Day 30

Presence

READ

Psalm 28 (NIV)

REFLECT

The LORD is our Shepherd. As members of His flock, we will experience treacherous journeys. The terrain will undoubtedly get rocky for all of us. However, some of us may experience deep, dark horrors. The suffering in these deep, dark places is so terrible that they are unthinkable and unimaginable. Darkness. Loneliness. Hopelessness. Pain.

40.3 million (*1) of our sisters and brothers are suffering from physical, emotional, sexual, and mental abuse from being trafficked. 40.3 million women, men, girls, and boys at any given point are being trafficked, and yet, we are often guilty of turning a deaf ear and remaining silent.

We serve a God who hears our cry for mercy. May we come beside those who are suffering and cry out to God for mercy, as we put our trust in the Lord’s mighty hand, for He is our strength and our shield.

Psalm 28 ends with a request: “be their shepherd and carry them forever.” This is our prayer today. Isn’t it beautiful that we serve a God who is our shepherd who will carry us forever? God hears the cries of those who are suffering, and he is willing to carry them forever.

As one sheep in the flock suffers, our Shepherd will carry that sheep. While He is carrying that sheep, there is a special closeness and bond that will form between that sheep and the Shepherd. God’s unfailing love is our comfort and He seeks out those who are suffering. We pray today that God would come close to our sisters and brothers who are experiencing the pain and bondage of human trafficking. May He form a special bond with them as He carries them forever.

RESPOND

• Pray for the men, women, boys and girls who are affected by trafficking and exploitation. Particularly, pray against the gender disparities of this crime, as we see in the 2018 Trafficking in Persons report by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) it reports that 72% of detected victims of trafficking are women and girls. (*2)

• Pray for an end to sexual exploitation in the United States. The 2018 Trafficking in Persons report by the UNODC reports that sexual exploitation is the main form of exploitation in North America. (*3)

RECEIVE

Father, we are thankful that you hear our cry for mercy. In a world filled with so much suffering, we are comforted to know that you hear us and are with us. We ask that you would draw near to those who are suffering. We rejoice because you are our strength and shield. We ask that you would be their Shepherd and carry them forever. As this world is filled with deep pain and suffering, we continue turning to you. We ask these things in your name, Amen.

(*1) https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/facts

(*2) https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2018/GLOTiP_2018_BOOK_web_small.pdf

(*3) https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2018/GLOTiP_2018_BOOK_web_small.pdf