©2013 — 40 Days for Life www.40daysforlife.com
Devotional for Day 9, October 3, 2013
Day Gardner, President, National Black Pro-Life Union
Intention:
May we grow in joy, knowing we serve a living God.
Scripture:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth.
—John 1:14
Reflection:
The Word of God came to us in human form in Jesus Christ. Every time I contemplatethis fact I get chills! And I think it is something that we, as Christians, tend to gloss over. I can only imagine how the first disciples felt when they were looking into the eyes of the one and only Almighty God who created them. The first disciples developed a close relationship with Him as they daily walked and talked with Him. They ate with Him, prayed with Him and rested when He rested. As they listened to the Word of God, who was and is Jesus, they believed and “beheld His glory.” Today, this is something we can still do because we serve a living God. Remember, Jesus died on the cross but rose from the dead in victory! Jesus is every bit as real and alive for all of us as He was to the first disciples.
He wants us to develop a close relationship with Him in the very same way. Jesus wants us to know Him personally. He wants us to walk with Him and talk with Him on a daily basis.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your
love and saving grace in Christ Jesus.
Help us to realize every day the great
blessing we have in our Savior.
I pray that we will rise every morning
with excitement and zeal, looking forward
to walking another day in your
footsteps fully knowing that you continue
to dwell among us. Amen.
Devotional for Day 16, October 10, 2013
Rev. John Ensor, President, PassionLife
Intention:
Pray for the mothers going into pregnancy
help centers. The personal care,
the free ultrasound, the ongoing practical
help is designed to deliver them
from those who profit in shedding innocent
blood.
Scripture:
Come to me, all who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
—Matthew 11:28
Reflection:
“You have twins. That will be another $350.” She did not speak English. But she finally understood that they were telling her to go get more money and return for her abortion. She had already given them her rent money. But they were not about to give her a two-for-one deal. They told her to get dressed and return with more cash. A couple, who was praying outside, comforted her. They brought her to their local pregnancy help center. The staff quickly saw that her personal circumstances were so desperate, and immediate, that they would need direct and ongoing help from local Christians and churches. They started making calls.
Then they did the ultrasound. It showed there was only one baby, not two. This abandoned, immigrant, powerless mother was being exploited. She would do whatever she was told. Who would know? Who would care? God calls us to “Rescue the weak and the needy; and deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:4). When you provide an alternative to abortion you are not only rescuing innocent babies, you are delivering mothers from the wicked: those who profit in the shedding of innocent blood. Pray for those who rescue and deliver daily at your local pregnancy help center.
Prayer:
Father, hear our prayer!
Snatch desperate mothers from the
fire. Bring them out of our abortion
businesses and into our pregnancy
help centers. Deliver them from evil.
Use us to help them chose life and see
your hand of provision.