Child with arms raised
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.

I was going to write to you about pornography and this article from For Every Mom that highlights the danger of Snapchat's Cosmo After Dark feature. It was a pornographic feature, completely inappropriate for Snapchat to host. BUT, because of public outcry, Snapchat has canceled the Cosmo After Dark Feature! (You can read about that here.) However, after some events this month, we're going to take our insight and prayer in a slightly different direction.

Teens and Tweens

For many, school is out for the summer. However, my heart hurts for teens and I want to highlight prayer for teens and pre-teens this month. I’ll expound on this in future newsletters, but I want to quickly say that the porn industry targets kids – as users. Pornography offers comfort for pain, just like food, alcohol, relationships and more. Porn sells the lie that it's completely natural and harmless - which studies show is gravely incorrect. Yet many seek out porn as a way to derive comfort from pain – often deep, traumatic pain, misunderstanding or hurt.

And right now, many tweens and teens are experiencing great hardships. A YoungLife leader who is a friend of mine recently said, “The pressure these kids have is nothing like I had, and I was only in high school 10 years ago.”

Kids, just like adults, are hurting.

Some are cutting. Some are using. Some are even taking their own lives, and the fear ("Is my pain too much to escape from?") is scary and deep. In addition to the news, this week in a town nearby two highly popular seniors, a week away from graduating, took their own lives.

"When the popular kids who ‘have it all together’ can’t escape their pain, what do YOU do?" These are questions many tweens and teens are asking. Some reach out to God. Some reach out to friends. Some reach out to a trusted adult. Many reach out to drugs and prescription pills. Others reach out to alcohol. And many reach out to the comfort of the fantasy and escape porn brings them.

It's time to pray. Not just for the eradication of porn, but for our kids.

For June, let’s pray for the kids in our cities and communities:
Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them. Psalm 10:17-18

  • Pain is real. Pray for wisdom on how to promote and model healthy coping mechanisms in your family, neighborhood, and social media presence.
  • Pray for peace for the children in your neighborhood, according to Philippians 4:7.
  • Speak LIFE and HOPE over your community.
  • Pray that girls and boys in your community would know their identity, value, and worth as an individual.
  • Pray for freedom from porn for the kids in your life. Pray that they would see their and others value through God's eyes.
  • Pray for your schools. Pray for strength for teachers. Pray they have eyes to see and ears to hear when dangerous activity is going on, and wisdom in how to help.

So God heard their groaning and remembered...
Exodus 2:24a

Lord, hear the sorrowful groaning of young people who are in pain and feel hopeless and helpless. You remember them – reveal Your deep love to them.

Additional Resources

Standing in the gap with you,

jessica
jessica signature

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Anti-Trafficking Specialist
Aglow International

 

  1. May 21, 2018
  2. February 2, 2018
  3. January 9, 2018
  4. December 13, 2017

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