Prayer ~ Lord, Peter tell us that we need to stay alert and watch out for our enemy, the devil. Open our eyes that we won’t be deceived by him, or take captive. There is evil out there—wherever there is an absence of God…there is evil. Please continue to surround us with Your love and guide us as we put on Your armor. Is spiritual warfare is part of our lives?
So
humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will
lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares
about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He
prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm
against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers
and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you
are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of
Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore,
support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All
power to him forever! Amen. 1
Peter 5:6-11 (Underlined for emphasis.)
Meditate.
Stay focused and alert.
Are you staying
alert? What keeps you attention?
Peter is giving some great advice
here…be humble. Give your worries and anxiety to God. Wake up—stay alert.
Something—or someone, the devil, is out there watching you. He is wanting to
catch you up and trip you. Stay strong in your faith—don’t stop believing in the
power of God to help you in the difficult time. Everyone has challenging times
in their lives…and around the world there are many who are facing persecution,
trials, and tribulations greater than anything we can imagine. Yet, right
within my own community there is a horrific situation with sex trafficking that
is going on right under our noses…and most people aren’t even aware of the
magnitude of it. Trafficking also includes forced labor and domestic servitude exploitation.
Keys take many forms.
What does the "respect" key look like?
What is the solution? I think ultimately, the key is respect. If people were truly loving one
another, as Jesus taught, then this type of behavior wouldn’t be happening. If
boys are not taught to respect girls and women, then as they get sexual urges,
they seek any way to express that desire. Yet, it all comes down to financial
gain. Someone, not those being exploited, is making money from these
activities. Lust. Greed. Covetousness. People wanting for themselves what someone
else has.
What
can you do? Call 911, if you suspect that a victim is in an unsafe situation. Don’t
put yourself at risk. Contact the authorities. In the Tri-Cities, Washington,
there is an advocate group, Mirror Ministries, that can be called 24-hours a
day on their hotline, (509) 212-9995. This group meets the needs of trafficking
survivors, educates about human trafficking, and engages in outreach in our
community.
In
other areas, contact the Homeland Security Investigation Tip Line, where trained
staff takes calls 24 hours a day, at 1-866-347-2423, or outside the US at
802-872-6199. Additionally, the National Human Trafficking Hotline can connect
victims and survivors with local assistance no matter where they are in the US,
also 24 hours a day, at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).
No
one needs to suffer, if people can just be aware and care. Seek more
information at the dhs.gov web sites. Can you choose to begin with prayer for
these exploited people.
Verse
of Salvation ~ "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me
to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will
be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and
that the time of the LORD's favor has come." Luke 4:18-19
© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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