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DAY 4: Advice from a demon

There’s one–and only one–key to making your involvement in 40 Days for Life fruitful: Entrust EVERYTHING to God.

But there are a variety of ways to RUIN your 40 Days for Life, and we review them on this week’s edition of The 40 Days for Life Podcast.

Titled “Uncle Screwtapes’s 7 steps to a useless 40 Days for Life campaign”, the episode (named after the classic C.S. Lewis demon) counts down the easiest ways to ruin your 40 Days for Life experience.

Click here to listen:

https://40daysforlife.com/2019/03/05/uncle-screwtapes-7-steps-to-a-useless-40-days-for-life-campaign-podcast-season-4-episode-10/

40 Days for Life Updates

London, England

The campaign in London, England is underway at the Marie Stopes abortion facility where the first British 40 Days for Life campaign was launched nearly a decade ago.

Though one passerby shouted, “Respect a woman’s choice!” it’s clear the campaign in the capital of the United Kingdom is making an impact.

“Hundreds of babies have been saved outside this clinic,” said 40 Days for Life Director of International Campaigns Robert Colquhoun.”Most of the hours are already filled, which looks very encouraging.”

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

About 100 40 Days for Life participants in the Steel City braved frigid winter weather for a one-mile lighted balloon procession.

Planned Parenthood tries to discourage vigil participation by asking donors to “pledge a picketer.” (It’s always about money, isn’t it?)

But pro-lifers are not deterred. Participation in the local vigil spans more than 80 churches across the Pittsburgh area!

“Someone is always there from 7 am ’til 7 pm every day,” said Tim.

Scripture and Prayer

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” — Luke 1:30-33

Heavenly Father, you have made the womb of each woman a very special place. Help us to hold fast to the sanctity of this first home of humanity, remembering the wonderful mystery, that God inhabited the womb of a young woman and came forth as the savior and deliverer of the world.

See today’s full devotional

Can’t get out to the vigil during the week? Why not go this weekend! There are 377 sites around the world.

DAY 5: 22 below zero

It was exactly ZERO degrees Fahrenheit for the 40 Days for Life kickoff rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin…

…and the wind chill was a bone-chilling 22 degrees below zero (-30 Celsius).

“Wisconsinites don’t cancel because of the cold,” said longtime 40 Days for Life leader and volunteer Dan Miller. “It’s a way of life here.”

That’s a good thing for unborn children. The sacrifice of praying for an hour or two in an arctic blast inspires more mothers to choose life.

When the opening vigil with Bishop Jeffrey Haines ended, Dan said a young woman appeared “out of nowhere” to hug September, who leads the campaign in Milwaukee.

“Do you remember me?” she asked.

With everybody bundled up for the weather, it was hard to tell who anybody was, so the young woman continued, “You walked me to my car [last year] and talked me out of having the abortion!”

“There was a lot of jumping up and down…hootin’ and hollerin’ and praising God!” Dan said. “These two were filled with so much joy; it was quite the sight!”

As 40 Days for Life volunteers in northern climates like to remind me, there’s no such thing as a “spring” 40 Days for Life campaign–only a winter one.

There were plenty of volunteers out in miserable weather this week.

Eugene, Oregon

“I just had to share this historic photo–snow showers in Eugene for our kickoff rally today!” said Eileen, the local campaign leader. “This has never happened before. And the photo only shows half of the people who came today to pray in the snow!”

Eileen said the event drew plenty of young people–including the leaders of a new pro-life group–while Planned Parenthood staff members watched from the windows. “We were all loving praying in the snow.”

Thousand Oaks, California

In Southern California, the Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign really does take place in springtime weather.

That’s why Leonore was so surprised when she and her vigil partner noticed SNOW! “There were little flakes flying about,” she said.

The snow didn’t last long. The record-breaking rain, however, did. “It warmed my heart to join three others holding signs and umbrellas,” Leonore said.

The King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” —Matthew 25:31-46

Gracious and merciful Father, we renew our dedication to defending the unborn and all whose right to life is compromised by our godless society’s selfish lack of concern. Free us from our own failures and sins so that we will be truly pro-life in every area of our lives.

See today’s full devotional