it starts with Him: a 30 day prayer guide to end human trafficking vol 1 | Page 24

DAY 28

DAY 29

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received
to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its
various forms.” —1 Peter 4:10

“God is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

For years I’ve asked myself the timeless question, “Why am I here?” We
all ask ourselves this question at some point in our lives. However, my
thoughts on the question have shifted so much as I’ve gotten older, as
I’ve matured, and as I’ve grown stronger in my faith. One of the things
that has comforted me most in my never-ending-quest to know my
purpose in life is that God has given me so many gifts, and the more
that I do whatever I can to use those gifts to serve others, the more I am
fulfilling my purpose.
The truth is, the Lord has made each and every single person on this
planet in His image and we are all His sons and daughters. And, like a
loving Father does, He has blessed each and every one of His children
with gifts that are to be used for His glory. When I think about the
millions of His sons and daughters around the world who are enslaved
today, I pray so often for their hearts and I pray that they know His love,
His grace, and His mercy. I pray that each one of them recognizes their
gifts that they have received and I pray that they are able to use those
gifts to be freed from both physical and spiritual bondage.

Father—

Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, and the gifts
that You have given each and every one of us. May
we be reminded of those gifts daily and may we never
take them for granted, no matter our circumstances or
situations. May we use those gifts to serve others as
faithful stewards. Thank you for Your grace in its various
forms. May Your sons and daughters who are enslaved
know their worth and seek their worth in You and not
the things of this world. May Your love set them free.

Amen.

Submitted by Molly Stillman, a member of the Board of Directors for
Transforming Hope Ministries. To learn more about Molly, visit her blog at
www.StillBeingMolly.com.

—Psalm 34:18
I remember the first time I heard the term, "human
trafficking". I remember it like it was yesterday. My
husband and I had gone to see the movie, "Taken"
starring Liam Neeson. As we sat with eyes glued to
the big screen, our hearts were literally breaking.
Afterwards, we sat looking at each other, almost
unable to say a word. Could this really be happening
around us and we literally had no idea?!
It was. It is.
As I began to learn about the fate of thousands of
innocent victims, abused daily, I could not shake the
weight I felt to do something. The job seemed so big;
my part seemed so small. But, I knew that we had to do
something. And we did.

Father—

Not long after, I was reminded of the story of Hagar in
Genesis 21, the maidservant of Sarah, who was
Abraham's wife. She was forced into an intimate
relationship with Abraham so that Sarah could have
a child. Sarah despised her and ultimately pushed
her out of her home into a lonely, dry desert where
she would be left to die with her teen-aged son. As
Hagar sat in that desert, abandoned, abused, and
forgotten, the Lord came to her. He saw them. He
heard their cries. He met their needs. As I read this
story, I can't help but believe there is hope for the
abused and abandoned among us. While providing
help seems like an insurmountable task, I can trust
that my God sees. I can trust that even my little part
is making a difference to allow even one soul to see
the gracious face of God.

I thank you that You are the God who sees. We beg You to look onto the faces of
the broken-hearted today and allow them to sense both Your presence and Your
unfailing love. We trust You to be healing balm to the hurting soul. Thank you, in
Jesus' name.

Amen.

Submitted by Shanna Lehr, who is a pastor's wife and blogger. She writes at www.ShannaLehr.com.

DAY 30

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in
Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16
When I think about those who have been trafficked, I think
about the guards who came into the Garden of Gethsemane and
arrested Jesus, even though He didn’t do anything wrong, just
like those who are trafficked also didn’t do anything to deserve it.
Even though some may think it is their choice, they are innocent
in God’s eyes. God loves them so much that He gave up someone
SO important to Him in order to give them life.
In conclusion, when victims of human trafficking are safe and
they struggle thinking what happened to them is their fault, I
hope they remember that God sent down His precious treasure
to die for all of us so that we could enjoy eternal life with Him.
Submitted by Emma Tenaglia, ten year old daughter of Abbi Tenaglia
and an advocate for justice and freedom. To learn more about her
favorite organization, visit www.TransformingHopeMinistries.org.

Dear God—

Thank you for giving me Your
Son to die so that I have
eternal life with You. Please
keep the boys and girls safe
and help them find a way
out of the messiness of
human trafficking. Help us to
be a light in the darkness for
them.

Amen.