It all starts tomorrow!

Our biggest 40 Days for Life campaign EVER kicks off in 238 locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, England, Northern Ireland and Denmark.

I’m ready and I know you are, too.

Tonight, I go to Fayetteville, Arkansas to kick off the 40 Days for Life campaign there … and David Bereit, our national director, will be in Texas to help kick off 40 Days for Life campaigns there.

Be sure to look for 40 Days for Life events in your area by checking out the list of locations and clicking on the closest city to you:

http://40daysforlife.com/location.cfm

Just last Thursday, 40 Days for Life was featured on EWTN global television … and the feedback has been AMAZING!

Two local campaign leaders and I were guests on their weekly program, “Life on the Rock.” If you missed the program — or want to pass it along to others — here it is:

Embedded video at site

(You may skip the introductory part by going to the 10:45 mark where the interview segment begins.)

Following the program, I heard from countless people who’d never heard of 40 Days for Life before, but who now are eager to get started.

So let’s get ready!

This is the first of a series of daily e-mails that I will be sending you throughout the campaign. You’ll get news about lives saved, prayers answered … and many other blessings … as this campaign unfolds in those 238 locations.

Plus, you’ll get a daily devotional to help you focus your prayers on the 40 Days for Life mission. Enjoy these updates!

Today’s devotional is from Carmen Pate, a member of the 40 Days for Life board of directors:

Day of Preparation - September 21

Intention:

For God's blessing upon all participating in the fall 2008 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
Co-host, "Point of View" Talk Show

Catholic Ping to prayer and action!

Day 1 - September 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

Last spring was the first time I participated in the vigil AT a clinic, in addition to the daily prayers (which, slacker that I am, I didn’t always do). It didn’t make me angry, as I had expected, just very sad for the women who think that abortion is their only choice.

It’s important to have a physical presence at these clinics, not only for the women walking in, but for passersby, who may someday have an unexpected pregnancy themselves. Our peaceful and prayerful presence shows them two things: first, that we are not the crazy violent woman-hating anti-choicers that the media portrays, and second, that non-abortive help IS available should they find themselves in need of it.

Fortunately for my town, we don’t have a clinic, so I’ll be driving on Saturday to one in another town. I’m not signed up for a specific hour because I can’t count on traffic, but I’ve never been alone there.

Please, check the schedule and see if you can take advantage of the opportunity to give a Christian pro-life witness of hope and help to suffering women. Even an hour can make a difference, though you may never know it in this life.

If you are post-abortive, as I am, being prepared and willing to give a testimony of how abortion has harmed you will be of great value. I was quite frightened to wear the shirt I printed last spring, which said, “Don’t Make the Mistake I Made.” My fear was completely groundless - no one at the vigil was anything less than kind.

It’s great that Salvation posted a list of the daily devotions. I’ll be posting them individually each day as separate threads, so having that whole list right to hand is going to make my life much easier, thanks much. I don’t currently have a ping list, but I can create one, so if you’d like to be on it, just send me a Freepmail.

Day 2 - September 23

Intention:

Pray for those who work in the abortion industry, and for those who have repented of committing abortions and have resolved to defend life.

Scripture:

Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."

-- Luke 23:46-47

Reflection:

"Those of us who have participated in the killing of unborn children are the Centurions of today. We have dropped our swords against the unborn child. Now we must recognize the depth of our guilt and deal with the ramifications... To revitalize our humanity we need to forgive and be forgiven, to reconcile and be healed."

These words come from a brochure of the Society of Centurions, an organization for former abortion providers. These words convey in a beautiful and moving way what is happening across the nation as hundreds of abortionists and their staff members experience repentance, conversion, and healing.

How does this conversion begin? Dr. Philip Ney writes, "The factors that changed their opinion on performing abortions, in the following order of frequency, were: evidence of the infant's humanity, a spiritual experience, personal distress, evidence of the mother's distress, scientific articles, being accepted as a person, a personal relationship with a pro-lifer, pro-life pickets." (The Centurion's Pathway, p. 77).

The journey is not easy. But the Jesus who heals us calls us to face the truth of what we've done, make restitution where possible, and engage in the hard work of mending relationships. Let's pray for the Centurions; may their numbers increase!

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for those who have repented of committing abortions and have resolved to defend life. We too repent and resolve. We repent of every instance in which fear has made us silent when we should have spoken. We repent of the ongoing bloodshed in our land, and for thinking that we can deprive the unborn of protection but keep it for ourselves. We resolve that we will advance the cause of righteous candidates for public office, and that we will be more afraid of offending you by our silence than of offending others by our speech. We resolve that we will proclaim your name to the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Father, all life is in Your care. You have entrusted us to one another that we may show our brothers and sisters the same love You have for us. We pray, then, for the least among us, the children in the womb. Protect them from the violence of abortion. We pray for those that are scheduled to die at the abortion mills today. Save them from death. Give new hope to their parents, that they may turn away from the desperate act of abortion. Grant conversion to the abortionists and to the staff. Show us how we are to respond to the bloodshed in our midst, and lead us to the day when these places of death will be transformed into havens of life. Guard us with Your joy and Your peace; for in You, life is victorious. We pray in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

- Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life

Prayer for the Helpless Unborn

fetus at 11 weeks

Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil,

those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.

Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today

who are not thinking of motherhood.

Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image

- as well as theirs - made for eternal life.

Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts

to love their babies and give them birth

and all the needed care that a mother can give.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord,

Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit,

One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Day 3 - September 24

Intention:

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

Scripture:

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?

-- Matthew 6:25-26

Reflection:

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.

Prayer:

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.

Dennis DiMauro
Lutherans for Life

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!

Day 4 - September 25

Intention:

We ask God that we may understand the concept of justice, as a gift he gives and as a responsibility that shapes our work.

Scripture:

Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

-- Amos 5:24

Reflection:

Justice, a key theme of the Scriptures, is something God does and that we too must do.

When God intervenes to save his people when they are helpless and in slavery in Egypt, he "does justice." He manifested his justice in the plagues that were sent upon Egypt, whereby Pharaoh was convinced that he must let the people go. Justice is manifested as, in awe and wonder, God's people see the Red Sea open before them, allow them to pass without even getting their feet wet, and then close again to drown their powerful enemies.

God is a God of Justice; he rescues us when we cannot save ourselves. His justice, above all, is seen in Jesus Christ, who, when we could not save ourselves, rescued us from the kingdom of sin, Satan, death, and hell. The mighty work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection is the perfect manifestation of God as the God of justice.

We, then, are to be the people of justice; we are to "do justice" by intervening to save the helpless in the name and by the power of the God who saves us who are helpless ourselves. That's why we have a pro-life movement; that's why we have a 40 Days for Life Campaign; that's why saving the unborn is our business.

Prayer:

God of Justice, you heard the cry of your people when they were being oppressed in Egypt, and you proved yourself to be the God of justice, who rescues the helpless. You likewise rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, and brought us into the Kingdom of your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who saves us from the power of Satan, sin, death, and hell. Make us people of justice, ready to intervene to save the helpless. Indeed, as your prophets have announced, let justice roll on like a mighty river, to save all who are in need, especially the unborn. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Today's email:

I'm home -- for a few hours, anyway -- following a
whirlwind trip to visit 40 Days for Life locations
in Arkansas and Wisconsin.

I've posted photos on the 40 Days for Life blog ...
so to look at the enthusiastic and dedicated folks at
the campaigns in Fayetteville, Arkansas as well as
Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Appleton, Wisconsin,
please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1031

I'll be on the road again starting tomorrow, with
stops in Nevada and California. David Bereit, our
national director, is visiting Minnesota today. More
pictures and stories will follow!

Today, of course, is Saturday -- the busiest day for
abortions at many of the facilities where 40 Days for
Life vigils are being conducted. If that's the case
in your city, and you have an opportunity to join
the prayer vigil, please do so.

Your prayers are needed -- urgently!

We're all human and we want to know if our prayers
are being heard. I'd like to tell you a couple of
stories that I hope will offer you proof that our
merciful God is listening to every word.

It had been a long day for Eileen at the 40 Days
for Life vigil in Beaumont, Texas. As she was about
ready to go home, she looked up over the roof of the
abortion center and noticed a rainbow beginning to
form. "There was no rain anywhere," she said.

Eileen and the other volunteers had been praying for
the conversion of the abortion facility staff. "As
we stood there in awe looking and beholding a sign
from God that He would protect us," she said,
"another rainbow formed on top of that one."

The rainbows remained for about five minutes, "and the
color seemed to get darker instead of lighter."

40 Days for Life participants in Chandler, Arizona
received a sign as well.

One of the local coordinators has a van with a "pray
to end abortion" sign on the side. The owner watched
from a distance as a woman drove up to the van, got
out, scribbled a note, and stuck it on the windshield.

They wondered if the sign on the van had prompted a
"nastygram," but that was not the case at all. The
message simply said, "Thank You! Never grow weary!
May God be glorified in the excellence of your work."

"That message was not just for us," said Anita in
Chandler. "That message is for everyone who is out
there praying right now. It's for every person who has
taken the time to stand in the rain, the snow, the
heat or on a very beautiful day, simply to peacefully
pray for an end to abortion."

The bottom line? Keep doing what you're doing!

"You are making a difference," Anita said, "even if
you never see any results. God sees them, and that
is what really matters!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

The 40 Days for Life campaign is firmly rooted on a foundation of prayer and fasting. To help maintain focus on the Lord and stay in tune with His guidance, we have prepared a series of daily devotionals — one for each of the 40 days of the fall 2009 campaign.

Prayer to End Abortion