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Day 21 - March 13

Intention:

We pray for the conversion of all those who refuse to acknowledge that human life belongs only to God.

Scripture:

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

-- Jeremiah 1:4-5

Reflection:

To be or not to be? There is no question!

The question of "being" is something philosophers have long pondered. What is the meaning of being and what is the source? In the passage before us, we have our answer. We have being because we are known by God.

For God to declare that he knows and sets apart the prophet Jeremiah even before he is conceived indicates that our being rests in God's own being. Because He is and because He wills we, therefore, are and do. The Apostle Paul says as much when he declares before the philosophers of his day, "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

One of the tragedies of the abortion culture is that life in the womb has been so heartbreakingly devalued. To embrace the arguments of the "pro-choice" crowd one must conclude that the child in the womb doesn't exist, isn't there, has no being. But nothing could be further from the truth. That child is known by God and, as such, has being.

Prayer:

Lord God, we confess that in You we live and move and have our being. Because You are, we are. May we find grace from You to affirm the being of every human and may we labor to make this truth known to the world around us. Amen.

Rev. J. Kirk van der Swaagh
Pastor, Conservative Congregational Christian Conference

We start the second half of this 40 Days for Life
campaign with HUGE news — and amazing proof that God
is at work through your efforts!

Just watch this new video at:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2923

This short video documents the historic closure of a
Planned Parenthood center on the very day it went out
of business following the first — and ONLY — local
40 Days for Life campaign held outside its doors.

It gets better — this local 40 Days for Life campaign
was led by the woman who managed that Planned Parenthood
center for more than 17 years!

You will hear from her in this short video. You’ll
also learn about ANOTHER Planned Parenthood facility
that closed the same day — following a local 40 Days
for Life campaign in the public right-of-way outside.

Watch the inspiring video now at:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2923

STAFFORD, TEXAS

Marie in Stafford says the 40 Days for Life vigil there
takes place outside a small Planned Parenthood office.

“We have no opportunity to interact with clients unless
they come up to us, which never happens,” she said.
“I’m sure some of our volunteers wonder if we are
making a difference.”

But Marie knows that isn’t the case at all. A woman —
she thinks it was the center’s director — came out at
the end of the day. As she drove past the volunteers
who were praying, she rolled down her car window and
called out, “GO HOME!”

“Thank you, Lord, for the evidence that we are making
an impact,” Marie said. “They do feel our presence
inside that clinic!”

TEMPE, ARIZONA

As Beth and James were ending their prayer time at the
40 Days for Life vigil in Tempe, a young woman drove up
and spoke with them.

“Thank you for what you are doing,” she said. “The
mother of my baby was a victim of incest.”

There were tears in her eyes, and her voice was
shaking. “If she had listened to people,” she said,
“I would not have my beautiful son. To think that
his life and the lives of other babies are not of value
— that’s just wrong.”

“She thanked us again,” Beth said, and they prayed for
God’s blessings for the woman and her son.