OPENING PRAYER

Living God, you freed the people of Israel from cruel slavery in Egypt and led them to a promised land “flowing with milk and honey.” We ask you to liberate today all the children, women, and men who are enslaved by the cruel yoke of human trafficking in our nation, and around the world.

READING; Exodus 3:7-10

But the LORD said (to Moses): I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry against their taskmasters, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore, I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them up from that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…. Now indeed the outcry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them. Now, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.

Trusting in God’s love and care for the oppressed, let us lift up prayer for victims of human trafficking, saying: “Hear us, God of freedom.”

PETITIONS

For an end to the coercion and exploitation of vulnerable persons at factories, farms, and brothels, we pray:

For an eradication of the poverty and lack of opportunity that breeds human trafficking, we pray:

For a greater awareness of the reality and signs of human trafficking in our midst, we pray:

For cooperation between governments and social service agencies to neutralize traffickers and their networks, we pray:

Our Father…

CLOSING PRAYER

God of liberation, we pray for all your children who are enslaved by human trafficking. Free them from their bondage, heal them of their wounds, protect them from further harm, turn the hearts of their oppressors, and sustain them with hope for a new beginning in safety and peace. Amen.