This past week has seen two key events taking place in Russian and Ukraine which give us all cause for urgent prayer to our Father.

First of all, the decree by President Putin of Russia to increase the mobilisation of armed forces within Russia has the real potential to impact on our brothers and sisters in Russia. We have a number of young brothers scattered across Russia, all baptised into Christ within the past 7 years and it is very possible that these could be called up to serve. The opportunity to be excused from military service based on religious conscientious objection is very limited in Russia and in the present situation may well be overruled by the authorities. Please pray for all our brothers and sisters living through this increasingly difficult situation in Russia and that God will find a way to spare them from being forced into military service or its alternatives.

Secondly, the ‘referendums’ being carried out in occupied areas of Ukraine are likely to have long-lasting consequences for the ongoing war, especially for those living within these areas. Prayers are needed for our brothers and sisters who are still living within the occupied zones and have had no way of leaving. The potential for the war in Ukraine to spiral further following the results of the referendums means that all our brothers and sisters in the rest of the country could also find themselves under greater threat of attack. So our prayers are needed for all those within the whole of Ukraine, that God will provide angelic care and protection for our brothers and sisters who face such an uncertain future.