WHEN Russian forces first invaded Ukraine three weeks ago, we opened the church for prayer and people I had never seen before came through the doors. On the following Sunday, over two hundred people from all local churches and with no church allegiance gathered together to pray in Yeadon Town Hall. “We wanted to do something meaningful,” they said, “to express our feelings at what is taking place.”

Surveys show that most people admit to praying, at least in times of crisis. And all faiths commend to us the power of prayer. But what should we pray for at a time like this?

Firstly, we can pray about the practical issues we are aware of, using a combination of sanctified common sense and the goals we believe to be God’s will for humanity: for peace to be established, for evil and injustice to be overcome, for wisdom for the negotiators, for the innocent to be protected, for help for refugees and relief agencies.

Secondly, we can pray what are known in the Christian tradition as prayers of lament. We hold before God the sadness, pain, questions and fears we feel in our hearts. Perhaps we say nothing and that’s fine because God knows what we are trying to say. Maybe we echo the biblical cry, “How long O God, before justice will be seen on the earth?” Or we may find it helpful to picture in our minds the awful scenes we have seen in news broadcasts and to say, “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.”

Thirdly, for those who are able to go deeper in prayer, then you may ask the Spirit of God to inspire in you the prayers that need to be made at this time. You may find that thoughts, feelings and images spontaneously arise within you to guide you.

None of this is a substitute for giving financially or working practically to help those experiencing grief, trauma or homelessness as a result of this conflict. These things we must also do. But, when we pray, we are aligning ourselves with the spiritual forces of good that work behind the scenes of human existence. In a way that is often beyond our understanding, through our prayers we are bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. As the Lord Jesus said, “We should always pray and never give up.”