Dear Redeeming Grace,

A few years back, at our annual youth camp, I was introduced to a helpful book called Praying the Bible. Donald Whitney, the author, walked us through the process of reading a passage of a Psalm, then responding in prayer using some of the very words or truths from the passage. He gives the following example of this practice from Psalm 23:

"You read the first verse -- 'The LORD is my shepherd' -- and you pray something like this: 'Lord thank you that you are my shepherd. You're a good shepherd. You have shepherded me all my life....'" (Praying the Bible, pg. 29)

Ultimately, the goal is a devotional practice where prayer becomes more of a conversation. We listen to God's word and then pray back to him in response and imitation of what he reveals through his word.

With all that is unfolding in Ukraine right now, we wanted to encourage you to be in earnest prayer. In the midst of the sadness, confusion and even anger, we can find it difficult to know how to pray or what to pray for.

Below are just a few ideas and scriptures that you can use or adapt. As others scriptures come to mind, we encourage you to fill your heart with them as well, then pray back to the Lord your response.

• Pray for the Lord to turn the hearts of Russia's leaders. Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will."
• Pray for deliverance and protection. Psalm 59:1 "Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me;"
• Pray for strength now and justice to come. Psalm 10:17-18 "O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more."