Somaly Mam is a former child sex slave who has dedicated her life to helping women and girls get out of the sex trade in Cambodia. Prostitution is illegal in Cambodia, however, corrupted officials turn a blind eye and even threaten her.
Her story is told in the Heros section of CNN
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/specials/2007/06/29/heroes.somaly.man.pt1.cnn
I mentioned in earlier posts that I felt like my prayers should expand a bit. For the last two weeks, I have been praying for great intervention against those who exploit and abuse and kidnap and enslave children... that they would be found and stopped and that the children would be rescued and saved.
And so when I read about courageous people like Somaly Mam, I lift them up in prayer and praise God and ask Him to bless and protect their efforts.
I've really had the most amazing journey for the last month. One tiny piece of it is a growing awareness of intercessory prayer. I happened to hear a lecture a few weeks ago about those prayer experiments on behalf of heart patients. Well, even in double and triple blind studies, science is documenting incredible results when one group of people prays for another.
I am just one person. My prayers are not all day long prayers, they are my prayers in the morning and in the evening. But I am making a very special effort to pray on behalf of a handful of global problems and child exploitation is Number One on my list. Because my prayer journey is really all about me trying to get back on the same page with God, I think that child exploitation is Number One on His list, too.
And He is surely guiding other people to pray and to act.
So my prayers are not alone. As I lift my voice to pray on behalf of abused and kidnapped children everywhere, others are praying and still more are effectively working, like Somaly Mam.
Father, how wonderful to read about Somaly Mam. Thank you so much for blessing her efforts to save the children and women of Cambodia. I just lift my voice heavenward for the same cause, to free women and children from cruelty and sexual slavery in Cambodia, and indeed, wherever in the world it is found.
May the criminals who conduct and tolerate this behavior be brought to light and their sins shouted from the rooftops. May they be exposed and crushed.
May law enforcement fight swiftly and effectively to find and stop these criminals and put them away for the rest of their lives so that they may never harm another woman or child... or even men, for that matter, because I'm sure they find all sorts of way to exploit.
Wilt thou help us to stop pornography and the ills that lead to exploiting children.
And wilt thou lift and bless and strengthen Somaly Mam and send her all the resources that she needs. If I could help her in real life or through my pocketbook, I would.
Praise God, in Jesus Name.
