I sit here in a coffee shop on a Friday evening, and I’m still in a bit of shock over this morning. As a team we went on a prayer walk through the Red Light District on the edge of Chiang Rai, and I still don’t really have words for it.
We started the morning in prayer, asking the Lord if He had anything specific to look for or pray for. Brad felt that we should pray against lust. Jasmine felt inspired to pray with true hope and expectancy. I simply got a picture of a rose and some wild flowers, not sure what to make of it. With that bit of vision and the Lord at our side, we walked towards the strip.
We walked and talked with excitement, ready to combat the darkness of the Red Light District. I knew I was walking into an area that, at night, is host to prostitution and trafficking, but it was only the daytime and I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared, right?
After walking for about 20 minutes, we turned onto the main road with all of the bars and hotels. A bunch of us saw a fun-looking castle in the distance and got all excited. “Ooooh, a castle! I wanna go there!!!” Well, we went there, but it wasn’t what we thought it was. What we came to was a “hotel” called the Red Rose. As if the name wasn’t enough, I saw the flowers covering the bordering walls and knew this was why God gave me that vision of a rose and flowers; praying outside wasn’t enough – we had to go inside.
The first thing you notice about the Red Rose is the childlike theme. It’s filled with sculptures and paintings of animals and Disney characters. But this isn’t an amusement park for children; it’s a fantasyland of prostitution for men. Sick, right? Well as soon as I stepped into the driveway, I felt such a strong spiritual heaviness. You can literally feel the darkness in that place. You can feel the presence of the enemy there. He really thinks he has authority over that place. The end of the driveway has a big dragon, and I just imagined it as a dragon locking the princesses inside – the princesses being the women who were trapped in prostitution there. Heartbreaking, but it only got worse.
As we went further inside the “hotel,” we saw the rooms – probably a hundred of them. They’re designed so the patron can pull up and walk directly into a room with a theme of his choice and a woman waiting for him (all for about $10). I was in the presence of such awful darkness; I honestly didn’t know what to do besides pray for the light of Jesus to outshine that darkness.
We all walked out of the Red Rose completely speechless and pretty torn up. I felt broken for everyone trapped in this industry. But then Brad shared something with us. He said he felt like we were the Israelites praying outside the walls of Jericho. They prayed for seven days, feeling like nothing was happening, but because they had faith that the Lord would answer their prayers, He broke down those walls.
And suddenly I was filled with so much hope. Before I felt like I was walking around this scummy “hotel” with no real impact, just witnessing this darkness with no way to change it. But now I see that I carry His presence, and by praying against this, I am bringing the strong name of the Lord to this place and breaking down its walls. I continued praying around the street with so much more hope. The darkness weighed heavy on my spirit right up until we left the Red Light District, but I left that street knowing we made an impact with our prayers and our presence.
So please join in me in prayer, because we are all prayer warriors – carriers of His presence – and He gives us the authority to cast out the enemy, the light to overcome the darkness, the power to bring hope.
Lord, I pray that your presence takes over the red light district of Chiang Rai. I pray that you show the enemy he has no place there.
Lord, I lift up the owners, managers, and employees of these establishments. I pray against the stronghold the enemy has on these places and these people. Open their eyes, God, to the injustice of prostitution and trafficking. Help them to see you and your goodness and faithfulness. I pray that they trust in your provision, Lord, and know that if they follow you and honor you and hope in you, you will bless them. Help them to see value in the women, value in themselves, and value in Jesus.
Lord, I pray against lust. I pray against the stronghold lust has on the men who come to these places. God I pray that they find fulfillment and satisfaction not in the exploitation of these women but in You – that they see your Truth as the only way to truly quench their hunger for something more. I pray that you fill their hearts with your truth and your love and your compassion for these women. Lord bring these men to know you and experience the fulfillment and wholeness that can only come from relationship with you.
Lord, I pray that you reveal your Truth to these women stuck in prostitution. I pray against the lies of the enemy that they’ve been told for too long. I pray against those feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness and despair. I pray against the stronghold the enemy thinks he has over these women. Lord, I pray that you speak to them through a dream or a person or an experience and show them that they do have value – that the issue of their value was settled at the cross. I pray that they find hope in you and that they experience the depths of your love. I pray that you rescue them from the dark situations they’re in and fill them with your peace and your joy and your love.
Finally Lord, I pray against the darkness over this whole nation. In Jesus name, I pray you cast out that darkness. I pray that Thailand will soon become a country not filled with darkness and fear but abundant in light and hope.
We pray these things in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.
This morning, we walked through the Red Light District and just became speechless at what we were seeing. We barely spoke a word to each other for two hours. I thought I understood the reality of the prostitution and trafficking going on in Thailand. I didn’t. I’m still not sure I do. But what I do know is that Jesus lives inside of me, there is power in the name of Jesus, and He alone can overcome this darkness.
Thanks for reading!!! We’ve been in Thailand for just five days, and I have already learned so much. I love this country, but it is so filled with fear and darkness and desperately needs the hope of Jesus. Please continue to pray with me as we try to bring that hope to the people of Chiang Rai. Please also pray for financial provision! My FINAL deadline is just a few weeks away (March 1st), and I am still over $4,000 away! I trust that the Lord will provide, but prayers, support, word of mouth (share this blog!)…whatever I can get helps! Thank you!!!
Much love, Ronny
