40 Days for Life

We pray for God's gift of strength as we strive to protect human life during these 40 Days for Life.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Billions of dollars are spent each year on diet plans. But Jesus tells us to stop worrying so much about our bodies, and instead to trust in God's care for our physical needs.

What would happen if the people who had started on a low-carb diet this year had instead gone on a diet of heavenly food? For non-believers that diet would include trusting in Christ for their salvation, and for believers it would include a renewed prayer life, a new Bible study, or even a spiritual fast. This diet doesn't include giving up on certain kinds of foods. What this diet includes is giving up on anxiety by resting in the loving arms of Christ, trusting that He will provide.

Such a spiritual diet also frees us from our worries, and allows us to freely praise Him and serve others. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

This promised provision teaches us the inestimable worth of our lives. He will not allow us to go without. This intimate knowledge and care for human life on the part of our gracious God is what motivates us to seek for the preservation of human life in all its stages.

Loving heavenly Father, help us to see the worth of all human beings by the way in which you provide for us. We would ask that you provide also the faith, grace and courage to enable us to protect that which is so precious to you. Through Christ our Lord, amen.

THREE ELEMENTS

Constant vigil

The visible, public centerpiece of 40 Days for Life is a 40-day, round-the-clock prayer vigil outside a Planned Parenthood center or other abortion facility in your community.

Those who are called to stand witness maintain a peaceful and educational presence.

This 24-hour-a-day presence send a powerful message to the community about the tragic reality of abortion. It also serves as a call to repentance for those who work at the abortion center and those who patronize the facility.

If you do not have an abortion facility or Planned Parenthood office in your town, you can still conduct 40 Days for Life. However, you will need to select a different location which has some strategic significance ... perhaps near city hall, a courthouse, or a highly visible intersection.

Community outreach

40 Days for Life in Greenville, South Carolina

During 40 Days for Life, the pro-life message is proactively taken to every corner of your community. This can identify hundreds, or even thousands, of pro-life supporters.

A door-to-door petition and education drive reaches out to every household in your town or city. Informational flyers are distributed in neighborhoods to raise awareness about the local crisis of abortion. Citizens are invited to sign a petition of support for the sanctity of human life, and people are given the opportunity to visibly show their support for 40 Days for Life by wearing wristbands, placing signs in their yards, or displaying bumper stickers on their vehicles.

These people can then be encouraged to pray and join in local pro-life efforts.

Church involvement begins by meeting with local pastors, other church leaders, and members of different congregations. The Body of Christ is invited to pray together and participate in 40 Days for Life, uniting in one focused mission that can save lives and make an eternal impact.

Media outreach is conducted through carefully targeted news stories, talk shows, editorials, and letters to the editor. This enables you to get the pro-life message out to many people who would never see the inside of a local church.

If your community has a college campus, many students can be impacted through an intense 40-day campus outreach. This can consist of flyer raids, sidewalk chalking, petition drives, table displays, and much more.

Local leadership with 40 Days for Life

40 Days for Life in Halifax, Nova Scotia

40 Days for Life is primarily a local campaign. Yes, there is a national team that provides information, resources and encouragement, but all campaigns are based at the local level. Each community knows best when it comes to countering the damage abortion has caused in each individual city and town.

No one is appointed as a local 40 Days for Life leader; in each community, someone must step up and accept the challenge.

The campaign is also a group effort. There needs to be a main coordinator, but there is a whole level of duties and responsibilities that must be filled in addition to the director's position:

Prayer coordinator
Vigil coordinator
Outreach coordinator
Event coordinator
Church coordinator
Communications coordinator
And possibly others, depending on your local needs.

A line from Scripture comes to mind: "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will." Please pray for discernment and guidance. 40 Days for Life won't happen without somebody. "Somebody" could be you!

From email

The local media in cities all over has been covering the
launch of 40 Days for Life ...

... and that is helping to spread the word!

It's only Day 3 ... and we're already seeing lots of
positive coverage for 40 Days for Life in local
newspaper and TV reports. Here are just a few examples.

BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS

   Want to see how the local media portrays 40 Days for
   Life in the community where this mission began?

   KBTX-TV reported on the kickoff rally there, and
   interviewed a good friend and pro-life hero of mine,
   Dr. Haywood Robinson. The newscast shows people
   quietly praying, contrasted with Planned Parenthood's
   written statement complaining about "harassment"

   Needless to say, the video proves there was not a
   single person being harassed.

   To read the KBTX report and see the video, go to:

   http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1029

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

   WAPT-TV reported on the 40 Days for Life vigil at
   Mississippi's only remaining abortion center,
   highlighting the comments of a kickoff speaker who
   talked about having an abortion at the age of 16.

   "My baby would be 27 today, she said. "That's a full-
   grown person who probably would've had a spouse and
   maybe children by now. It wasn't just a blob of cells.
   It was a whole line of my family tree."

   To read the WAPT report and see the video, go to:

   http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1029

FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA

   The Fargo Forum carried an account of the 40 Days for
   Life vigil at North Dakota's only abortion facility.
   "The truth is, babies are dying every week in this
   building," said local coordinator Colleen Samson.

   In greeting the women entering the abortion center,
   Marlene, one of the prayer volunteers, said "I don’t
   raise my voice. I offer them hope."

   Laura could not stay a full hour at the vigil, but
   felt she just had to stop. "I have 10 minutes between
   one job and the next. I wanted to support life."

   To access the Fargo Forum story, go to:

   http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1029

PEORIA, ILLINOIS

   The Peoria Journal-Star reported on that city's
   kickoff event, noting that 40 Days for Life in
   Peoria has "grown significantly."

   "We're praying to God to end abortion," said Karen,
   the local coordinator, "and we're looking to
   continue growing to accomplish that."

   She said the key is the peaceful vigil at the
   abortion center. "Some people will hold signs, but
   I don't think that's the most important thing.
   Prayer is the most important thing."

   "It's important for us to remind people what's
   going on," said Robert, one of the volunteers.
   "If we can remind them and pray with them, we
   can stop this."

   To access the Peoria Star-Journal story, go to:

   http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1029

Those are just a few of the many, many news stories
being reported in local newspapers and TV stations.

God is greatly blessing this 40 Days for Life campaign
already. I can't wait to see what He does next!

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