As the clock ticks over midnight the city has long been dark... "blacked out" in fact, without electricity and with many hunkered down. There is no night time traffic. However not all is still in the night sky. GOD reminded Abraham to lift his eyes to the bigger picture, to see above his impossibilities (on the horizontal and immediate level) and see the vastness of our GOD mirrored in his creation, painted with a word. Can you see it today? See the vastness of his purposes and ultimate congregation of his people. This night the stars are hard to perceive... there is the smog of multiple missiles and the burning plumes which go on and on, but non of these can defy the existence of the stars, or are bigger than GOD and his purposes.
This Sunday in Ukraine timeless truths remain the same as every other day. Ukrainian believers have taught me so much about real prayer, and dependence on the eternal unchanging GOD. This DNA comes from a church long underground. Until 1995 and the fall of communism God's people looked weak and marginalised, but they were growing in persecution, and a day came when many marched down the high street of KYIV to the river... to be baptised, thousands of them. A moment came when the clouds parted and God poured out his SPIRIT and many unreached ran to the arms of grace. This church knew as they prayed, that they were praying for a day yet to be, to a timeless and unchanging God, who longs to shower blessing, a God who always hears the cries of his people.
This is what tough times do for God's people, it sharpens their experiential knowledge of him, their humble dependance on him in the darkest of times. It means that when the clouds lift we see the glory of what God has done...and all the glory is his. The day will come; the day of multi blessing displaying God's manifold grace in great multicolour, his purposes in reaching out to all peoples with his mercy as many prayers will be answered within a single day of blessing and sunshine.
As the sun rises this morning, please pray with me these 4 things for the precious believers of Ukraine.
1. That GOD will continue to deepen their experience of his presence in sufferring. Despite all the practical obstacles today - the centre focus of many friends will be the same as all week, dependance on God as they share eternal truth with those who have no certainty.
2. That GOD will bring many into church buildings under the sound of the gospel, and into his eternal family of grace. Widespread anecdotal evidence of today is widespread. Many have sought to come to church as a safe place and engaged with those whose hope is in Christ not man. After a period where many avoided church through covid, Putin has only succeeded in filling gospel churches with hungry listeners for the truth.
3. Pray that love will overflow in God's people as the gospel is preached and authenticate the truth (John 13:35) before the eyes of many.
4. Pray for many pastors who have not only led their own churches through the last dark days, but "taken in" many for refuge in the name of Christ. Pastors, theologians, leaders, have served, cooked, cleaned and found generators, fuel, food, bibles, sleeping bags/ blankets/ soft toys for many. Humanitarian heroes without sleep will be preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ. Pray for supernatural energy. May God fill their hearts and guide their mouths. May the Ruach energy of God breath life.
Thank you for praying with us. Early morning prayer meetings are the norm in Ukrainian culture not the extraordinary... it takes something mammoth to get a Brit out of their beds, maybe sleep is overvalued. But for us this morning, it is time to pray and maybe... just maybe... being driven humbly to our knees is not such a bad thing after all.
In dark times, the people of God shine brightest.
With love
BLOGSKI
God Bless the Ukrainian People. Prayers for your safety and security during this unbelievabe time of unrest. 💕
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