DAY 4
“ But rise and stand upon your feet , for I have appeared to you for this purpose , to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you , delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles — to whom I am sending you to open their eyes , so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God , that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me .” — Acts 26:16-18
Jesus commands Paul in these verses to bring His message of hope to those who are living in darkness . While engaged in the fight against trafficking , I often feel that the darkness surrounding those involved in exploiting others is overwhelming . I pray for God to remind me that the perpetrators of trafficking need God ’ s grace and salvation just as much as the victims and each one of us do . Often , the perpetrators of trafficking have been victims themselves – of trafficking or other exploitation or abuse . Always , each one of them is caught in Satan ’ s snare .
Through our trust in and reliance on the power of Christ , I know we – those joining God in the fight against trafficking – can move in the lives of those who are living in the darkness of trafficking . We can pray that God uses us as vessels to bring His message of love and redemption to those who may believe they have little hope for salvation .
Dear Heavenly Father —
I pray that You would open the eyes of those engaged in trafficking and show them the truth that is Your light , to see through the lies of the enemy . I pray that You would open their eyes and hearts and wills to behold You in all of Your glory . Please open my heart to love and pray often for the traffickers , knowing that You can redeem anyone who believes in You and comes into Your presence humbly asking for forgiveness .
Amen .
Submitted by Heather Pane Seifert , a member of the Board of Directors for Transforming Hope Ministries . To learn more , visit www . TransformingHopeMinistries . org .