Letter to Dutch Sheets on Praying with Authority for Ukraine

Friday, Sept. 9, 2005
Dear Dutch,

I feel compelled to write to you to tell you of my recent trip to Ukraine and what happened after I prayed there, and how your ministry inspired me. You probably don’t remember me. We met once after you spoke at a Boston church meeting last year.

But I certainly remember you, specifically your story about praying Isaiah 22.22 around the White House and that woman with her baby that God sent out in the cold to remind you of this verse, and that you did have His power and He had given you the keys to his Kingdom. I’ve played those conference tapes over and over from the Prayer and Unity Gathering that took place in April of 2003 in Smithfield, RI. What you and Mike Shea said about dealing with the Jezebel Spirit and using worship in holiness as a breaker anointing to do battle – this influenced me greatly and gave me a burden to lead a worship ministry at my church with the goal of bringing God’s Kingdom power and revival to our community and to New England.

Last year, God gave me a burden for another country: Ukraine. I went there for the purpose of pursuing a relationship with a woman I’d met online. Later that year I closely followed the Presidential elections in Ukraine in which a Christian candidate, Viktor Yuschenko was poisoned but survived and ultimately became President after a 2nd election, because the first was deemed fraudulent. In the news and on Christian radio, I learned that thousands of protesters in Kiev’s Independence Square were mostly Christians, not only protesting communism and the fraudulent elections, but were also praying for their Christian candidate to be elected and reform to come to their homeland.

Well, I just got back a few days ago from my second visit to Ukraine. The Sunday before I left, one man praying for me, prophetically declared that I was going on a missions trip (even though I told everyone I was going to visit my girlfriend again and I wanted her to hear the Gospel). In the next days before I left, my goal changed from simply pursuing this relationship further, to getting her saved and praying for the country and people of Ukraine. And if it was to be God’s will for this relationship to also flourish, so be it.

So while I was in Ukraine (12 days) a few incredible things happened:
- I totally surrendered this relationship to God.
- The Holy Spirit visited me in intense and incredible ways because I pursued and obeyed Him.
- God put Christians in our path to share the gospel with her in her own language.
- I, with the help of an interpreter, led her to Jesus.
- God showed me prophetically that the harvest in Ukraine is ripe but the laborers are few. (The sunflower crop this year is ready for harvest, but there’s not enough money for fuel to run the combines to harvest it.)
- The number 4 came up many times during this trip, which a friend shared with me is symbolic of the power of God and the four compass points: North, South, East and West.

I visited Kiev in the last few days of my trip. On a guided tour, I saw the President’s new home being remodeled, the Parliament building and other key government buildings and political hot spots. I heard that some Ukrainians like their new president, while others do not. Some said he was abusing his new power and not listening to the voice of the people. Others said he was getting rid of corruption in government and doing a good job. My “feeling” was that this was a better place than it was when I was there a year ago. But I felt a burden to pray for President Yuschenko, the government and people of Ukraine.

As I was praying one day, I recalled Isaiah 22.22 and what you had said about Kingdom power. The most incredible thing happened after I prayed for Ukraine and its government and that is really why I am writing you.

It was the day after the tour of Kiev. My girlfriend was very tired and we cancelled our late afternoon plans. I was left with “nothing” to do. I prayed a bit in the hotel room, then I went for a walk. I soon realized that I was heading for the area I’d seen on the tour the day before and that God was going to give me an opportunity to pray for the people and government of Ukraine in powerful way.

I got as close as I could to the guarded Parliament building and to Yuschenko’s soon-to-be new residence. I prayed,
“God, breathe on the members of Parliament and give them wisdom and help them make right decisions in line with Your will."
“God, if there is any inflated ego or selfishness rising up in this President, I just speak against that in Jesus’ name.”
“God, if there is any bad advice this President is getting, I pray in Jesus’ name that it won’t reach his ears.”
“Lord, I just pray that the President will have the people of Ukraine’s best interest in mind and that Your will be done in Ukraine, in Jesus’ name.”

So I walked around these buildings praying these things for about 20 or 30 minutes, thinking about how you prayed around the White House for our President. And as best I could, I tried to be God’s instrument, knowing that He had spoken to me of his power (in the number 4) and I felt I needed to use that God-given power to the best of my ability. I prayed until I felt I needed to leave and walked back to my hotel. This was on Monday, Sept. 5, 2005.

On Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005 one day after I got home, I received an email from my cousin who knew I was away. He said he thought I’d be back by now and asked how my trip was. And he said, by the way, I saw on the news, that Ukraine’s President Yuschenko has just sacked his government. I wondered what on earth could he mean. I went on line and sure enough, Yuschenko fired his prime minister and a financial backer.

Could this be an answer to my prayers? Has the president now separated himself from “bad advice?” Are the government and people of Ukraine going to be better off? God only knows. But I am blown away thinking that my prayers might have something to do with this. Could this be just a coincidence? I don’t really think so. Could God have used me in such a way to bring this about? It’s hard to imagine, me doing something like this, but not hard to imagine God doing something like this.

So what do you think? I’d love to hear your feedback.

Thanks.

Trying to do His will,


Al Scoglio