September 16, 2013 – Allen and Diane Lake
Editor’s Note: Additional contributions to this article were made by Adela Just and Hal & Cheryl Sacks.
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14
In the United States alone, it is estimated that there are 2.5 million slaves. (1) And the U.S. is the second highest destination area in the world for trafficked women. (2) Mexico is one of the largest source countries in the world; countless numbers of the victims trafficked into the U.S. are originally from there. (3)
Statistics like these make it hard to deny that the Church needs to better engage to bring an end to human trafficking. The reasons for disengagement are many and varied, but are perhaps best summed up and illustrated by two passages in Luke.
Concerning the last days, Luke 21:34 warns against being “weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life.” Those with a mindset of excess only fuel the human trafficking problem, and sadly, an element of the church belongs to this group. An inward focus on the cares of this life causes some believers to concentrate only on what’s necessary to survive the rat race.
The parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10 (vs. 25-37) provides some insight, as believers can neglect to help those in their own backyard. For some, it’s easier to let someone else fix this messy problem, while others may determine they have a higher calling. As a church, we must remember to “stop for the one” that’s right in front of us.
And for some saints, weariness has set in. There are those who have been hard at work doing good for a long time with little result. (Gal. 6:9) Also, the scope of large-scale injustice like human trafficking can seem insurmountable to solve, so some do nothing at all. (Hab. 1:4)
The church must realize that God is moving to restore His kingdom. Since righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne (Ps. 89:14), it follows that for a greater dimension of His kingdom to manifest on earth, the church must actively fight injustice.
Both the 2012 and 2013 ACPE Word of the Lord mention human trafficking. In 2012 the prophets said, “A rising movement of compassion ministries who will fight human trafficking will give the church a voice in society as never before. A plumb line from heaven will drop against sex traffickers.” (4) And in 2013 they said, “Fighting human trafficking will be a special focus of the church, especially among the youth.” (5)
This should excite us, for scripture reminds us that what the prophets have prophesied, the Lord’s people can see to completion! (Ezra 5:2, 6:14) And again from scripture, we must believe the prophets in order to prosper. (2 Chron. 20:20) We must engage the word and seek the Lord to reveal our part to stop human trafficking.
Isaiah 38 records the story of King Hezekiah, who when ill, cried out to the Lord and got 15 more years to live. God hasn’t given up on the United States and Mexico, and even if He had, there are times when you can get more sand in the hourglass, if only you ask (v. 8).
We cannot succumb to the thinking that it is too late for our nations, or that the issue of trafficking is too large to solve. We must call on the Lord to heal our land, and do our part to carry out His work of justice to completion.
References
1. “Human Trafficking Statistics.” Polaris Project. cicatelli.org/titlex/downloadable/Human%20Trafficking%20Statistics.pdf.
2. “The Facts.” FREE International. freeinternational.org/the-facts/.
3. McAdams, Megan. “Modern Day Slavery in Mexico and the United States.” Council on Hemispheric Affairs. 21 December 2009. coha.org/modern-day-slavery-in-mexico-and-the-united-states/
4. “2012 ACPE Word of the Lord.” Generals International. generals.org/news/single-view/article/acpe-word-of-the-lord-for-2012/.
5. “2013 ACPE Word of the Lord.” Generals International. generals.org/prayer/word-of-the-lord-2013.
Personal Repentance
Father God, forgive me for my indifference towards those entrapped by human trafficking. I repent for not being awake and alert to the injustice that is going on around me.
Corporate Repentance
Forgive Your Church, Lord, for turning a blind eye to the women and children who are caught in this dark place of depravity right in our own backyard. Instead of calling out to You day and night in prayer, asking for strategies to deliver these victims, we have become too paralyzed to bring about any change. Forgive us for our apathy, unbelief and unwillingness to engage in abolishing the atrocity of this modern day slavery.
Intercession
– Lord, we ask You to awaken us and all of Your Church to the horrific issues of sex trafficking. Even as Your heart is broken over this injustice, may our hearts be broken, too. Today with thousands of Christians from two nations, we pray that the Church would arise from her complacency and boldly lead the way in the fight for freedom from sex slavery.
– We pray for an awakening of conviction upon the Church regarding this issue, a movement that would gain Holy Spirit-breathed momentum in our two nations to end this horrific plague. We pray that the Church would give liberally and lavishly of her time, talents, and resources, forming a coalition with individual churches and organizations to rescue victims and fight for an end to sex trafficking.
– We acknowledge the Gospel message holds the power to change hearts and, as a result, change culture. We pray, therefore, that the message of Jesus Christ would sweep our two nations, transforming hearts, delivering captives and bringing people to abundant life.
Take Action
1. Drink coffee! Really! Through Project Zoe, you can order amazing coffee and know that the proceeds are going towards safe homes for rescued trafficking victims as well as other organizations daily involved in fighting this atrocity.
2. Prevent the sex trafficking of minors in the US by helping educate high-risk girls about their beauty, God’s love and the dangers of trafficking. You can donate your time if you are a hair, make-up or nail artist, or you can donate beauty products for Glam Girls events. Find more information here.
3. Take a step back from the big picture and begin to ask the Lord what He would have you do to get involved based upon your own talents, gifts, and abilities.
Diane is a writer, speaker and minister ordained with both Christian International and Generals International. Her articles are regularly featured on The Elijah List, as well as platforms like Charisma Magazine, Charisma News, Intercessors For America and others. She and her husband, Allen, co-founded Starfire Ministries with a vision to see the kingdom established beyond the four walls of the traditional church. They host a podcast with Charisma Podcast Network, and serve as Church Mountain, Regional, and Montana Coordinators for the Reformation Prayer Network, and as Media Mountain Leader/Facilitators for C.I.’s Culture Influencers.
