From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1309)
Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
Let them know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it!
Psalm 109:26-27
We are nearing our first school break, and I can tell you it definitely feels like it’s time for it! Thankfully, we’ve barely spent any time in the basement these past few weeks, and my students diligently thank God for it during prayer.
Today, I was blessed to participate in a global prayer meeting of the Sunflower Fellowship initiative (organized by the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations and facilitated by Jeff Fountain of the The Schuman Centre for European Studies – English language). It is always incredibly encouraging to see people from around the globe interceding for Ukraine. This solidarity is priceless.
A portion of the meeting was dedicated to the prayer for the youth of Ukraine. It really resonated with my heart, so let me share it with you:
O God of Peace and Restoration,
We lift up to You the youth of Ukraine—
those whose childhoods were shaken by war,
whose classrooms fell silent,
whose hearts have carried too much too soon.
Lord of Wisdom and Understanding, bless them with the gift of learning.
Where schools were broken, raise new sanctuaries of wisdom.
Let books, screens, and eager mentors become the soil where their futures take root.
May their minds be awakened with curiosity,
their dreams nourished by knowledge and truth.
Creator and Sustainer, plant in them the seeds of courage.
Let their voices rise in youth parliaments,
their hands shape new communities,
their talents find purpose in rebuilding what was lost.
Bless their ideas, their ventures, their arts —
that from the ruins, they may lead us into beauty and justice.
Tender Healer, heal their wounds.
Where fear lingers, bring safety.
Where memories ache, bring release.
Where silence has buried pain, send gentle guides
to listen, to walk beside, to speak life once more.
Strengthen those who counsel and care—
may no young soul feel alone in their sorrow.
Spirit of Hope, awaken the soul of a generation.
May they walk not as victims but as visionaries.
Draw near to them in moments of doubt,
in quiet prayers and whispered songs.
Speak to them through nature, through stillness,
through community and kindness.
Let them know they are seen, they are called,
they are never forsaken.
Breath of Life, raise up a new Ukraine through its youth—
not only rebuilt in walls, but reborn in wisdom,
in compassion, in courage, and in faith.
From ashes, bring beauty.
From trauma, bring transformation.
From despair, sing a resurrection song.
Amen!
Voice of Ukraine 