[Salvation]

Day of Preparation - February 21

 

Intention:

For God’s blessing upon the coming 40 Days for Life campaign.

Scripture:

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.

- 2 Chronicles 7:14

Reflection:

Not unlike God's chosen people of Israel, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, if we expect God to hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. The need for repentance has not been greater since the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade in 1973. The number one cause of death in America is the needless sacrifice of our children at the altar of convenience called abortion. Conservative estimates put the number of deaths at nearly 48 million.

And lest we think this is an issue outside the church walls, 43 percent of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27 percent identify themselves as Catholic. One in four women has at least one abortion by the age of 45 -- both non-Christian and Christian alike. Where was the voice of Truth -- the church?

Mary Comm of In Our Midst Ministries, Inc. sums up the issue best as she writes, "We (the church) have been an unintentional accomplice to the millions of lives lost and to the multiplied millions of lives devastated by abortion. We didn't want them to abort. We didn't mean for them to abort. But, because of our lack of knowledge, because of our fear, we have continued to stand by and do nothing. We, God's hands and feet in this dark and hurting world, have been unintentional, unknowledgeable accomplice, but an accomplice nonetheless."

May today mark the beginning of change within the church, as God's people, in unity, seek His forgiveness.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we have turned our backs on you and your principles in your Word. We have allowed man to usurp Your role as God over life and the number of our days. But we come to you in brokenness and repentance over our sin. We cry out for Your mercy and ask you to remove the scourge of abortion from our land. Use us as your vessels, Lord, to bring the light of Your Truth to our nation once again. Because of Christ we pray, amen.

Carmen Pate
40 Days for Life board of directors

[Salvation]

Are you ready to be part of something BIG?

Are you ready to pray and fast, stand in peaceful vigil,
change hearts and minds — and save lives?

If so, it will require sacrifice ... but it will be
worth it.

Tomorrow, you have the opportunity to join the largest
spring 40 Days for Life campaign in history, as it kicks
off in 258 cities across America and around the world!

Find the location nearest you:

http://40daysforlife.com/location

When we conducted the first 40 Days for Life campaign
in College Station, Texas, back in 2004, if you had
told me that 40 Days for Life would spread around the
globe ... I wouldn’t have believed it.

We thought there would be ONE — and only one —
40 Days for Life campaign. EVER.

Thankfully, God’s plans were bigger than ours ... and
40 Days for Life has now been conducted in hundreds of
cities and towns across all 50 American states — and
thirteen other countries.

One of those countries where 40 Days for Life is making
a profound impact is England. This spring, there will
be four local campaigns conducted across Great Britain.

A few days ago, they flew 40 Days for Life national
director David Bereit and me “across the pond” to help
kick off campaigns in London, Birmingham and Manchester.

We were amazed to see how God has inspired thousands
of people across the UK to pray and fast, stand in
peaceful vigil and participate in community outreach ...

... and now YOU can see the big picture by watching this
brand-new 15-minute video of how 40 Days for Life is
positively impacting England:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2657

As I said ... this is BIG. And you can be a part.

40 Days for Life is God’s work — but in order to make
this happen, He needs YOU!

We start tomorrow. Will you be there?

To find the closest 40 Days for Life campaign, and to
find out how you can get involved, go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/location

Let’s get to work saving lives!

[Salvation]

Day 1 - February 22

 

Intention:

That we may use these 40 Days for Life to plead for God's mercy and grace upon all those involved in the sin of abortion.

Scripture:

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly. Gather the people, notify the congregation. Assemble the elders; gather the children and the infants at the breast… Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, "Spare, O Lord, your people."

-- Joel 2:15-17

Reflection:

The toll of abortion cannot be measured. We hear estimates of almost 50 million innocent victims, but that's only one aspect of the harm that has unfolded in abortion's wake. There are also the mothers and fathers of these millions, as well as the grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins. Unborn lives destroyed. Lives of the living shattered.

It's overwhelming and depressing, but even in the midst of such unfathomable darkness, the church teaches us to have hope. Yes, it was indeed Calvary that followed Christ's 40 days in the desert, but without Calvary there would have been no Resurrection - His victory over death that opened the gates of heaven to those who believe in and follow Him.

The psalmist encourages us to go humbly before God as we seek His will: "A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me… Give me back the joy of your salvation and a willing spirit sustain in me… O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise" (Psalm 51:12, 14, 17).

We are called to be God's messengers; or as the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: "We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). That is the true message to all we encounter at the abortion centers and in our communities who have been deceived by the Culture of Death. We don't bring condemnation; we bring God's good news.

Prayer:

Lord, we ask for the strength, courage, wisdom, determination and stamina to carry out this mission according to Your will. Guide us, we pray, as we go forth and proclaim Your truth, always doing so with a spirit of love and compassion, as was demonstrated to us by Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, amen.

David Brandao
Communications Director, 40 Days for Life