Ukrainian Pastors Turn People Toward the Hope of the Bible Amid War
By Movieguide® Staff
As the Russian invasion continues in Ukraine, the churches of Kyiv—the country’s capital—are at the heart of the war.
Despite incoming missile fire and pressure from Russia’s military, churches in Ukraine are choosing to trust in the hope that God’s word brings their local body of believers.
In a recent article by Robert L. Briggs published in Christianity Today, the head of the American Bible Society said that amid the raging war, people want Bibles.
“As the head of the American Bible Society, I’ve been in close contact with my friend and counterpart, Anatoliy Raychynets, who serves as the deputy general secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society,” Briggs wrote. “Over the past few months, he has shared reports that are hard to read: mothers wailing for their sons outside the hospitals; children who won’t remember their fathers’ faces; thousands of people feeling hopeless and afraid.”
“But Anatoliy has noted something else too: church leaders working together for peace, and people seeking out the hope of Scripture,” he added.
According to Briggs, the Bible seems more relevant than ever for the people of Kyiv.
“He has been sharing Psalm 31 with anyone searching for reassurance,” Briggs said. “He reports that people are often surprised to hear words that, according to them, sound like they could have been written in Kyiv in 2022: ‘Praise be to the Lord, for he showed me the wonders of his love when I was in a city under siege’ (v. 21).”
“As people grapple with unknown, many are experiencing the Bible’s message for the first time ever. According to Anatoliy, priests and pastors over the past weeks have been flocking to the Bible Society store in Kyiv to buy Bibles,” he continued. “Demand is so high that they’ve run out of copies.”
Briggs said that the Ukrainian Bible Society can’t keep up with the resources needed to help the people of Ukraine and encouraged believers to pray for healing and Bibles.
“I ask you, in the name of Jesus Christ—whoever can pray, please keep us in your prayers,” a local pastor Viacheslav Khramov said. “Today, the war started on our land. We ask everyone who is able to pray, please pray for us. Pray for Ukraine. Pray that lives are spared, as well as our bodies and souls.”
According to Anatoliy, the churches of Ukraine have united in the Lord during the conflict.
“We speak to our colleagues in Russia,” Anatoliy told Briggs. “We church leaders speak to one another, and we pray together. We are united in the Lord.”
During crisis, God’s word provides hope and a biblical worldview for both those involved directly in conflict and those on the outside.
Movieguide® previously shared a list of truths that believers should ponder during crisis within God’s global church:
- All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purposes.
- I give thanks in all circumstances.
- If God is for us, who can be against us?
- He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- Because of Jesus, I am righteous in God’s sight.
- God is pleased with me.
- God approves of me.
- I have been forgiven. I forgive those who have sinned against me. I walk in forgiveness. I don’t hold any grudges.
- I am a son/daughter of God.
- I am a friend of God.
- I was chosen before the foundation of the earth.
- My past is forgiven.
- My present is abundant life in Christ.
- My future is eternal life with Christ.
- I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
- The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.
- By His grace I will fulfill my God-given destiny.
- God promises to give us wisdom when we ask for it, believing.
- I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves us.
- God is leading me, and I follow His lead.
- Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. (This means: God is greater than Satan.)
- Look to others, and be distressed. Look to self, and be depressed. Look to Jesus, and be blessed.
- By God’s grace, I am generous, and I look out for the interests of others.
- He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.
- Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
- In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
- God says, “No good thing will I withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
- With God, all things are possible.
- To live is Christ. To die is gain.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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