Posted on 09/21/2010 12:24:02 AM PDT by Salvation
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
 |
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 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:
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!
I agree that most people are unaware of the abortion mills and do not have any idea what is taking place there day in and day out. Many would be completely shocked to learn how much death is being purchased. Of course, most abortion mills are designed to look very normal and pleasing in order to disguise the destruction and darkness. You won’t find the term “abortion” anywhere in the names of the facilities. Such dark and desolate places should have people of faith standing around them in prayer at all times.
Holy God,
Getting involved is sometimes difficult. It is so much easier to walk away from problems and claim that they do not concern us. But we know that Your Word tells us that we ARE to be concerned and involved in the problems of others, and that we ARE to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Give us the will to pray for these precious babies and their parents, the courage to act, and the desire to extend our love to those who have no other hope. Make us open to Your leading in all things; for whatever You have asked us to do, You have promised that You will equip us to do. May the Name of Jesus Christ be glorified. Amen.
Day 13 - October 4
Intention:
For all fathers who are terrified of being fathers.
Scripture:
A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.
-- Psalm 68:5
Reflection:
I had a friend many years ago who confided in me that he was terrified of being a father. He and his wife already had two children when this revelation came forth. "I never knew my father," he explained, "and I have no idea what a father is supposed to do." We continued to share about this, as well as pray together. He began to see he had a father's heart for his children. His biggest problem was not a limitation on love but not knowing how to act out this love.
One day we talked about the verse quoted at the top of this page. I shared that he did know his Father… not his biological father but his Heavenly Father, who had rescued him from a life of destruction not many years before. "How did your Heavenly Father guide you?" I asked. He talked about the ways he had seen God's love offered to him and the way the Lord had used circumstances and the Scriptures to mold him and mature him. "Well, the Lord wants to do the same thing through you for your children. Be available to His love and available to your kids. You'll do fine."
How wonderful it is to know that God takes a personal interest in each of us, many times using His faithful people - the Church - as channels of this love. No one is fatherless who lives in the Lord. His fatherly care begins at the moment of our conception, as it is written, "you knit me together in my mother's womb" (Psalm 139:12), and continues to be poured upon us throughout our lives.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank you for caring about each of us so deeply. Help us to see and know you as our Father in heaven each and every day of our lives. Your loving hand also rests on every child today carried in its mother's womb. May they be born into this world and come to know fully and personally your endless love. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Randolph Sly
National Pro-life Religious Council
Today’s email: (and late note)
NOTE: Because of technical difficulties with our e-mail
service, today’s message is going out late. As a result
of these problems, it is possible that you may receive
two copies of this message. If that is the case, we
most sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
*******************************************************
Everyone appreciates a little good news to brighten
up a Monday, so here goes!
Thus far during this current 40 Days for Life
campaign, we have reports of ...
... 138 lives that have been saved from abortion —
that we know of!
Take a look at the stories behind those numbers.
The 40 Days for Life vigil in Las Vegas is held
outside an abortion center that is on a cul-de-sac.
Just next to the abortion center is First Choice
Pregnancy Center. Anyone going to the abortion
facility has to drive right past this pregnancy
center first.
A young couple drove through the parking lot ...
slowly — TWICE! — checking out both First Choice
and the abortion center. The second time through,
one of the pro-life volunteers told them they could
get a free ultrasound at First Choice.
They accepted the offer, saw the ultrasound — and
confirmed to vigil participants that they are
choosing life for their child.
“Our prayers were answered,” said the volunteer.
“Thank you, Lord!”
The 40 Days for Life team in Niagara Falls is aware
of one baby that has been saved from abortion during
this campaign.
Vigil participants prayed as a young woman walked
into the abortion center — prayed that she would
still find it in her heart to change her mind.
Then, said one of the volunteers, they watched in
amazement a bit later as the woman “literally bolted
from the facility and ran away.” She wanted out of
there — as quickly as possible.
The vigil participants tried to find out more, so
they ran after her. Before they could catch up, a
car stopped and picked her up. She did not return.
“We had one woman and two couples change their minds
and left the abortion site with peaceful faces,” said
Patti in Downey. “Praise God for them — and for the
young woman the previous day who changed her mind.”
That’s four babies saved in Downey, “and our team is
rejoicing!” Patti says the word is getting out and
more people are coming to stand and pray.
“It is our first campaign and the Lord is moving
before us,” she said. “The church is opposing the
gates of hell ... and some day this abortion site
will be closed. Amen!”
The 40 Days for Life team in Nashville saw firsthand
that it pays to remain faithful and trust in God. It
was a busy day at the abortion center — cars started
streaming into the parking lot at 7 am and volunteers
counted more than three dozen clients entering the
building.
It just seemed bleak. No one wanted to talk. No one
wanted to take any of the prayer volunteers’ pro-life
literature.
Later that day, though, their prayers were answered.
“A mom and her daughter came out the door with the
young girl’s ultrasound picture,” said Marilyn. “She
was smiling at me and said, “You keep praying! I’ve
decided to keep my baby.”
Marilyn then asked if they could pray together in
thanksgiving. “Thank you, Lord, that she has chosen
life,” she said. “We give You all the glory!”
Our national director, David Bereit, will be
visiting 40 Days for Life locations in El Paso,
Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico today.
My family and I will be visiting the 40 Days for
Life vigil in Cherry Hill, New Jersey tomorrow
morning. If you’re nearby ... please stop in!
Day 14 - October 5
Intention:
Abortion is the great "no." May all of God's people have the freedom and grace to say "yes" to His marvelous plans.
Scripture:
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed and in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
-- Psalm 139:13-16
Reflection:
Unlike the rest of creation, we are capable of a personal relationship with God. Not only did God create us, but created us according to a plan devised from all eternity. No matter how far back we go in our imagination, there was never a time when God did not know each of us, in every detail of our being.
There was not a particular time when God decided to make us. The decision to make us has been in the mind of God from all eternity. All our days were written in His book.
To dare to say that a human being, developing in the womb, should not be born is as wrong as to say that a born person should not continue to grow and live. In each case, an attack on human life is an attack on the God who formed and made us. Jesus Christ is the great "yes" to the promises of God; abortion is the great "no."
Prayer:
Lord, I pray today for every unborn child. The beauty of the bodies and souls of these children flows from your hands and your eternal plan. Awaken in every human conscience a profound reverence for human life, and grant us grace to defend our smallest and most defenseless brothers and sisters, those still being formed in the secret places of their mothers' womb. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
Holy God,
Help us to stand for Your powerful truth and to recognize that the babies that are being mercilessly killed are our own brothers and sisters in Christ-—fully human, fully created by You, our God. Let us remain silent no more. We cry out to You on their behalf, knowing that You are the God who hears the prayers of His children. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Yesterday’s email:
First of all ... yes, the Monday message was quite
a bit late in arriving. Sorry about that! The
e-mail service we use was experiencing challenges.
But hopefully, we’re back on schedule now.
Today is October 5. It may be just another day to
you, but not for me — and most certainly not for
Abby Johnson.
It was one year ago today that I walked into my old
office at the Coalition for Life in Bryan/College
Station, Texas and discovered that Abby Johnson was
there.
We had been on opposite sides of the fence for years
and at that moment we found ourselves together —
her crying and me trying to grasp what the Holy
Spirit was unraveling before my eyes.
To see Abby Johnson, the regional Planned Parenthood
affiliate’s employee of the year, in my office —
in tears — was ... a miracle!
Abby had seen an abortion on an ultrasound — for the
first time — and was overcome by the reality of what
actually happens during an abortion. She knew she was
watching a helpless human being die. And she also
knew immediately she could NEVER do it again.
A few days later, Abby and I posed for a picture at
the birthplace of 40 Days for Life — her former
abortion center!
We had been on opposite sides of this fence for
8 years as volunteers and then employees. She
admitted it felt better to be on our side of the
fence!
To see that picture, go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1202
Fast forward just a few months to Abby standing in
front of the abortion facility she had run for years
kicking off the spring 40 Days for Life in Bryan/
College Station, Texas.
To see a video of her comments, please go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1202
This is truly a testimony of what God can — and
WILL — do in answer to prayer.
We know of 37 abortion center employees — including
Abby — who have left their jobs during 40 Days for
Life campaigns.
I didn’t know this would happen to me last year
and you don’t know what can happen to YOU during
your campaign!
This fall remember to pray for the staff along
with the moms and the babies. Many of them are
looking for a way out — pray they will have the
courage to take that step.
Right now there is one employee in particular who
really needs prayer because this person saw another
employee quit the center and want to do likewise.
I continue to be amazed this fall of the employees
who are coming to 40 Days for Life and wanting out
of the abortion industry but after all...
...as I learned last fall firsthand, the God who
convinced Abby Johnson to quit Planned Parenthood
can do ANYTHING!
Day 15 - October 6
Intention:
May God's people awaken to the fact that we are our brothers' keepers.
Scripture:
Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground."
-- Genesis 4:8-10
Reflection:
"Methinks he doth protest too much ..."
The Bible is filled with passages that speak to our obligation to care for our fellow human beings. From the many commands in the books of Moses enjoining love of family, neighbors and even strangers, to Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, the injunction to care for others is inescapable.
In this account, the guilt-stricken Cain tries to shrug off his obligation to his own kin by dismissing it as an unreasonable duty. A la Shakespeare, though, "methinks he doth protest too much." Cain's objection doesn't stem from his sense of proper boundaries of responsibility, but from his own self-centered sense of self-preservation.
Christ said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends" (John 15:13). This is the standard of divine love. It required God to sacrifice what was most precious to Him for the temporal and eternal well being of all humankind (see John 3:16). Though on a much-reduced scale, he expects us to do the same.
Trying to duck our obligation to others is futile. We can't get away with simply dismissing others, especially the most vulnerable among us: the pre-born, the disabled, the sick and the aged. As with Cain, God sees and hears their suffering and will call us to account for what we do -- or do not do -- for them.
Prayer:
Father, help us to embrace the fact that we are our "brother's keeper." When, due to selfish motives, we try to cast off this responsibility please call to us to account. We would be pleasing to you and to our "brother." Through the help and grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Rev. Rob Schenck
President, Faith and Action
Today’s email from around the world.
just got an e-mail from Canberra, Australia asking
if they can do a 40 Days for Life in 2011!
I’m just trying to make it through this fall!
Honestly, the international enthusiasm for this
lifesaving campaign has been unexpected since we first
launched 40 Days for Life in the United States just
three years ago.
Here’s a quick tour of some of the international
campaigns that are seeing amazing results ...
Moncton is one of nine campaigns in Canada right now.
And as you might suspect, there are signs in French that
read “40 Jours pour la Vie.”
To see a French sign, please go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1214
The sign the woman is holding is a translation of the
poster the man is carrying — “Before I formed you in
the womb, I knew you.”
“The prayer site across from the Dr. Georges Dumont
Hospital is tremendous for public exposure — such a
humungous amount of traffic all day long,” wrote Peter
Ryan in New Brunswick Right to Life’s blog. “If those
people did not know before about the hospital doing
abortions, they sure are finding out now.”
The 40 Days for Life team in this Canadian location
employs bilingual posters as well. The two languages
are English ... and Mandarin Chinese!
To see 40 Days for Life in Chinese, please go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1214
“We have many Chinese students attending St. Mary’s
University and they walk past us as they go from school
to the main street of Halifax,” said Julie. A Chinese
pastor did the translation, and he invites Chinese
students with questions to contact him.
“Abortion is a given in their country,” she said. “All
of these students will not have any brothers or sisters.”
As is the case in Moncton and Halifax, abortions in
Holbæk are done in a hospital. 40 Days for Life vigil
participants often hold two large banners outside.
To see the Danish banners, please go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1214
One offers a familiar pro-life sentiment: “Abortion
stops a beating heart.” The other reads, “Choose Jesus.
‘Whoever receives one such little child in My name
receives Me.’”
Susanne in Holbæk reports the campaign is getting much
positive attention — though there was a young woman
who stood across the street with a banner of her own
that read, “Thank God for free abortion. We already
have too many disregarded and unwanted children present
in this world.” She was soon joined by several others.
“We kept on praying and called for Jesus to intercede,”
Susanne said. “They disappeared as suddenly as they came.”
“We had the first member of staff tell us she has quit
her job there,” said one of the 40 Days for Life prayer
volunteers outside the Marie Stopes abortion facility
in London. “We should continue praying and being there
for the rest.”
In addition, at least three more babies have been saved
from abortion!
The London campaign is receiving a lot of support —
though not every passerby has a favorable view.
“I am used to abuse in the hospital,” said one volunteer,
who is a nurse. “But the anger I heard out of the
businesswomen was difficult to take. ‘Stop abusing
women!’ I heard repeatedly. They seemed completely
unaware that I am a woman, too!”
To see a photo of the vigil in London, please go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1214
Where to from here?
The London team has received inquiries about the
campaign from interested people in Russia, Ghana and
Colombia.
I’ve also gotten e-mail from people in France and
Spain, asking about to bringing 40 Days for Life to
those countries.
Let’s see what God has in store!
Day 16 - October 7
Intention:
Pray that as young couples or single moms choose life for their child, the church will come alongside them physically, emotionally, and spiritually to help bear their burdens.
Scripture:
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
-- Galatians 6:1-2
Reflection:
Restoring those who are broken from sexual sin and who desire to live life differently -- a life focused on Christ -- is a burden the church must share. What an awesome opportunity for a spiritually mature woman to come alongside a single mom as a mentor and friend.
A regular time together praying and studying God's Word will help her mature in her walk with the Lord. Allowing her opportunity to observe life as you live it --- meal preparation, family time, and providing wholesome conversation and wise counsel on a frequent basis --- can provide teaching moments that will benefit her for a lifetime. Introducing her to a small group or class in the church where she and her baby are welcomed and plugged in will be vital to her restoration.
These are just a few examples of things the body of Christ can do. Staying connected with young couples or single moms who have chosen life should continue beyond the celebration of the child's birth if we truly desire to fulfill the law of Christ in bearing one another's burdens.
You will find it is not a burden after all, but a tremendous blessing as your family line extends to include these precious souls as part of your own.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, as our Shepherd You so tenderly care for us -- pulling us from the miry pit, guiding and directing us safely along the path of life, protecting us from the dangers that are ahead and taking us to pastures that are green. Lord, use us as Your vessels to shepherd these young men and women who have honored you by choosing life for their child. Give us wisdom and discernment along with Your love and compassion so that we are never a stumbling block but rather a guide that always takes them to You, the true Shepherd. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Carmen Pate
Co-host, "Point of View" Talk Show
Thanks for adding these devotions. I’ve fallen behind AGAIN, and this time I can’t even blame my blood sugar. If you want to grab my minuscule ping list off my page, feel free to.
Today’s email:
I’m going to keep the location a secret right now, but
please pray for an abortion center staff member that I
heard about recently.
This employee walked out the abortion facility and handed
vigil participants a slip of paper. “I thought you might
want this,” the worker said. It was the name and phone
number of a prayer volunteer.
The employee explained that this volunteer had called
the abortion center to apologize because she wouldn’t
be able to make her prayer hour in a couple of weeks.
The worker tried to explain to the volunteer that it
wasn’t the abortion facility that was organizing the
prayer vigil. But the volunteer seemed confused and
didn’t really understand what was going on.
The employee could have just hung up ... and certainly
didn’t have to deliver the message. “What a nice
gesture,” said the local 40 Days for Life coordinator.
“This shows the abortion center workers are not our
enemies.”
Keep praying for them!
Here’s a quick update with some pictures you WON’T want
to miss!
More than 500 people showed up for a youth procession
to the 40 Days for Life vigil site in Fort Wayne.
Students from three different schools took part. “We
are blessed to have growing numbers of participants,”
said one of the local coordinators
While prayer volunteers noted that three lives were
lost to abortion on this particular day, that total is
considerably lower than the numbers witnessed during
the first 40 Days for Life vigil in Fort Wayne three
years ago.
To see photos of the youth procession in Fort Wayne,
please go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1216
40 Days for Life vigil participants in Fayetteville
have been joined by a couple of protesters. Juliet,
one of the local coordinators, said one woman “held
her sign, which says ‘pray for safe, legal abortion,’
over one of our prayer volunteers, who was sitting on
the ground with her eyes closed in prayer.”
Juliet also noted that Planned Parenthood staff members
keep bringing food out to the protesters. “While they
feast,” she said, “we fast.”
To see photos of the Fayetteville vigil — and their
protester — go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1216
Speaking of fasting, the 40 Days for Life team in Lake
Jackson posted a reminder about fasting on their
campaign blog.
“Fasting is most definitely scriptural,” said the report,
“and, in fact, Jesus makes it pretty clear that He
doesn’t only suggest that we fast, He EXPECTS us to fast.”
Fasting can also be something the Christian community
does as a group. “Fasting together for the same cause
encourages each individual to remain steadfast in their
own personal sacrifice.”
To see a picture of the Lake Jackson vigil, go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1216
Incredible stories keep coming out of the first-ever
40 Days for Life campaign in Beaumont — including
another report about prayer and fasting.
An entire youth group from a local church has been
fasting on bread and water since the campaign started.
Eleven of them prayed at the vigil together one day
after school. In addition, several youth group members
persuaded a 16-year-old friend to reject the idea of
having an abortion.
“The witness of such energetic young Christians is
powerful to say the least,” said Eileen in Beaumont.
“May God give all of them the courage to keep doing
His work!”
Day 17 - October 8
Intention:
May all understand more deeply that the pro-life message is rooted in the two basic truths of life:
Scripture:
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
-- Genesis 2:7
Reflection:
From the beginning of the Bible until the end, the theme is echoed that God alone has dominion over human life. He made it; shared it; died to save it; will raise it up forever. The act of creation described in Genesis 2:7, and earlier in Genesis 1:26-27, is a sovereign act. God did not have to do it, and would have been happy forever without us. Yet without our asking for it or earning it, God brought us out of nothingness and into life, and sustains our existence at every moment. And He does so in Christ. "For by Him all things were created…in Him all things exist" (Colossians 1:16-17).
"You are not your own," Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 6. God alone owns us. While He entrusts us to the care of one another, He does not allow any human being to own another. A Southern California abortionist, James McMahon, once explained how he justified killing children after 20 weeks gestation by partial-birth abortion. He did not deny that this was a child, but rather asked, "Who owns the child? It's got to be the mother." The struggle over abortion is really a struggle over the dominion of God. The Christian individual, and the Christian Church, cannot sit idly by when others declare that God is not God.
Prayer:
Lord, we are yours. Thank you for breathing into us the breath of life. Thank you for claiming us as your own. May our words and actions in defense of human life proclaim to all the world that you alone are Lord of life and death, Lord of our freedom and of our choices. We pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
Day 17’s email:
Your witness is making a difference; but it is also
a sobering reminder of the reality of abortion.
One 40 Days for Life team reports on someone whose
conscience is starting to stir — a driver for a
medical waste company. When this driver sees
people praying at the abortion facility, it has a
profound impact.
There’s no other way to put this. The driver’s job
includes picking up bins containing the bodies of
children whose lives were ended by abortion.
The driver has asked about being transferred to a
different route. The company could do that, but
could not guarantee that the new route would not
include another abortion center.
Please pray for this driver, who may soon come to
see that the only option is looking for another job.
The witness of 40 Days for Life prayer vigils is also
shining a light on Planned Parenthood, the largest
abortion chain in the United States. About 100 of
the 238 locations where people are praying during this
current campaign are Planned Parenthood facilities.
In Richmond, one of the local leaders has had the
opportunity to educate the community.
“I have had people walk up to me at this vigil outside
of Planned Parenthood to let me know that they don’t do
abortions here,” she said. “When I tell them that I had
gone to the Planned Parenthood web site for Richmond —
and the first service they list is ‘abortion services’ —
they are surprised.”
While it is true that not all Planned Parenthood
locations offer surgical abortions, they will all counsel
women to have them — and refer them to their nearest
office that provides them.
The vigil location in Painesville is a “family planning
center” that does not offer abortions — but certainly
encourages them.
Dawn, the local coordinator, shared a story that shows
why a prayer presence in front of places like this is
also a very important part of 40 Days for Life.
It was cold, windy and raining when she was praying
the other evening. The center was closed and there were
very few people around. But as Dawn was about ready to
leave, a young woman drove up with two young children
in the back seat. She wanted to talk.
“She wanted to let me know how much she appreciates
our presence,” Dawn said. The woman said she had been
a client at this center during her first pregnancy —
and the staff kept hounding her to have an abortion.
That sort of talk made her angry, but she kept going
back for free prenatal care. She went there again when
she became pregnant with her second child — and they
started right in with the same kind of pressure.
But this time, she spoke up. “Didn’t we just go
through this?” she asked. “I told you I will not have
an abortion!”
“She told me she walked out and never returned,” Dawn
said. “That was four years ago.”
Day 18 - October 9
Intention:
We pray for a flowering of the joy of parenthood.
Scripture:
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
-- Psalm 127:3-5
Reflection:
I still vividly remember the day my first child was born. As she came into the world I gazed upon the most beautiful little baby I'd ever seen. Later I was driving home from the hospital for a shower and a fresh change of clothes when a song came on the radio, "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" -- a ballad about being a father as he watches his daughter grow through childhood to womanhood. I wept as I listened, knowing those years would go by very fast… and they did.
Being a father, whenever I read the Psalm quoted above I'm always captivated by one word - "heritage." It basically means "something passed down from a preceding generation." That little girl I watched being born and wept for is not mine to give to God like a product of our fertility, but rather His, which he has entrusted to us. So are all her siblings.
My wife and I share a great treasure: precious lives, which are placed in our lineage that His life with us might be perpetuated. To the psalmist, this was a blessing from the Lawgiver, God Himself, who blessed Israel with another generation intended to continue their covenantal promise. For us in Christ, it is his gift of succeeding generations for His Church and her families.
These days I'm looking upon my grandchildren, and rejoicing that my children and their spouses will pass on the greatness of Christ's gospel to them and thus will continue the work of God in the world. What a blessing. What a heritage!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please keep me from taking for granted the gift of children. Help us to remember this heritage that you have given us. Make us faithful stewards of these precious lives, that each generation might be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Randolph Sly
National Pro-life Religious Council
Today’s email:
Prayer makes a difference — especially in front of
the very places where innocent lives are taken. That
is a constant theme of this 40 Days for Life campaign.
That message comes through loud and clear in some of
the many thoughtful comments that have been posted on
the 40 Days for Life blog.
“We all know that our presence and our prayers and
fasting make a difference, yet we don’t always see
it,” wrote Lisa. While she was praying at the vigil,
a car pulled into the clinic drive and stopped right
at the entrance.
“A young woman got out,” she said, “and wanted to
thank us for being there. Four years ago, she came for
an abortion — and did not go through with it because
we were there praying. She pointed to her son in her
car. Then she hugged me. Praise God!”
Something similar happened to Kathy: a taxi driver gave
vigil participants a thumbs-up ... then got out of his
taxi to tell a story. “He said 19 years ago, he and his
wife were very poor when she got pregnant ... and made
an appointment for an abortion.”
When they arrived for the appointment, there were
people praying outside. “This caused him to change his
mind. He showed me pictures of his two children, now
ages 18 and 19,” she said. “We do make a difference.”
Linda wrote that the 40 Days for Life campaign had
inspired her to go pray at the local abortion facility
for the first time ever. “When I realized how many
good people do not like to discuss abortion and its
horrors,” she wrote, “I knew I had to take another
step forward to raise the awareness of this crime
against life.”
Linda said she will pray that she will respond the
way Jesus would want. “Please pray,” she said, “that
I may continue to grow in strength and courage to
become like so many of you who devote time, fasting
and prayer for the respect of all life.”
A number of the people participating in 40 Days for
Life have experienced abortion, and now realize
the impact.
“I made two horrendous mistakes,” Margarita wrote.
“Following the lead of women older than me advising
me, I fell for the deception that promised wisdom and
finances and I aborted two of my precious babies.”
Margarita added that she has gained wisdom over the
years and has come to see that children are indeed a
gift from God. “I have since had eight more beautiful
children that love me unconditionally like only a
child can love its mother.”
Cheryl wrote of kneeling on the sidewalk in prayer
while holding a sign that reads, “Abortion hurts women.”
“Most people were respectful as they drove by, and
some thanked us for being there. There were a few,
though, who chose to use bad language,” she wrote.
“I prayed harder, because the sign I chose to hold
stated who I was — a woman hurt by abortion — and
I don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”
“Whether or not you personally receive a sign,
encouragement or words of thanks,” wrote Jean,
another 40 Days for Life participant, “we can know
with certainty that God is with us, and be
encouraged by each other through these daily
messages. Thank you all!”
Day 19 - October 10
Intention:
We pray for a renewal of our zeal to offer generous help to the unborn and their families.
Scripture:
If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant When they complained against me, What then shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?
-- Job 31:13-15
Reflection:
The ground is level as we stand before God.
Job lived with an awe provoking sense of God's expectation of him, particularly regarding his obligation to care for the weak and needy. He knew that in God's economy everyone stands on level ground when it comes to our status as God's creatures. Because of that central truth, we must take care of each other.
Job also knew that he didn't deserve any of the good things God gave to him. Instead, those blessings came to Job from God's benevolent heart. As an extension of that knowledge, Job instinctively linked his obligation to be generous to others to God's kindness toward him.
As in Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:23-35), Job knew that it is an egregious sin to deny to others what we enjoy ourselves. He actually calls down on his own head severe condemnation and even punishment should he fail to share with others out of his own abundance (see verses 16-23).
Proverbs 3:27 reads, "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so." Some things are so obvious that we don't even need to pray except to ask of God forgiveness and the power to do what so obviously needs doing.
Prayer:
God, forgive us when we try to explain away the obligation we have to help others who need help. Enable us to not devalue them because they are in the circumstance that they are in, but to see them for what they are, those, who like us, were formed by your hand in their mother's womb. Amen.
Rev. Rob Schenck
President, Faith and Action, and National Clergy Council
Today’s email:
We know that — ultimately — this is God’s battle and
it is in His hands. That is our faith ... and the reason
we are responding to His call.
We also know, however, that there will be stumbles
along the way. We will try to save every baby. We know
we will not succeed. Still, we ask for God’s grace,
strength and courage to continue this fight.
This is something that Regina, a 40 Days for Life
volunteer in Southern California, now realizes.
She was praying outside a Planned Parenthood abortion
center, feeling a bit awkward. “Okay, Lord, you got
me here,” she prayed. “Please guide me!”
About that time, a young woman left the building,
walked up to her and asked to borrow her phone. She
made the call, standing right next to Regina.
“They won’t do it today,” the young woman said to the
person on the other end of the phone call. “I don’t
care. I’m 13 weeks and I want it done. I’ll come
back tomorrow.”
Regina was stunned. “O, dear Lord! Please, what do
I say?” The woman returned her phone and quickly
walked away.
After a while, Regina realized she had something
valuable. The number that this woman called was still
in her cell phone! She called the number. Regina said
she had information to share. But before too long,
the person who answered hung up.
So Regina called back. “I care about Sarah and her
baby,” she said. “I want you to know that there are
people that want to help Sarah and her baby.”
Click! Another hang-up. No impact.
Regina then sent a text message. But — no response.
She arrived at Planned Parenthood the next morning,
hoping for a miracle. At first, she was full of hope
— there was no sign of Sarah.
But eventually, she arrived with her sister for the
re-scheduled abortion appointment. Regina walked up
to them and said, “Sarah, over 225 people are praying
for you and your baby.”
The two women continued walking into the building.
“I stood outside that place and cried,” said Regina.
“My heart is heavy tonight. I wanted to see the
miracle — but this morning was a harsh reality.”
Pro-life outreach like this is something new for
Regina. “Up until yesterday afternoon, I could not
imagine myself crying over a stranger’s baby,” she
said. “I’ve been crying for Sarah’s baby today.”
Still, Regina is aware that the Lord doesn’t give us
anything we can’t handle. “I believe the Lord put
Sarah and her baby in my path so that I could feel
His pain and sorrow,” she said. “I am forever changed
by this experience. I will always remember the sorrow
I feel today. I can now accept the challenge.”
As Regina discovered, this fight is not easy or pretty.
“Our prayers and unity in this are necessary,” she said.
“I thank God for each of you and your efforts. Thank
you for helping me learn what it takes to try and save
a baby like Sarah’s.”
We had a save yesterday!!! At the Eaton Place, Fairfax, VA clinic.
A young couple went in, then left. They stopped to talk to the people on the other side of the exit driveway from where I was standing, so I couldn’t hear anything, but I could see the smiles on the faces of the other vigil standers. I was afraid to get my hopes up, then one of ours handed the woman a flyer about the crisis pregnancy centers in the area, and the deathscort came to chase her off, so the couple left, and then I found out that they had been waiting inside, and the husband/boyfriend said, let’s not do this, so they left. They already have one son. They didn’t even know there WAS such a thing as a Crisis Pregnancy Center.
To God be the glory! It was so great to see that. I’m such a crybaby.
Y’all go on & ping anybody else you can think of. I came home from that and hit the yardwork running and am just barely back to human.
Great news, Nina0113! To God be the glory!
Holy God,
Thank You for inviting us to partner with You in this struggle against the evil of abortion. We know that we don’t have to fight this battle alone, for You are with us and You are the Source of the power that will get things done. You are our Strength, our Shield, our Stronghold, and our Sure Defense. Father, we pray that You would guide our thoughts, words, and deeds by the power of Your Spirit. May our mouths be righteous and utter wisdom; may our tongues speak with justice. You are the Answer, Lord. We bow before You in praise and adoration. In the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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.