Welcome to our live prayer page
Join with us as we pray for hope, justice and freedom
Why pray about modern slavery?
Jesus came to bring FREEDOM and deliverance, to release the captives and to set the oppressed free. And He has called us to do the same.
We pray to a God who is able to do “infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
So we ask you to stand with us and pray for freedom – for the men, women and children who are trapped in modern slavery around the world.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God.”
Isaiah 61:1-2
The power of prayer
As the words of the scripture above show, we have been commissioned to bind up the broken-hearted, to set the captives free and to release those who are trapped in darkness.
Victims of modern slavery are some of the most downtrodden, ill-treated people in humanity. As followers of Jesus, we have a vital role to play in praying with and for those who are affected by this evil.
As we pray, we usher in the Holy Spirit. We boldly ask that He would help us break the chains of injustice, bring healing and restoration, reunite families and transform the lives of men, women and children who are being exploited.
“On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give Him no rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.”
Isaiah 62:6-7
I see a slave-free city
There is something powerful that happens in the spiritual realm when we speak truth and hope over situations that are seemingly hopeless.
When we invite God’s presence, when we petition our Father, when we persevere in prayer, when we pray bold prayers for His Kingdom to Come, something shifts…breakthrough happens.
Join with us as we pray in faith for men, women and children to be set free from modern slavery and human trafficking around the world.
I see a city where people are no longer sold for profit, where women and girls are no longer sexually exploited.
I see a city where children are no longer forced to beg on the streets, where they can laugh and play.
I see a city where forced labour is eradicated, where men can work without oppression.
I see a city where young girls are no longer sold into forced marriages, where they have freedom of choice.
I see a city where trafficking rings are torn down, where perpetrators are brought to justice.
I see a city where the church rises up, united in prayer, to take a stand against injustice.
I see a slave-free city.
We see a slave-free city. Join with us in praying for God to accomplish it.
Pray for your street, your town, your city
We’ve put together some ideas below to help you as you pray. But we don’t want to be prescriptive. Please pray as you feel led and prompted!
- Many churches are involved in outreach and mission. Some churches organise regular community events. Others run foodbanks, cafes, job clubs and more. Let’s pray for opportunities to raise awareness about modern slavery and human trafficking among vulnerable communities who are already engaging with our churches.
- Where are you and your church already ‘on the ground’ in your city? Whether it’s your workplace, at your youth club, or on social media, we all have spheres of influence. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to specific people and places where He can bring breakthrough.
- One of Hope for Justice’s volunteers, who attends a church in Preston, shared how she was faced with a situation that required her to put her knowledge about modern slavery into practice. She came across a man who was sleeping in a wheelie bin. He had been trafficked to the UK and desperately wanted to get home to his family. Having previously trained as a speaker for Hope for Justice, joined an abolition group and attended events on our behalf, thankfully she knew what to do. She said: “As a Christian, I felt God was going before us. He was saying ‘Here is a real-life scenario for you to get engaged in. It was those powerful first-hand experiences that gave us wind in our sails to continue.” Let’s pray that the church will be equipped and ready to respond when they encounter those whose lives are affected by modern slavery.
- We thank Father God for the national roll-out of Hope for Justice’s Spot the Signs training. Pray that this material would continue to be delivered across cities and neighbourhoods and be an effective resource. We pray more people will learn to spot the signs of modern slavery and human trafficking so that more survivors can be identified and brought to safety.
- Pray for the police, housing authorities and local councils to locate survivors and remove them from exploitation.
- Pray for the police to gather evidence and to be successful in their enquiries into human trafficking. Pray for God to help them intercept and stop the activities of organised crime groups.
- We were recently so encouraged to learn that an MP had worked alongside a survivor of modern slavery, campaigning for her to receive compensation for the injuries she sustained at the hands of traffickers. Our team also supported the survivor, who was recently awarded £22,000 from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. You can read her story here. Pray for God to bring modern slavery and human trafficking back onto the political agenda for MPs, local and national governments. We pray our politicians will stand for justice and will fight for the cause of the needy and vulnerable.
- Here’s a link to some of the real stories we’ve written about survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. You could use this to inform your prayers, or pray specifically about the men, women and children you read about.
Live prayer points about our work:
- Traffickers are making $51 billion a year from the children they control, new figures suggest. In response, Hope for Justice launched an urgent appeal to bring freedom to trafficked children. Please pray for the success of the appeal so we can reach more men, women and children through our work.
- Pray for a survivor of forced labour who was trafficked to the United States. He was severely injured at an unsafe work site where he was being exploited. His perpetrators threatened to harm his family if he told anyone about his situation. He is now free from exploitation but due to his injuries, the survivor is unable to work. Please pray for his recovery and for breakthrough in his financial situation.
- Pray for the safety of an unaccompanied minor who was being exploited by a family member. He was being forced to work long hours whilst attending school. He has been removed from exploitation and is being supported by Hope for Justice but remains at risk.
- Hope for Justice is one of 28 signatories who wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressing our “deep sadness and concern” over the Safety of Rwanda Act. The Act will create a barrier to identifying victims of modern slavery and increase vulnerability to further exploitation. Pray for the joint open letter to have impact and for decision makers to have wisdom. Ask the Lord for the safety and identification of those who are being exploited, for protection against re-exploitation, and for the reversal of this plan. Pray for governments to be open to collaborating and developing effective anti-slavery strategies. Pray for the UK and other countries to uphold their obligations under international law to protect survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking, and to prevent exploitation.
- A number of our supporters and staff are gearing up to take on the Extreme Challenge in Drakensberg in October this year. The participants will be pushing themselves and their bodies to the limits in this physically and mentally demanding undertaking. Pray for their training, for their protection and safety, and for their fundraising efforts for our work.
Our ongoing prayer requests:
- Please pray for the expansion of our work as we design and build strategy to help more victims become survivors. Rescue is only a small part of our work; it’s the restoration process, physical and psychological, that requires long-term, trauma-informed interventions. In the UK that focus is on our team of specialists as they walk hand-in-hand with those most needing help and support, to find all the support they require in order to overcome their suffering. In Uganda and Ethiopia that focus is on our Lighthouse shelters where we provide care and support for children, many who have been exploited through sexual exploitation or labour exploitation. We believe in the kingdom model of restoration and this is why we try to reintegrate as many children we can back into their families. A lot of these families had given up hope of ever seeing their child again and are overcome and overjoyed to be reunited with them. In the U.S. our focus is on our investigation work, finding those who have been trafficked and hidden away and who need us to find them and bring them back to a place of safety. Job 12:22 – He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.
- Please pray for heavenly resources. It’s no easy task funding a global operation with so many demands on finances. Please pray for a release of funding that allows us to plan ahead and build out the requirements we need to put in place to make measurable and impactful change. Philippians 4:19 – And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
- Please pray for our work that reaches out into businesses and corporate entities, that we will find favour and support and that by influencing the influential in society we can mitigate the risks of slavery in supply chains and product tainted by exploitation.
- Pray for the safeguarding and protection of all our staff. Often our work takes us and places us in locations that have degrees of vulnerability and risk. In fact, we say that ‘where there is vulnerability there is almost certainly exploitation’. As we go into places of risk to help those most vulnerable, please pray that God’s hand of protection will be upon us, that He will set our path straight and that he will go before us. Isaiah 45:2-3 NIV – I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
Giving thanks for answered prayers
We are so thankful for answers to prayers for the many victims and survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking who are receiving our care and support. This provision is provided across our work globally, from our IMSAs (Independent Modern Slavery Advocates) who work with individuals affected in the UK, to our Regional Centres in the U.S, and our Lighthouse shelters in Ethiopia and Uganda. We reached more than 200,000 individuals with our work last year, and as the numbers of victims increases so does our work in helping those most in need.
We are thankful for all of our supporters and volunteers without whom we wouldn’t be able to do the work we do. Thank you for those who generously give either with their time or financially. It’s when we stand together in unity that we bring lasting impact.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with other anti-trafficking organisations in our sector. It was a privilege to be a part of the recent Coalition to Stop Slavery campaign, working with other organisations who share our heart and purpose to see people set free from slavery. You can watch a powerful video we made as part of that campaign.
We are thankful for the growing opportunities to be part of church events throughout the countries where we work. We are thankful to be part of a growing global community of faith-filled leaders, kingdom-builders and movement-makers, all committed to working together in prayer and action towards living in a world free from slavery.
Join our weekly prayer gatherings
Hope for Justice holds a weekly online prayer session on Wednesday evenings (UK time). Anyone who wants to pray is welcome to join. Just email pray@hopeforjustice.org to request the meeting link.
Want to get more involved in this mission to bring an end to modern-day slavery in all our communities and around the world? Download our Church Resources Pack, which has links to small group discussion guides, social shareables, stories, awareness materials, practical tips and much more:
