For years now, God has broken my heart for the women trapped in sex trafficking. Some women have been sold into sex trafficking at young ages, some women get caught up in sex trafficking before they realize what they’re really getting into. Sometimes, these women start off as prostitutes by their own choice. But typically, prostitutes have had the worst childhood imaginable. They have likely been beaten, sexually abused, emotionally manipulated, and degraded since before they can even remember.
And unfortunately, people don’t think about that before judging them. As humans, we tend to be critical and think down upon them before ever even knowing them. Maybe some of these women did at one point choose this lifestyle. But maybe their pimp won’t let them out now. Maybe their drug addiction won’t allow them to stop now. So it’s easy to turn the other way, ignore them, and judge them for “getting themselves into this mess.”
But that’s not what God does. How does God see them? As His princesses. God views His daughters as princesses who have a whole inheritance available to them through freedom in Him. But who’s going to show these women their inheritance? Who’s going to show them that God loves them, cares about them, and wants more for them?
There is this organization int Atlanta called Out of Darkness, and they have this program called Princess Night, where they “go to areas of street prostitution to hand out roses and handwritten cards of encouragement and scripture. We let the ladies know that they are loved and beautiful, and ask if there is anything we can pray with them about.” It’s a form of outreach that they hope will build relationships. Then hopefully, outreach can turn into rescue. Fortunately, it does. In the past 3 years, this organization has seen about 200 women come off the streets of Atlanta.
Last night, my boyfriend and I participated in Princess Night, and it was incredible. It was challenging, moving, humbling, and uplifting all at the same time. The way it works is that a van full of us went out looking for these women in some of the darkest places of Atlanta. (Hence, it was easy for the devil to place fear inside of us.) When we found a woman on the streets, a few of us would hop out of the van and talk with her. We just wanted to give them a rose, some encouragement, and hopefully help them realize that God loves His daughter. Most of the time, they just loved having someone to talk who wasn’t expecting anything in return.
Seeing this industry in action completely shattered my heart. I’ve never had the opportunity to experience a lot of spiritual warfare, so feeling the presence of demons and evil spirits wasn’t something I was familiar with. But driving around the parking lots of these motels where this industry thrives, seeing the truck drivers pull in, or the men in their fancy cars, or the children running around the parking lot alone because mommy was working… You can literally feel the presence of evil. But from the inside of this van, we were able to cry out prayers over these areas. We were able to ask God to come into these places, to bring safety and hope to the women trapped here. And when we saw a woman, we were able to personally speak with her, if only briefly, and ask if there was anything we could pray for.
These women are kind, they have great senses of humor, they are beautiful inside and out. But they’re also broken, and hurting, and lost. And they need the light of Christ in their life. Their world is surrounded by darkness, and evil, and sometimes it’s hard to see past that. But we can be that bridge between lost and found, between broken and restored, between trapped and free. They just need someone there to show them the other side. If no one tells them God cares for them, how will they ever know?
John 1:5 – “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
With God, we can outshine this darkness. This organization has found a way to shine in the darkness, and the women love it. The women see this van drive up, and they smile. One sweet lady saw us, got the biggest smile and asked “Is it Friday already?” They love knowing that someone out there cares about them, and they look forward to getting their roses every Friday night.
Maybe this industry doesn’t impact you the way it impacts me. God hasn’t given all of us the same calling. But God has commanded us in Matthew 28:18-20 to spread the word of Christ.
“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
So I encourage you to find the darkness that speaks to you, and be a light for that darkness. Whether it’s through prayer, through volunteer work, or through donations. And don’t fear the consequences of being that light, because Jesus has promised, He will be with you.
