I came across this article written by Benjamin Nolot who has served in Cambodia and wrote this for an organization called ExodusCry whose mission is to see modern day slavery come to an end. They advocate prayer as the powerful weapon it truly is! I hope that this article spurs you to pray....simply to pray. Not only for those in Cambodia I've been telling you about but, for people in any place around the world who are oppressed. Prayer is our most powerful weapon regardless of the shape the enemy takes on.
"After first becoming exposed to the realities of modern-day slavery, people’s common reaction is, “What can I do?” Instantly, people imagine that they have to raid a brothel in Cambodia or witness to a prostitute in Vegas in order to have a real impact. Yet, what is often forgotten in the abolition equation is the very real and integral component of prayer.
Prayer is not just a means for abolition. It is the central means.
In Luke 18 Jesus gives us a key insight into abolition. Through parable, He tells us how God brings justice into unjust situations. As the wisest, most knowledgeable man ever to walk the earth, He could have said many things about this subject. He could have offered us some wisdom in lawmaking or a ‘how-to’ on building judicial systems. He could have given us strategies on outreach or on how to feed the poor. But instead, He highlighted just one simple thing: prayer. Jesus taught that “speedy justice” would come in response to “day and night” prayer (Lk. 18:7-8).
Prayer connects us to the heart of God, defeats the spiritual forces of darkness behind slavery, and releases God’s healing presence in the hearts of those who have been traumatized and exploited––all things we could never do in our own strength.
Past abolitionists have proven the effect of prayer. Four men, in particular, come to mind when thinking about abolitionists through history: Moses, Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and William Wilberforce. If there’s one defining characteristic that each of these men possessed, it was a life of prayer.
It was through prayer that Moses released the plagues in Egypt that brought about the great exodus of the enslaved Jews.
Jesus routinely spent entire nights in prayer before performing great miracles that set people free.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient.”
William Wilberforce warned, “Of all things, guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer.”
These men were completely dependent on God to bring about the abolition they all so deeply longed for. If we want to be the abolitionists that these men were, we must embrace the God-ordained means of abolition. Prayer wasn’t just a precursor to their abolition. It was their abolition.
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom in suburban America or a full-time practitioner in Southeast Asia, everyone can be an active abolitionist through prayer." -Benjamin Nolot
Amen. This summarizes the efficacy of prayer so well! Prayer--from the deep places of the heart--really yileds great fruit that would otherwise be unattainable. God is good.
ReplyDeleteKeith, so true brother...only when we truly partner with Him will His will be brought forth, HIS WILL that we cannot accomplish on our own.
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