As believers in Christ, we believe in the power of prayer. We believe that prayer breaks strongholds and can set the captives free. On Thursday, May 5, 2016, our country will participate in the 65 th Annual National Day of Prayer. This year, the event will be in conjunction with nearly 45,000 other groups from across the nation. Whether you participate in the day of prayer each year, or this is the first time you’ve heard about it, the National Day of Prayer is a phenomenal opportunity to humbly bring our requests to the Lord with thousands of other people in the United States.

The goal of this day is to pray collectively for our nation. At this time in our country’s history, there is much prayer needed, but there is also much to be thankful for. When it comes to human trafficking, our country has made great strides to see justice brought to women and men engulfed in the chains of slavery. But, we have a long way to go.

As you find yourself praying for our country, whether during your morning prayer routine or specifically on May 5, we encourage you to lift up the least of these within our borders. Pray for the women coerced into prostitution, the pimps, the “johns,” and the traffickers. Pray for law enforcement officials – that they would be attentive to the needs of trafficking victims within their individual precincts. Pray for policy makers and senators who work tirelessly to see freedom brought to the oppressed. Pray for medical professionals who are sometimes the first line of defense in the fight against trafficking. Pray for moms and dads, working hard to provide for their children in safe, loving environments. Pray for the Church, that women and men would begin to sound a battle cry for trafficking victims.

As we head into an election year, we also encourage you to pray for a leader who cares about human rights issues, like human trafficking. The National Day of Prayer is an opportunity for us, as believers, to lay our requests at the cross, knowing that our hope is in the Lord, and not in man.

We will be on our knees for those who deserve justice this National Day of Prayer, and every day before and after May 5. We invite you to join us in lifting men and women to lives of dignity and hope this month.

For more information about the National Day of Prayer, please click here.