Prayer Points:

Pray for the people involved: 

• Pray for those near children and families in a crisis like teachers, first responders, medical professionals, extended family, neighbors, and church leaders. Pray that they would have eyes to see and wisdom on when to report. 

• Pray for abuse and neglect hotline workers that they would have clarity of mind and words when receiving phone calls to the Oklahoma abuse and neglect hotline. 

• Pray for the Child Protective Service (CPS) workers at OKDHS that must inspect referrals on abuse and neglect. These workers often encounter hard situations and can have trauma-induced experiences. Pray for their safety as they evaluate difficult situations. 

• Pray that truth would be exposed in investigations and false allegations squelched. 

Pray for the places involved:

• Pray for schools that often are on the front lines of seeing children and families in need.

• Pray for places that the evaluation of abuse and neglect must be made, like families’ homes, hospitals, justice centers, and the scene of incidents. 

Activity:

Read Micah 6:8 – “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

• Write down some reasons you are personally thankful for God’s kindness.

• Write down some reasons you are personally thankful for God’s justice.

• Why should we approach issues of the family with great humility under God?

Get Involved:

• Offer to support a family that you know is teetering on a crisis by delivering a meal or assist them by watching their gives and give the adult(s) a break. 

• Call the abuse and neglect hotline if you suspect abuse or neglect (1-800-522-3511) or 911 if a child is immediate danger.

• Support a biological family through meeting needs on CarePortal that are focused on stabilising biological families or even preventing children from entering the foster care system.

Sophia’s Story (Continued):

(111Project has an experiential event that can be facilitated in churches or at events. The experience features a fictional story of a y young girl in the Oklahoma foster care system. This experience is meant to put imagery into real-world experiences of children in the Oklahoma foster care system. Think about how Sophia might feel, what might be best for her, and how the Church could love and serve families like Sophia’s.)

Sophia is a bright and energetic preteen. She loves to read but also is not afraid to tear it up on the basketball court. More than anything in the world, she loves her two younger brothers. Recently, she had to talk to her teacher about bruises on her arms. Sophia mentioned that got in a fight with her mother’s boyfriend. “It was no big deal,” she said, but her teacher is now aware of the harm and complicated situation in Sophia’s home. “Please don’t tell my mom,” Sophia says to her teacher. The teacher knows she has to do more than talk to Sophia’s mom.