Considering the war in Ukraine, our first prayer is that there will be peace. Our second prayer is that our brothers and sisters in Christ will persevere and continue to grow in their faith while they offer the Good News to their countrymen. Below Jesus’ words give us one more prayer to focus on,
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?...” (Matt. 5:44-46b)
We are instructed by Christ to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. This is our third prayer. For many of us, we might have to stop and think about who our enemy could be. For people in Eastern Europe, this is a glaring reality. If Christ be in us, we must go further than our minds tell us to. We must pray for people far from God, no matter what they have done or are doing to us.
We talk about being part of the Summit community at our mission. That community encompasses individuals, churches, local businesses, volunteers, Eastern European workers, and more. As a mission community, if we humble ourselves and pray for our enemies, we believe that God will answer. As we lift up the name of Jesus, and pray for those who are far from Him, He will draw people to Himself (John 12:32). As people receive His grace, God gets glory (Rev. 4:11).
In God’s economy, His forgiveness leads to increased love. The person who has received forgiveness will love God proportionately to the amount of sin forgiven them (Luke 7:41-48). As we seek our own forgiveness in prayer, Jesus told us to also “forgive those who trespass against us” (Matt. 6:12-15). This is the way of Christ. As we consider Matthew 5, we see why it is so important to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors.
The Summit community is at work doing the Father’s business. Please read more in our Stories from the Field about the eternal impact that Summit Missions is having. Together, we are making a difference in Eastern Europe!
May God bless you as you give and receive forgiveness!
David Windham
Executive Director
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The Goal is the Great Commission of Christ
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Meeting Vyacheslav in Kyiv
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The Church: A Place of Help and Hope
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Ukraine: The Number One Task in Ministry
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Marina: Finding Hope in Christ After Losing Everything
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Svetlana: Finding Peace After Being Displaced
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Many Young People are Dedicating Themselves to the Service of the Lord!
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Julia: A Mother Grateful for God’s Goodness in Hopelessness
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Ministry on the Frontlines of War
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Reaching Ukrainian Youth with God’s Word
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Your Support Prepares Leaders for the Growth of Churches in Ukraine
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Belief Through Curiosity in the Local Church
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Hope Amid Destruction
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Ministry and Growth During War
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Nelya’s Story: Lord, Have Mercy on Me!
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A Gift You Can Share
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Snapshot From the Church Network in Ukraine: Helping Those Who Have Left Occupied Territories
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Sharing the Bread of Life
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Church Growth During War in Ukraine
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Halyna’s Story
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Snapshot From the Church Network in Ukraine: Growing Young Faith
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: Fervent in Spirit and Serving the Lord in Ukraine
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Flooding in Kherson Compounds the Devastation of War
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Last Hope
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Skepticism Erased
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Natalia's Story: Attention Drawn to God Through Difficult Circumstances
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Greater Sports Camp for the Gospel
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Simplicity and Faithfulness
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Bringing Refugees Back to the Path of Hope
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6/20/2023
Karina’s Family Finds Help and Friendship at a Church in Ukraine
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Simple Things Bring About Great Change for Displaced Ukrainians
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Like the Sun Shining in My Heart
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: Strength to Serve
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A Review of Ministry in 2022
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: The Lord is Touching the Hearts of People
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Elena Finds Hope in an Unfamiliar Place
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: Salt and Light
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: Thank you for your continued remembrance and support
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: We Sincerely Thank You for the Opportunity to Serve
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: Precious Contributions
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: God is touching many lives through your help!
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: The Darker it is, the Greater the Need for Light.
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1/4/2023
Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: When We Care for God's Kingdom, He Cares for Us
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: The Lord is Working Miracles
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: You Helped Us Expand Our Boundaries
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Snapshot From The Church Network In Ukraine: Maintaining Relationships
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Snapshot from the Church Network in Ukraine: Sharing Spiritual and Physical Food
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Snapshot from the Church Network in Ukraine: Thank You for Your Encouragement!
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She Saw it as a Miracle!
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Serving and Helping Together
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Zinaida and Ruslan: At First They Were Skeptical
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Zhanna: She Did Not Want to Hear Anything About the Church
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Alla: This Church Has Become Like Family to Us
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Olena: This Is My Story!
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Fear to Faith
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Refuge from War is Found at Churches in Ukraine
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The Ukrainian Church is Serving in a Time of War
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