The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Rabbi Yaakov Dov Bleich, invited Christians and Jews to join in prayer for his country. 

“The Chief Rabbi unexpectedly invited all us Christians and all Ukrainians to read Psalm 31 during these difficult times,” says Anatoliy Raychynets, the Deputy General Secretary for the Bible Society in Ukraine.

“For me, as a pastor, that Psalm … well, I read it differently now, because it’s about our current situation in Ukraine. This ancient prayer – written several thousand years ago – now we see is so alive, is living.”

On Sunday, Rabbi Bleich tweeted that Ukraine’s Jewish President, Volodymyr Zelensky, called him and requested that the Jews of the country pray for the safety of all Ukrainians.

“President Zelensky called me today and requested that every Jew in Ukraine pray for the safety of each person in Ukraine and the end to the Russian invasion of our country,” Bleich says on Twitter. “The Russian invasion threatens every Jew in Ukraine.”

The rabbi cited Psalms:

See, the guardian of Yisrael neither slumbers nor sleeps! Psalms 121:4 

President Zelensky called me today &requested that every Jew in Ukraine pray for safety of each person in @Ukraine and the end to the Russian invasion of our country The Russian invasion threatens every Jew in Ukraine הנה לא ינום ולא יישן שומר ישראל #StandWithUkraine @MFA_Ukraine pic.twitter.com/ot1vXLeeZj

— Chief Rabbi Bleich (@Ukrainerabbi) February 27, 2022

Prayer has become a mainstay of the people of Ukraine in this time of need.

“As you know, Russia has attacked Ukraine,” tweeted Harvest Christian Fellowship Pastor Greg Laurie. “Let’s all be in prayer for the people there. Pray also for our leadership that they make wise and prudent decisions in the next few critical hours.”

“Vladimir Putin is a murderer and a tyrant,” added Dr. Russell Moore, a minister-in-residence at Immanuel Nashville. “He is an abuser of evangelical Christians, other religious minorities, and even his own country’s orphans. And now he attacks a neighbor, a democracy, a friend of the USA. God save Ukraine.”

CNN’s Clarissa Ward paused the network’s live coverage of the Russian assault in Ukraine to highlight a “very moving” sight of Christians kneeling outside in the bitter cold in Kharkiv to pray. Ward said, “I think this … really speaks to the sort of desperation of this moment.”

What a moment captured by @clarissaward and her team in Kharkiv.
“A small group of people have gathered in the main square and they are kneeling and praying,” Clarissa says. “Because right now there is truly a sense of having no idea what is coming down the pipeline.” pic.twitter.com/cAoLi8Euaq

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) February 24, 2022

The act of unity is especially significant as many pastors and clergy are staying with their congregations despite the dangers posed by the Russian invasion. Despite urging by the Israeli government and the Jewish Federation, announced their intention to stay.

Kyiv’s Chief Rabbi Jonathan Markovitch and his wife Inna are staying behind to help.

“Me and my husband, we decided to stay in Kyiv, not because we’re careless, but on the contrary we have a flourishing community of 2,500 Jews here that depend on us. Many of them have nowhere else to go,” said Inna Markovitch said.

“It was very frightening because there is no infrastructure here in Kyiv – no bomb shelters, no organized information or help from the government. As unfortunately we [are] used [to] in Israel. Even the alarm was very weak,” Inna told journalists during a briefing by Media Central.

“We could hardly hear it. We live at the center of Kyiv. We saw smoke and immediately we heard that the airport was bombed,” she said.

Prayer crosses all geographic boundaries and Rabbi Berl Lazar, one of the most prominent rabbis in Russia, called on the Jews of Russia to pray for the Jews of Ukraine. 

“Peace is one of the names of God, and to Him we pray every day that He will bring peace between all people, and it is also His will that we do everything in our power for a life of peace between all,” Lazar said in a message that was sent to the Russian Jewish communities. “We call on you to pray that blood will not be shed, God forbid, and of course to provide any support to those who are now having a hard time, including those who have had to leave their homes who now need physical help along with mental assistance. God is for peace and quiet.” 

On Sunday, Rabbi Bleich tweeted that Ukraine’s Jewish President, Volodymyr Zelensky, called him and requested that the Jews of the country pray for the safety of all Ukrainians.