Evangelist Franklin Graham will return to Ukraine to deliver a special Easter message nearly two months after Russia invaded the country.
“I’ll be going back to Ukraine to preach an Easter message that will air on @FoxNews Easter Sunday, April 17, at 12 PM ET,” he announced.
I’ll be going back to Ukraine to preach an Easter message that will air on @FoxNews Easter Sunday, April 17, at 12PM ET. My deepest gratitude to my father @BillyGraham’s friend, Mr. @RupertMurdoch, who is providing the television air time for this.
— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) April 7, 2022
The invasion has led to nearly 1,800 civilian deaths and left more than 2,400 injured, according to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The evangelist traveled to Ukraine early last month where his humanitarian ministry, Samaritan’s Purse, set up a medical facility in Lviv.
Graham, who is also the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), told CBN News that prayer is crucial for the people of Ukraine.
“We need to be praying for the people of Ukraine,” he told CBN News. “Prayer is the number one thing. Encouraging Christians to pray for those of us that are there responding in Jesus’s name that we will be His light. We will be a witness for Him in the middle of this crisis.”
On Easter Sunday, @Franklin_Graham will share a special message from Ukraine on national television. Watch on Fox News at 12pm (ET) on April 17. pic.twitter.com/gJH84zLZRT
— BGEA (@BGEA) April 7, 2022
Graham also urged Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consent to a ceasefire during the 10 days of Easter observances.
“I have written to Russian President Vladimir Putin and to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asking for a ceasefire from April 15-24 which encompasses the 10 days of Holy Easter observances around the world,” Graham wrote on Facebook. “I shared with them that I will be calling on churches in Ukraine, Russia, and around the globe to join together in prayer during those 10 days. May we humbly unite before the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Prince of Peace, to ask for His help and mercy.”
He continued, “Someone asked why I asked for a ceasefire just for 10 days. If they can stop fighting for a week or 10 days, maybe they can stop fighting for two weeks. If they stop for two weeks, maybe they can stop for a month. If they stop for a month, maybe they can stop for good. You’ve got to start somewhere.”
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