Praying for Law Enforcement
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:6
Prayer breaks chains and gives favor that is supernatural. It enables rescue and puts people in the right place at the right time.
Greetings! This month marks the beginning of our new Prayer Spotlights, where we will introduce a different organization each month and declare the majesty of God over the organization, their rescue efforts, the victims they reach out to, and their staff. We planned on lifting up a specific organization for this month’s newsletter, but due to some security issues, we are erring on the side of wisdom and waiting for a month or two until the organization is able to be featured during a safer time for that group.
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
This month, I would like to call for prayer for your local law enforcement groups. You may have seen the article this week from BBC News, that highlights a major sex trafficking bust in the U.S. In an operation against child prostitution, the FBI has rescued 105 children and arrested 150 pimps in 76 US cities over this past weekend. This is one of the largest sex-trafficking busts in the U.S. ever! In order for this to happen, we know the favor of God was on this operation. For the next month let’s focus specifically on praying for the help and the favor of God to be on law enforcement in each of our respective regions.
Prosecuting traffickers is difficult. It takes long hours, court dates, paperwork, and simply put it can be quite tedious. In labor trafficking, it often involves trying to persuade victims to speak out against their traffickers, knowing that there are likely active threats against the victim’s family should he/she speak out. In sex trafficking, law enforcement often deals with opposition from the victims due to trauma bonding that has taken place or simply the lack of hope that their life can be different. I have had the privilege of listening to some of the Seattle, WA, policemen and FBI Innocence Lost Task Force members speak – they need our support; they need our prayers. Let’s proclaim the goodness of God over law enforcement on behalf of our regions.
Prayer Points For This Month:
- Pray for the righteousness and integrity of law enforcement in your area. Pray for corruption to cease, and for righteousness to rule.
- Pray for the salvation of your local law enforcement personnel.
- In the face of discouragement and burnout, declare God’s provision of strength, courage, and hope. Psalm 46:1
- Proclaim the protection and favor of God – from arriving at the right time at the right place to catch criminals and bring rescue, to being out of the wrong place at the wrong time.
- Lift up their families – Stories of victims can be horrific, and stress and emotional strain on enforcement are frequent – pray for the emotional strength and protection of their family members.
- Pray for enforcement personnel as they work to prosecute traffickers. Pray for wisdom and protection from deception and manipulation.
- Pray for the rescue of labor and sex trafficking victims, with sufficient evidence gathered to put their traffickers in jail.
To read an incredible testimony about a former sex-trafficking victim who came to Christ through an Aglow woman, click here.
To read more about trafficking, you’ll find a helpful (and updated!) list of books, DVD’s, articles, and even a list of Anti-Trafficking coalitions you can join (in the U.S.) in our Resources section. (My favorite anti-trafficking books currently are those by Victor Malarek!)
Standing in the gap with you,
Anti-Trafficking Specialist
Aglow International