It's always a huge blessing when God answers your prayers ... and a mother chooses life ... and spares her baby. But how about when the Lord hears those prayers ... softens one woman's heart ... and saves two babies!
Well, that's exactly what happened ... warming up the volunteers in one of the coldest vigil locations.
Here's the story!
Anchorage, Alaska
It's always great to get an email like the one I got from Jerad in Anchorage. "I have some really exciting news!" he said. "I am so joyful right now I can hardly stand it til I tell everyone!"
The news was the first save of this 40 Days for Life campaign. Actually, Jerad said, it was the first two saves. "She was carrying twins!"
Two volunteers were praying at the vigil outside Planned Parenthood when a woman drove up and stopped. She told one of the men, "I need you to know something."
Needless to say, he stopped to listen very closely. "I was going to have an abortion," she said, "but I saw your signs. Now ... I'm having twins!"
She was just coming from an ultrasound appointment, and wanted to say thanks to the volunteers, whose peaceful prayer presence led her to her rethink what she was about to do.
"I have been praying and claiming that if all our efforts, blessed by God, saved just one life, it would all be worth it," this man said. "Well, we know that so far, there have been two lives saved!"
"What a gift, to be honored with such news!" he said. "Praise God!"
Nashville, Tennessee
A woman who was on her way inside the abortion center in Nashville saw the people peacefully praying at the 40 Days for Life vigil.
"Once inside," said Roy, the local coordinator in Nashville, "she found that she herself was praying. She realized that she needed to think about this a little bit more, and decided to step outside."
She spoke to volunteers, who encouraged her to visit a pregnancy resource center, where she received a free ultrasound and counseling. She decided to keep her baby, and then returned to the vigil site to thank all the people praying for her.
"Your presence out there made a difference," Roy said. "It makes a difference ... and it keeps on making a difference in the lives that are saved. God asks us to be faithful — and that is what we need to do."
Devotional for Day 24, March 28, 2014
Rev. Ben Sheldon, President Emeritus, Presbyterians Pro-life
Intention: That we may realize the generational impact of abortion.
Scripture: Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said,” If it is thus, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the el- der shall serve the younger.” — Genesis 25:21-23
Reflection: What an answer to prayer! Who dares to say that the unborn are not human, with distinct personality and character right from the moment of conception? This account emphasizes the vitality and uniqueness of the twins who, be- cause of Isaac’s prayer for his wife, were conceived in Rebekah’s womb. When Rebekah was told by the Lord that the older would serve the younger
twin, God already knew that Jacob and Esau would lead turbulent and conflicted lives. God knows us and knows all about us, including our personality and disposition long before we are actually born, indeed, from the moment we are conceived in our mother’s womb. What a tragedy of gargantuan proportions that babies, planned and endowed by the Creator, with distinct and unique personalities and with, perhaps, a future and destiny intended for greatness, have their lives snuffed out by cruel abortionists before they ever see the light of day! May our prayers that the dreadful scourge of abortion in our land may vanish be as fervent as Isaac’s were for Rebekah.
Prayer: O, God, you formed us in our mother’s womb and planned a unique and spe- cial life and purpose for each of us, and we do thank you. Grant that we may pray and work for an end to abortion, especially in these 40 days, so that no unborn baby you have made may fail to achieve your divine intention for him or her because of intentional abortion. We pray this for the sake of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.