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.
If you’re reading this newsletter then you’re clearly interested in seeing human trafficking come to an END. There are multiple ways we can be involved, and at Aglow International we focus on three main areas:
- Raising Awareness
- Getting involved locally in your community
- Joining in PRAYER
Today I’d like to invite you to PRAY for your government (see prayer points below) and to get involved in your state with federal legislative efforts to end human trafficking. If you live in the United States, there are 12 bills listed below that you can help get passed. Each of these bills has been passed in the U.S. House and now only need to be passed in the U.S. Senate. For those outside the U.S. please see what bills are active in YOUR legislature, and use your voice to vote! For those in the U.S., simply follow these two steps:
- Contact your Senator.
Call, e-mail or visit in person. You can use this helpful reference here for information on exactly how to do that. Please know, while letters sent through regular mail will reach your Senator, they take 2-3 weeks to be processed/checked for safety before they are delivered to your Senator. - Tell your Senator to please support these bills (below) being passed in the Senate.
I called the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and asked to speak with my state’s Senator. After I was transferred, I explained why I was calling. I listed the Bills below, and asked my Senator to support them. In total, the call took 2 minutes and 4 seconds.
A great resource for looking at legislature currently being considered is www.congress.gov. Another great website for anti-trafficking legislative information is Shared Hope International. Shared Hope is very active in legislation, as their founder Linda Smith was a congresswoman from 1994 – 1999. Shared Hope International has made it very easy to e-mail your legislature regarding trafficking issues. You can e-mail your Senator now, through Shared Hope, asking him/her to vote for S. 178, The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, regardless of what state you live in.
There are also several state-specific issues impacting 6 U.S. states: Oregon, Virginia, SouthCarolina, Hawaii, Utah, and Maryland.
To read about these issues and use the prompt to e-mail your legislature, just click here. It should take a little less than one minute.
Call your Senator and ask that the following bills be passed:
- H.R.514 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Human Trafficking Prioritization Act - H.R.515 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking - H.R.357 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Human Trafficking Prevention Act - H.R.468 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act of 2015 - H.R.469 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015 - H.R.246 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
To improve the response to victims of child sex trafficking. - H.R.398 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015 - H.R.460 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Human Trafficking Detection Act of 2015 - H.R.350 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act of 2015 - H.R.159 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2015 - H.R.285 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
SAVE Act of 2015 - H.R.181 — 114th Congress (2015-2016)
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015
Finally, let’s not forget to pray – both for our Prayer Partner Rescue Freedom International, and for those in authority over us. I urge you to take a moment to look up your state senator and call them out by name in prayer.
Please pray:
- God, we thank you for those you’ve put in authority in government over us and ask you lead them in your way. (2 Timothy 2:1-3)
- Give my leader, __________, wisdom and understanding. Help them lead in accordance with your will.
- God, you turn the heart of the King. Turn the heart of my leadership to be in line with You. Lead them to serve their people well.
- God, bless Rescue Freedom International. Bless the work of their hands. Restore the hearts of trafficked victims and their families through you Jesus.
- In light of the attacks on Christians in India, give safety and favor to those on the ground, working to bring rescue and restoration through Rescue Freedom.
- Thank you Jesus, for coming to “seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) We pray that trafficked victims worldwide would be found and saved in Your name.
Standing in the gap with you,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Anti-Trafficking Specialist
Aglow International
