Religious Figure Intervenes In Crisis With Powerful Petition
At the European Congress on Evangelism in Berlin, Franklin Graham made an unexpected announcement, revealing that he had met earlier in the day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Graham shared that the purpose of their meeting was to pray for wisdom and peace amid the continuing war between Ukraine and Russia. Addressing a crowd of more than 1,000 evangelical leaders from 56 nations, he urged them to join him in collective prayer for an end to the violence in Eastern Europe.
During his address, Graham reflected on the return of war to the European continent. He noted that he had previously met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to share evangelical Christian beliefs, acknowledging that the conversation may have been unfamiliar or surprising to the Russian leader. Graham also mentioned that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association had written letters to both Putin and Zelensky encouraging efforts toward peace and urging prayer for a resolution to the war.
As he described the complexity of the situation in Ukraine and Russia, Graham called on the congress attendees to pray aloud together for the leaders of the involved nations, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, whom he mentioned as someone working toward a possible diplomatic solution. He emphasized that only God could bring about true peace and healing, asking attendees to lift their voices for the leaders, soldiers, and families impacted by the conflict.
The gathering responded with several minutes of communal prayer, after which Graham led a final prayer asking for divine guidance for both presidents, as well as for Trump in his diplomatic efforts. He implored God to open a path toward peace and underscored the belief that human efforts alone would not be sufficient without divine intervention.
At a press conference earlier that day, Graham had been asked what encouragement he might offer to European Christians concerned by the war’s escalation and the increasing anxiety it has caused. He responded by reiterating the central role of prayer. Graham encouraged believers to intercede on behalf of the leaders involved and to ask that God soften their hearts and lead them to peaceful dialogue instead of further violence.