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One abortion is one too many, of course. So it’s always
encouraging during a 40 Days for Life campaign when we
see local abortion numbers DECREASE dramatically.

After we did the first 40 Days for Life campaign in
Texas back in 2004, abortions dropped 28 percent in
our community that year.

As 40 Days for Life has spread to other cities, we’ve
seen similar results. Today, we start with an AMAZING
example where abortion numbers keep falling!

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

Trudy sent me a graph showing Jacksonville’s abortion
numbers over the past ten years. Abortions increased
from 2002 through 2006. Starting in 2007, however,
abortions have DECREASED every year.

What happened in 2007? Well, in the fall of that year,
Jacksonville held its first 40 Days for Life campaign.
Then in 2009, volunteers started Family for Life —
daily prayer at the abortion centers Monday through
Saturday ... more than 300 days of prayer every year!

In 2011, Jacksonville abortions reached a ten-year low.

The Jacksonville team has already sponsored several
events this campaign, including a Jericho march, in
which prayer volunteers marched back and forth between
two abortion facilities seven times.

To see the amazing chart of Jacksonville’s abortion
numbers, plus photos from the campaign, please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2758

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

The sound of the shofar kicked off the second 40 Days
for Life in Asheville. Mary Ann in Asheville said 100
people took part in the opening prayer vigil and
procession, led by representatives of Catholic,
Methodist, Presbyterian and home churches.

People sang hymns and heard inspirational messages
from a local pastor and a former abortion industry
employee. “Hearts were deeply touched,” Mary Ann said.

>From a very small start last fall, the Asheville effort
has now expanded. Many churches now have members of
their congregations signing up for prayer at the vigil,
the leaders have gotten information about the campaign
in a number of publications and team members have been
able to speak about 40 Days for Life at meetings of
various local organizations.

For photos of the Asheville campaign, please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2758

DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA

“God is moving big-time in Downey, California,” Tim
wrote in the 40 Days for Life blog.

“He is stirring the saints to come out of the pews
and onto the street to make a difference at the
Family Planning Associates abortion facility in
Downey,” he said.

Tim described how 40 college-age young adults stood
in prayer and worship from 9 pm to midnight recently,
and some of them were right back at the vigil outside
the abortion center at 7:30 the following morning.

In just the first few days, eight babies were spared
from abortion in Downey. “God is pouring out His
Spirit,” Tim wrote, “just as He said He would.”

Day 7 - February 28

Intention:

Pray that the abortionists and all workers in abortion facilities would be troubled in their souls regarding their work and would seek truth.

Scripture:

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.

-- Ephesians 4:31-32

Reflection:

We see the evil and oppression in the world, the arrogance of those who mock God, the millions of innocent lives destroyed because of the greed of a few. Our flesh tells us that we should take justice in our own hands, but instead of vengeance, the Lord calls us to love our enemy, to forgive others as we have been forgiven.

God loves the abortionist and the Planned Parenthood advocate just as much as He loves you. It breaks His heart to see them in bondage to sin and He is giving you this opportunity to introduce them to the Savior who sets the captive free.

Though you may not experience direct interaction with these souls, your presence will not go unnoticed. Your non-verbal communications speak volumes about the God you serve.

Forgiveness is an act of obedience to God (Colossians 3:13). Forgiveness is not condoning or overlooking the wrong behavior of others, but rather it is freeing ourselves so that God can work mightily through us to touch their hearts for Him. Let's join our hearts with His in recognizing that those in the abortion industry are not the enemy, but rather they are blinded by the enemy. God desires that we bring them the message of truth and hope found in Christ, but the messengers He will use are those willing to forgive.

Prayer:

Dearest God, You tell us in Proverbs that the foolish and the wicked lack wisdom and understanding. I pray you will trouble the souls of those in the abortion industry so that they hunger for truth and cry out for freedom. I pray that my life would reflect my redemption so others may see it and trust in You. In obedience to You, and by your grace, I choose to forgive others as you have forgiven me. In the name of Christ my Redeemer I pray, amen.

Carmen Pate
40 Days for Life board of directors