Recognizing International Day of Prayer for Survivors of Human Trafficking

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Today is The Salvation Army’s International Day of Prayer for Survivors of Human Trafficking. This year, the theme is “Open Our Eyes” as we recognize survivors of human trafficking. We invite you to open your eyes, hearts and minds with us as we ask the Lord to hear our prayers to protect the vulnerable.

Every year, millions of individuals are trafficked around the world. This issue is close to home, as Missouri and St. Louis consistently rank among the top 20 by state and city for human trafficking nationally.

Last April, we opened an Anti-Human Trafficking Drop-In Center right here in St. Louis. The goal of this location is to provide direct services to survivors in our community — a critical step to breaking the cycle of sex and labor trafficking. As we come together today, we walk alongside survivors to give them a voice through the prayers we offer.

We invite you to pray with us today, alongside Social Services Project Manager Sara White, who leads our anti-human trafficking initiative.

Heavenly Father,

We come before You with humble hearts, asking You to open our eyes to see what You see.

Open our eyes to the suffering that often remains hidden in plain sight. Help us recognize the men, women, and children who are being exploited, abused, and stripped of their dignity. Remove any complacency or indifference from our hearts and give us the courage to see beyond appearances and respond with compassion and action.

Lord, Your Word calls us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and to ensure justice for those who are being crushed. We pray for every survivor of human trafficking and exploitation. Surround them with Your protection, healing, and peace. Restore what has been taken from them. Remind them of their immeasurable worth and dignity as individuals created in Your image and deeply loved by You.

Open our eyes to opportunities to be Your hands and feet. Help us recognize moments when we can advocate, intervene, support, and encourage. Teach us not to turn a blind eye to injustice, but to respond with wisdom, humility, and love.

We pray for law enforcement, service providers, churches, and community organizations working to combat trafficking and support survivors. Strengthen them in their efforts and unite them in purpose. Open doors for collaboration and provide the resources needed to bring hope and restoration to those who are hurting.

Lord, let Your light shine into the darkest places. Where there is fear, bring safety. Where there is trauma, bring healing. Where there is hopelessness, bring hope. Where dignity has been stolen, restore it completely.

May we reflect Your love in all that we do, recognizing the value of every person and remaining faithful to the calling to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with You.

Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see. Open our hearts, that we may care. Open our hands, that we may serve. Open our voices, that we may speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

In Jesus' name we pray,

Amen.

For more information on our efforts against human trafficking or to make a gift, visit salarmy.us/ahti. You can also submit prayer requests online at salarmy.us/prayer-request.

 

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