April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. It began when a report about abused children caught the attention and heart of President Ronald Reagan. “Now, therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of April, 1983 as ‘National Child Abuse Prevention Month.'”
Sadly since the first Child Abuse Prevention Month, the number of abused children has grown from half a million children to over 6 million new reports of abuse along with 1600+ children dying annually as a result of their abuse. (These numbers do not include missing or exploited children through trafficking). An epidemic of this magnitude requires that we face the hard facts that 1 in 4 girls, and 1 in 6 boys, will be sexually abused and it is in every community.
Faith Community you are the single most untapped resource for hurt children and broken families. This battle cannot be won without you. You hold the keys to what is missing for victims. You may have many resources such as empty buildings for parenting classes, volunteers, finances, but more importantly you hold the key that victims need most… hope. Hope produces faith and faith produces resilience.
How to pray for abused children on Blue Sunday:
- Pray the children will be rescued
- Pray they are put with caring people
- Pray that their bodies can heal
- Pray that their mind can heal
- Pray they find hope
Faith leaders please open your hearts and doors to child abuse prevention agencies in your cities that need your help. Invite them to your church on Blue Sunday, April 30th and pray for them as you pray for the victims.
Blue Sunday is always the last Sunday of April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month activities. It’s free. Nothing to join. Just register your church or ministry to pray for the victims of child abuse and for those who rescue them. Let’s pray, educate ourselves, and volunteer until black and blue are just colors in a child’s crayon box.
Contact: Janet Magee, 844-344-9366
janetmagee@bluesunday.org
http://bluesunday.org