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When praying to God for the end of the war in Ukraine, it can be tempting to ask God to force Russia to stop the bloodshed.
What this would entail is God overriding the free will of the Russian soldiers and forcing them to stop the violence.
However, as much as we would like God to force Russia and Ukraine into a ceasefire, that is not how God works.
God respects our free will
We may not like it all the time, but God created us as free creatures, not robots who can be reprogrammed.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the freedom God has given us.
If we were not given freedom, or if our freedom could be turned against us, we would no longer be responsible for our actions.
If God were to force Russia against their own free will, it would violate our trust in God and would render our own actions subject to the "whims" of an unjust God.
If God took away our free will, then the whole system of divine judgment would be put into jeopardy.
Most importantly, we wouldn't be able to love God if our free will were taken away.
Miracles and God's grace can influence our decisions
However, God can "influence" us in a positive way through grace and miracles.
Essentially, grace can work within our hearts so that we can freely choose to love God.
This is how our prayers can positively influence Russia and Ukraine, flooding the politicians and leaders in both countries with a river of grace, giving them every opportunity to stop the war.
Additionally, miracles can further impact a person's free choice, giving them even more opportunities to freely choose God.
Miracles can't force Russia or Ukraine to stop, but they do give them the opportunity to accept or reject God.
God may not force us to stop the war, but he can (and will) provide the us with the grace and miracles we need to freely choose to stop the violence.
