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Speak Up!

“Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable.”
Proverbs 31:8 (Common English Bible)

“Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!”
Proverbs 31:9 (The Message)

Proverbs is often described as being a book of wisdom, and I have heard it said many a time that we should take heed of the advice and instruction given throughout the book of Proverbs. For me, these verses promote and encourage solidarity between God’s followers – standing up for each other. Using our “voices” can be as simple as taking a couple of seconds of your day to sign an Open Doors petition, sharing the story of a persecuted Christian on your Facebook profile.

Using our “voices” means a willingness to raise our “voices” in front of our friends, our families, our Country’s leaders, and most importantly to God.

It is our responsibility to lift our brothers and sisters in Christ to God in prayer. Our persecuted family have no voice or freedom in their own Country and we need to do our part, doing what we can and using our freedom so they may one day experience the same freedom we have.

However, we should be careful not to limit our help and our “voices” to just other Christians. We’re also called to go beyond the circle of God’s family with our willingness to offer help and support. Often, our willingness to help and use our “voices” can be an important and meaningful witness to a lost world.

William Wilberforce famously said “Let it not be said that I was silent when they needed me”. This is something that comes to mind when I think of the words of these verses from Proverbs. Our brothers and sisters need us. And having the freedom I have, I do not want to leave that freedom unused and my voice un-raised. I do not want to be silent.

There are so many things which you can do to “speak out”! Flick through the pages under the ‘Do Something‘ section of this site to find out about the different ways you can get involved. Sign petitions, share on your Facebook and Twitter account, tell others, become a volunteer, organise an event – nothing is too little to be worthwhile.

But, the most important thing we can do is the pray! Prayer is so important and is the one thing that is most valued by our brothers and sisters. Tabitha, a Nigerian widow, says “In prayer, you are sitting next to me in Church. By praying, you are not far away – you are here with me in Nigeria”. A ‘voice’ raised in prayer is the most important ‘voice’ that we can raise.

Will you raise your voice with me? Together we can help to make a difference.

Visit our prayer update page…