I'm especially disturbed by the increase in human trafficking in our world. It's a perverse evil to use human lives without regard for God or man (Psalm 10:2-11).
My heart breaks for the victims, but I often don't know how to pray.
Psalm 10:14-18 is a good prayer for human trafficking victims or victims of any oppression.
Verse 15 asks God to punish those whose sins are "underground"— concealed from the public, sins against the fatherless and oppressed (v. 18).
God doesn't stop all oppression, but He promises to punish those who mistreat others, and He calls all of us to speak up for those who cannot defend themselves (Proverbs 31:8).
One way we can do our part is to pray. Why not pray through Psalm 10:14-18 today (or every day) and speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.
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These devotions offer some additional encouragement:
Every Time I Drink a Glass of Iced Tea
So often my devotions (like this one) include wisdom from the Psalms. When I wrote my Wisdom for Life Devotional, I grew in appreciation for the books of Psalms and Proverbs and how relevant they are to our everyday lives. If you'd like to learn more about Wisdom for Life, click the image.
Bible Love Notes
Thank you, Gail. I have often wondered how to pray, as well. Psalm 10 is good. I will also pray about Proverbs 31:8, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to pray both of those Scriptures, Jennifer.
DeleteGail : )
Gail, thank you for this wonderful reminder! Our church is actively reaching out in our city, and we have a wonderful group who train and then go out each Saturday. Praise God one girl has been restored...so far! Forwarded this to the leaders in our church who are active. Thank you...and praying! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI love to hear about the way Christians are reaching out. May God continue to bless this ministry with more and more girls saved.
DeleteThanks for sharing,
Gail : )
Dear Gail,
ReplyDeleteHi! Just wanted you to know that right now, in New York City at 9:30 p,m. on 8/14/2015, my son Rollin is in a play at the Fringe NYC festival ("Off Off Broadway" the NYTimes calls it) called, "Princess Cut: A young girl's reality inside a Tennessee sex ring"!!! The play was written by three young ladies here in town about a sex-trafficking victim who was only age 5 at the time she was groomed by a cousin for this horrible abuse; as a young adult she confided her experience to a friend here in our city of Knoxville, Tennessee of her experience in this trafficking abuse that was set up within the local real estate houses that were still on the market at the time; the victim has been through therapy locally to deal with much of the damage the experience did in her life. This friend to whom she confided later became one of the three writers of the play. The play has been performed across our state and has been received very well.
(I am a Christian psychotherapist who has also specialized in working with women who have been abused in many different ways, some in sex-trafficking. When I saw the play, I was amazed that the play was so effective in communicating the severe trauma and the angst that goes with it while managing not to traumatize the audience, so you can imagine that it was very well done.)
The play is now getting international exposure as this Fringe Festival in NYC is open to contestants across the world to come into New York City and compete. Of the thousands of plays submitted before the judges, only 200 were selected. So tonight, at the Lynn Redgrave Theater in the center of downtown NYC, my son and his compatriots in the cast are performing this play for the first time for this larger audience (two of the writers of the play are in the cast; the third writer is the director of the play). The play will be performed four more times over the next 7 days at this same venue! (Your prayers for the cast would be greatly appreciated!)
After I got off the phone with my son before the play started, I stumbled across your "BibleLoveNotes" post here and was so delighted to see your compassion in this area, so I wanted to share this news with you! Thank you, by the way, for this incredible work you do to minister to people's hearts; I am a grieving mother having lost my 19-year-old daughter nine years ago when she and two of her friends were killed on a trip to the beach, so your posts minister greatly to my heart amidst my ongoing grief.
I appreciate this opportunity to reach out to you and thank you personally as well as joining you in this battle against "the sex-trafficked, the abused, and the enslaved."
May God bless you richly!
Sincerely,
Angie Prince
(You are welcome to check out my blog as well at http://MotherGrievingLossOfChild.blogspot.com as well!.
Dear Angie,
DeleteI'm blessed to hear about this play that hopefully will bring not only awareness but action. I pray it will get the exposure it deserves. God bless you for your ministry to abused women. It breaks my heart to know what is happening to those who are sex-trafficked.
I also appreciate your kind encouragement about Bible Love Notes. And I will definitely check out your blog.
Thanks for leaving your comment and insights.
Gail