Treasures, not Commodities

“To achieve the cultural heart-level change required to end the injustice of exploitation, which includes human sex trafficking, we must acknowledge that it’s happening. Then, when we better understand how exploitation happens, we can pray effective prayers. 

“Our sons and daughters are treasures to be protected, not commodities. Unfortunately, modern-day slavery exists in the guise of our culture through tactics of force, fraud, and coercion meant to commodify. 

“Human sex trafficking is a form of commercial sexual exploitation. ‘Commercial’ means someone is treated as a commodity to be marketed and sold. ‘Sexual’ means any sexual act, stripping or lap dances, and/or the act of sex. ‘Exploitation’ means someone profits from exploiting another’s vulnerabilities. 

“A common belief that sex trafficking happens mainly through kidnapping is a myth. Less than 5% of trafficking cases happen through abduction. Most of those caught in the exploitative role use psychological means over a progression of time. Perpetrators may or may not threaten victims by force into commercial sex. Some are exploited in strip clubs, through coerced performance in pornography, by abduction, or prostituted in brothels, the streets, or online. Exploitation seeks to dehumanize the very existence of those made in the image of God—created body, spirit, and soul as treasures, not commodities.” (Danielle Freitag, Action 169)1

“The Lord their God will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown.” (Zachariah 9:16; NIV)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

• Pray for believers to awaken to the reality of the injustice of modern-day slavery. 
• Decree a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. (See Amos 5:24). 
• Pray a prayer of protection over the sons and daughters, jewels in a crown meant to sparkle. (See Zachariah 9:16). 
• Pray that those caught up in the exploitative role as traffickers would turn to The Lord and forsake their wicked ways. (See Isaiah 55:7). 

A prayer you can pray:

Father, we have some work to do. As Christians, we tend to isolate ourselves as much as possible from the evil in the world. We know it is out there, but we forget that you want us to engage it and set the captives free. Human sex trafficking is one of those areas. Men and women, especially young men and women, are exploited sexually in every community in America every single day. Awaken your Church to care, Lord! Open our eyes to see. Open our hearts to pray. Keep us from judging, so we can minister to the deep needs of hearts and lives. Let us be those who pray and work until we see justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream across our land.

Lord, we pray for those young ones, sons and daughters, who have been lied to, manipulated, and entrapped into commercial sexual lifestyles. Promises of financial benefits may end in sleazy hotels, adult clubs, or porn studios with no means to leave. Drug addictions may dull emotional pain, but deepen the entrapment. God, set them free! Set them free to be who You created them to be. Whom the Son sets free will be free indeed! Capture the captors. Bring them to justice. Let them turn to You, Jesus, and be saved from their wicked ways. Amen.

Today’s decree:

Let our nation awaken to the reality of modern day slavery!
1 – 2020 | By Danielle Freitag, LADC, Author of The Garden Keys, Action169 Executive Director