I’ll be the first to admit I am completely unqualified to write anything on prayer. I have felt the call to intercessory prayer for much of my Christian life, but to be completely honest, I have only shared this with a couple of people. I have chosen out of prayer more than I have chosen in. I have listened to the voice of the accuser, saying I am unqualified or that my prayers don’t matter rather than believing heartfelt and genuine prayers truly do usher in miracles.
This blog post is certainly not a call to the intercessors but simply a call to those who will pray. Recently, someone I highly respect told me: “when people commit to pray for SWITCH and then don’t, they are making us vulnerable to the enemy.” I honestly had not thought about prayer in that way, but it is so true.
I think a lot of people are like I was before I started working at SWITCH. I wasn’t praying for human trafficking before working here. My eyes did not see the injustice and darkness in my very own city. I wasn’t aware of the spiritual warfare that the SWITCH staff, volunteers and board members face on a weekly basis. I chose to turn my head the other way with what little information I did know – out of ease – instead of going after it in prayer. I will be honest and admit that before working at SWITCH, praying over the commercial sex industry and believing for the end of human trafficking and sexual exploitation would have felt like a chore.
Thankfully, God has opened my eyes. He has forgiven me for the callous heart that I had toward this issue and has put inside of me a boldness to go after human trafficking and sexual exploitation in prayer. My hope in sharing my journey is that your eyes would be opened to see how powerful prayer really is.
Since I have started working at SWITCH, I have not only heard of miraculous stories but have been able to witness them. I recently saw this quote and it has stuck with me ever since: “If you live like every day is a miracle – everything is.” So, when we were able to go into a strip club we had previously not been allowed to go into – and not only the strip club but also into the locker room to pray before the dancers got there – that was a miracle! When one of our participants stopped reaching out, then after roughly two weeks reached back out again – that was also a miracle. When we were able to hire a Prevention coordinator last year and a Demand Coordinator this year; and the fact that we even had the funds to pay our staff at all – this was all miraculous. I am convinced the miracles above would never have happened if it wasn’t for people like Mrs. Terri, who has been with SWITCH for years, faithfully partnering with us in prayer.
We have a sign in our office with a quote from a human trafficking survivor leader that says, “We will not rest until all His sons and daughters are home.” I am more convinced than ever that this is not possible without prayer. Prophetic insight, God’s heart, and wisdom – they are all needed to see those captives set free from the bondage of sex trafficking and exploitation.
So, to bring this thing home – will you pray with us? Will you pray for us? Although it isn’t talked about much, spiritual warfare is real. The enemy wants nothing more than to come against all that SWITCH is doing; but I know we can all agree that God is bigger. It would be a great honor if you, your family, or your church body would commit to praying for SWITCH – our staff, board members, volunteers, participants, partners, and events. Pray for the warfare, the opposition, the laws and our leaders. Will you commit to praying with us regularly? I know some people may look at the mission of ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation as too big of an undertaking but I am telling you, the ending of human trafficking and exploitation will only come when prayer warriors arise. If this resonates with you at all, you can start by praying for God to shine His light in this darkness in the Upstate of South Carolina or your very own city, pray for a hedge of protection around those that are on the front lines of this work, and pray for freedom for those that are trapped in the life.
We cannot do this without an army of prayer warriors standing with us. We cannot see an end to human trafficking without God directing our steps, and the only way to get there is to stay at the feet of the miraculous God that formed this nonprofit organization from the dust and made it into what it is today. Please join us in prayer.
Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.