40 Days for Life -- Pray to End Abortion

40DaysforLife.com ^ | 09-23-09 | various

[Salvation]

Map is not appearing for some reason. You can see it at the site.

[Salvation]

Get involved, everyone!

Daily Devotionals

The 40 Days for Life campaign is firmly rooted on a foundation of prayer and fasting. To help maintain focus on the Lord and stay in tune with His guidance, we have prepared a series of daily devotionals — one for each of the 40 days of the fall 2009 campaign.

We fervently believe that prayer and fasting will end abortion, and your prayers are very much needed and appreciated. Please follow the links below to read and meditate upon these brief reflections.

Printable versions are available; please click the link at the bottom of each devotional.

Prepare: September 22 Day 1: September 23 Day 2: September 24 Day 3: September 25 Day 4: September 26 Day 5: September 27 Day 6: September 28 Day 7: September 29 Day 8: September 30 Day 9: October 1 Day 10: October 2 Day 11: October 3 Day 12: October 4 Day 13: October 5 Day 14: October 6 Day 15: October 7 Day 16: October 8 Day 17: October 9 Day 18: October 10 Day 19: October 11 Day 20: October 12

Day 21: October 13 Day 22: October 14 Day 23: October 15 Day 24: October 16 Day 25: October 17 Day 26: October 18 Day 27: October 29 Day 28: October 20 Day 29: October 21 Day 30: October 22 Day 31: October 23 Day 32: October 24 Day 33: October 25 Day 34: October 26 Day 35: October 27 Day 36: October 28 Day 37: October 29 Day 38: October 30 Day 39: October 31 Day 40: November 1 Day 41: November 2

[Salvation]

(I know this is late, but I believe it is still appropriate.

Day of Preparation - September 22

 

Intention:

For God's blessing upon all participating in the fall 2008 40 Days for Life campaign.

Scripture:

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.

-- 2 Chronicles 7:14

Reflection:

Not unlike God's chosen people of Israel, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, if we expect God to hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. The need for repentance has not been greater since the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade in 1973. The number one cause of death in America is the needless sacrifice of our children at the altar of convenience called abortion. Conservative estimates put the number of deaths at nearly 48 million.

And lest we think this is an issue outside the church walls, 43 percent of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27 percent identify themselves as Catholic. One in four women has at least one abortion by the age of 45 -- both non-Christian and Christian alike. Where was the voice of Truth -- the church?

Mary Comm of In Our Midst Ministries, Inc. sums up the issue best as she writes, "We (the church) have been an unintentional accomplice to the millions of lives lost and to the multiplied millions of lives devastated by abortion. We didn't want them to abort. We didn't mean for them to abort. But, because of our lack of knowledge, because of our fear, we have continued to stand by and do nothing. We, God's hands and feet in this dark and hurting world, have been unintentional, unknowledgeable accomplice, but an accomplice nonetheless."

May today mark the beginning of change within the church, as God's people, in unity, seek His forgiveness.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we have turned our backs on you and your principles in your Word. We have allowed man to usurp Your role as God over life and the number of our days. But we come to you in brokenness and repentance over our sin. We cry out for Your mercy and ask you to remove the scourge of abortion from our land. Use us as your vessels, Lord, to bring the light of Your Truth to our nation once again. Because of Christ we pray, amen.

[jacknhoo]

Prayer to End the Killing

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, and for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself: Never to be silent; Never to be passive; Never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, and never to stop defending life until all my brothers and sisters are protected, and our nation once again becomes a nation with liberty and justice not just for some, but for all, through Christ our Lord. Amen!

[Salvation]

Day 1

Day 1 - September 23

 

Intention:

That we may use these 40 Days for Life to plead for God's mercy and grace upon all those involved in the sin of abortion.

Scripture:

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly. Gather the people, notify the congregation. Assemble the elders; gather the children and the infants at the breast… Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, "Spare, O Lord, your people."

-- Joel 2:15-17

Reflection:

The toll of abortion cannot be measured. We hear estimates of almost 50 million innocent victims, but that's only one aspect of the harm that has unfolded in abortion's wake. There are also the mothers and fathers of these millions, as well as the grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins. Unborn lives destroyed. Lives of the living shattered.

It's overwhelming and depressing, but even in the midst of such unfathomable darkness, the church teaches us to have hope. Yes, it was indeed Calvary that followed Christ's 40 days in the desert, but without Calvary there would have been no Resurrection - His victory over death that opened the gates of heaven to those who believe in and follow Him.

The psalmist encourages us to go humbly before God as we seek His will: "A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me… Give me back the joy of your salvation and a willing spirit sustain in me… O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise" (Psalm 51:12, 14, 17).

We are called to be God's messengers; or as the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: "We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20). That is the true message to all we encounter at the abortion centers and in our communities who have been deceived by the Culture of Death. We don't bring condemnation; we bring God's good news.

Prayer:

Lord, we ask for the strength, courage, wisdom, determination and stamina to carry out this mission according to Your will. Guide us, we pray, as we go forth and proclaim Your truth, always doing so with a spirit of love and compassion, as was demonstrated to us by Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, amen.

David Brandao

[Salvation]

Catholic Prayer Ping!

[trisham]

bump!

[Salvation]

Thanks. Prayer will shut down these killing houses!

[trisham]

Amen!

[Jaded]

Don't forget about the local Life Chain events. Life Chain

Most of the Life Chain events are October 4th. Ours in Deer Park, Texas is October 25th.

[MaggieCarta]

Thanks, Salvation!

[Salvation]

Thanks, Jaded.

MaggieCarta, thanks for stopping by.

[rbmillerjr]

Life bump

[tempe]

Hoping to see alot of my Brother Knights at this event!

[AKA Elena]

All of the location links go to the site above —

[Salvation]

I think if you go to the site you will see that these links were embedded in a map. The map would not post.

You can put in your zip code and find something close to you on the site.

[AKA Elena]

Not worried about that, thanks, Salvation. I am doing the Respect Life web pages for my Valley and wanted to include the devotional links -- I will include those places for demonstation/prayer in an e-mail to the membership and most know which are close to us -- I certainly can try to sort that out.

Since this is start of day one (preparation) I needed it to be an easy copy ... of course not! We will be a week behind as I can hand out a copy of the post in its entirety at the meeting next week, besides the e-mail.

[jacknhoo]

Project Rachel

In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning,
of bitter weeping!
Rachel mourns her children,
she refuses to be consoled
because her children are no more.

Thus says the LORD:
Cease your cries of mourning,
wipe the tears from your eyes.
The sorrow you have shown shall have its reward...
There is hope for your future.

Jeremiah 31:15-1

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Project Rachel - Hope after Abortion

Excerpt:

The Church is aware of the many factors which may have influenced your decision, and ... does not doubt that in many cases it was a painful and even shattering decision. The wound in your heart may not yet have healed. Certainly what happened was and remains terribly wrong. But do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope. Try rather to understand what happened and face it honestly.

Link to Hope:
http://www.hopeafterabortion.com/index.cfm

[Salvation]

Have you ever seen the Rachael’s Vineyard Rosary book? Oh, so powerful to pray in front of a Planned Parenthood!