayers of intercession for even the simplest of things.
Below are a few prayer prompts for Israel and Ukraine that are on my list:
- Pray that the sickly and elderly get the meds they need, even as simple as over-the-counter pain relievers.
- Pray that school-aged children know the comfort and security of having someone tuck them into bed at night and say a prayer before they nod off.
- Pray for the people with dietary/health limitations to get nutritious food within their restrictions.
- Pray for the people who no longer have a home at least have a warm bed to sleep in at night.
- And as always, pray for the salvation of those who do not know Jesus as the Messiah.
As God burdens your heart, see what He reveals to you to pray about for these chaotic places in the world. It might be something as simple as having a clean pair of socks, a stuffed toy for a child to cuddle, or a cup of hot coffee in the morning.
What’s on your list?
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, NIV).