40 Days for Life: It all starts today! Prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil -- Ending March 20

40 Days for Life.com ^ | 02-10-16 | 40 Days for Life

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DAY 1: CLOSED! Abortion centers out of business

February 10, 2016

https://40daysforlife.com/updates/It all starts today! Prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil are powerful … and needed now more than ever in our culture.

Right now, there are babies scheduled to be aborted close to where you live — and your peaceful presence could be the difference. Find your nearest vigil here:

https://40daysforlife.com/browse-campaigns/

Moms do turn around at the last moment. For the abortion industry, that means one thing — lost income.

We start this 40 Days for Life campaign with good news … as we’re now aware of TWO more abortion facilities that have CLOSED their doors following 40 Days for Life campaigns!

One was in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the other in Roswell, Georgia.

Eight 40 Days for Life vigils were held outside the Oklahoma City center … and there were two in front of the Roswell facility.

This now makes 66 locations … where people peacefully prayed outside during 40 Days for Life vigils … that have gone out of business.

To God be the glory!

As we praise God for these victories, ask yourself this question:

“How can God use me to save lives where I live?”

If you’ve never been to a 40 Days for Life vigil … you can overcome any natural fear and serve as a peaceful sign of Christ’s hope — at the very place where the abortions actually happen.

Pray about going out … and then find one of the 273 locations taking part in 40 Days for Life — starting TODAY — and continuing through March 20.

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https://40daysforlife.com/media/day26.pdf

Day 26 devotional

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Austin, Texas

March 7, 2016

A counselor in Austin talked to a couple as they left the abortion center. They’d been there for a sonogram appointment – that’s required 24 hours prior to an abortion.

The mother did not want the abortion … but her boyfriend did. And she thought she would be unable to continue the pregnancy without his support.

“Thankfully,” said Heather in Austin, “the counselor had a brochure showing the stages of development of the unborn child. They couldn’t believe it!”

That really got the boyfriend’s attention. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea!”

They quickly called the pregnancy help center … and canceled the abortion!

Heather tells of another woman who was in the abortion facility’s waiting room. She was unsure about her decision. As she looked out the window, she saw that a large tree branch had fallen on her car!

“This was a sign that this was NOT the right choice,” Heather said. “She left and went straight to the pregnancy center, where she saw her baby on a sonogram. She chose life! God is good!”

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So far during this 40 Days for Life campaign, we have reports of

265 babies spared from abortion. And those are just the ones we know of!

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Day 27 devotion

https://40daysforlife.com/media/day27.pdf

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Ann Arbor, Michigan

March 8, 2016

It often takes teamwork to save a baby – and what a team sprang into action in Ann Arbor!

A right-to-life leader in Ann Arbor learned that a young woman who was 17 weeks pregnant had made an abortion appointment at the Planned Parenthood abortion center where 40 Days for Life volunteers pray.

One of the first things the leader did was to seek people who could pray – and that quickly led to a call to the 40 Days for Life coordinator, who spread the word among the volunteers outside the Planned Parenthood location where this woman was schedule to have the abortion.

She had also been given the young woman’s phone number … so she decided to reach out to her directly. But there was no response.

Every call? Unanswered. Every voicemail? Unreturned.

So she started texting – the truth about abortion, the truth about Planned Parenthood … and the lifelong challenges she could face following an abortion.

Finally, she got a response.

The young woman said she’d read all the texts … but she had no choice because she just couldn’t make it financially as a single mother.

Thankfully, the right-to-life leader had a good answer to this … and to every other objection she raised.

After an hour of back-and-forth texting, the young woman finally agreed to think about it. But in less than 24 hours, she would be under anesthesia for a high-risk, $1,000 abortion at Planned Parenthood.

“We continued to pray,” said one of the 40 Days for Life volunteers, “and prepared to greet her on the sidewalk … letting her know she was loved and we would help her.”

Four hours before the scheduled abortion – at 3 am – the mother texted the right-to-life director. She would call Planned Parenthood when they opened and cancel the abortion.

She would keep her baby!

Just to be sure, a family member went to the sidewalk outside Planned Parenthood to pray – and confirm that she had chosen life.

She had!

“Unfortunately,” said one of the vigil participants, “the Ann Arbor Planned Parenthood was very busy that morning. But at least one young life was spared – and hopefully more!”

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Day 28 devotional

https://40daysforlife.com/media/day28.pdf

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DAY 29: Workers complain about children

March 9, 2016

Families are a sign of God’s love … and a promise for our future.

The family is under much attack. Yet it is the most powerful witness in our culture … and children praying at a 40 Days for Life vigil are a clear display of that powerful witness.

Of course, parents must decide if attending the vigil is appropriate for their children. But one thing is for sure. People notice kids of all ages on the sidewalk, and that can have a profound impact — both outside and inside the abortion facility.

A scene from Matthew’s gospel speaks volumes. People had brought children to see Jesus, and the disciples tried to turn them away. But Christ said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

Today, on the sidewalks outside the abortion centers, it’s the employees inside the buildings who don’t want the kids around. Here are some examples:

• Pensacola, Florida
• St. Louis, Missouri
• Houston, Texas

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Day 29 devotional

https://40daysforlife.com/media/day29.pdf

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Las Cruces, New Mexico

March 10, 2016

The Las Cruces team holds the March of the Crosses as one of their campaign events.

Participants are asked to carry crosses. It’s a sign of Christ’s sacrifice, of course – but it’s also the name of the city. “Las Cruces” is Spanish for “the crosses.”

The march even got the attention of the local media.

“We are praying for a respect for human life, especially the most vulnerable,” Bishop Oscar Cantu, who helped lead the march, told the Las Cruces Sun-News. “And sometimes the most forgotten are the unborn.”

“We have to set the model ourselves by being peaceful and non-judgmental,” Mark Cavaliere, the local 40 Days for Life coordinator, told the reporter. “We believe that these abortion clinic workers and the mothers going into these facilities are victims themselves. We are reaching out to them as well.”

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Day 30 devotional

https://40daysforlife.com/media/day30.pd

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Manizales, Colombia

March 11, 2016

Manizales is one of a dozen Colombian cities taking part in this 40 Days for Life campaign.

This is their first vigil … and they’re seeing tremendous blessings from their prayer presence on the sidewalk – including at least one mother who changed her mind.

In this case, confirmation came not by word of mouth but by text.

One of the volunteers had given this young woman her number. Here’s what she had to say:

“A huge thank you to you and everyone from 40 Days for Life! We have decided that we are not going to abort and that we will have our baby who is on the way no matter what happens. We thank you so much and now more than ever we need your prayers!”

So please keep praying for this family – and to all those in similar situations who need God’s strength.

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Day 31 devotional

https://40daysforlife.com/media/day31.pdf

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San Jose, California

March 12, 2016

Ricky said he was praying with three other 40 Days for Life volunteers outside a Planned Parenthood facility in San Jose.

A young woman of high school or college age arrived with an older woman, most likely her mother. They drove into the lot and parked. They got out of their car, but then just stopped.

They looked over at the people praying … then just stood outside the car talking to one another.

“After about ten minutes,” Ricky said, “they hopped right back into the car … turned right back around … and did not enter the facility.”

Who knows why they were there? Who knows what they were talking about? Only God knows for sure. But prayer is powerful. And God listens.

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Day 32 devotional

https://40daysforlife.com/media/day32.pdf

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Abortion workers, the media, politicians … and even a few pastors (see below) will label pro-life people as self-righteous, judgmental Christians.

But the reality is that we are a movement of sinners.

All of us are sinners … and our movement is led by those who don’t have a distant relationship with abortion. Quite the opposite; there are many leaders who have had an abortion, paid for an abortion – or even done abortions.

The pro-life movement is a movement of repentance, and therefore a movement of hope.

One active abortionist was recently quoted as saying, “The Jesus that I was taught about would be holding the hands of women inside the clinic.”

These days, Jesus is often molded into whatever the individual (or the world) wants Him to be. But we need to remember that He is exactly what we and our world need: mercy.

Mercy offers freedom and clarity in an often confused world; but mercy is not always a welcome message. It wasn’t for Jesus, and won’t always be for us.

Southfield, Michigan

Leaders in Southfield were thankful that members of a local church met at the 40 Days for Life vigil … taking time out of a Sunday afternoon to pray for an end to abortion.

They were wondering why more churches weren’t involved when a man who said he was a Christian pastor stopped by to suggest that they change their tone and stop being so judgmental.

“How can signs that say ‘Pray to End Abortion’ and ‘Love One Another as I Have Loved You’ be viewed as judgmental?” one team member wondered.

This volunteer reflected on the previous day of prayer and peaceful vigil. “This abortion center was packed on Saturday. Patients were arriving by 7:30 am and the last ones were released after 5:00 pm.”

The need for a peaceful, prayerful, loving witness – such as 40 Days for Life – was never more obvious.

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Day 33 devotional

https://40daysforlife.com/media/day33.pdf

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Louisville, Kentucky

March 14, 2016

“You’ve heard the phrase ‘God’s timing is perfect,’” said Laura, the Louisville coordinator. “Well today, God’s timing was absolutely perfect!”

Just as Archbishop Joseph Kurtz arrived to lead prayer at the 40 Days for Life vigil, one of the prayer volunteers noticed a woman had come out of the abortion center.

She had tears in her eyes … and told the vigil participants that “she couldn’t go through with it” and was keeping her baby. She accepted information about the pregnancy help center … thanked the volunteers … and drove away.

“Archbishop Kurtz and the other 40 Days for Life volunteers prayed for this mother and her unborn child,” Laura said, “and gave thanks for the gift of the life that was saved. We are asking for your continued prayers for the protection of the unborn, this mother and her child, and the many mothers and fathers that need help in an unplanned pregnancy.”

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So far, our local leaders report that they know of …… 351 babies (and their moms) spared from abortion since we started on February 10!

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Day 34 devotional

https://40daysforlife.com/media/day34.pdf

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Wellington, New Zealand

March 15, 2016

“Abortions are done in our public hospital,” said Clare, the 40 Days for Life leader in Wellington.

The women are told to use an entrance that is away from the vigil. “We have never had the opportunity to sidewalk counsel,” she said. “We do get interactions with the public though.”

Volunteers held a large sign with a picture of the preborn baby and the words “I am 13 weeks.” Several passersby had comments such as “that’s wrong” and “that’s a fake picture.”

But one young woman approached and showed them an ultrasound image. Her baby was at 12 weeks, Clare said, “and she couldn’t get over the similarity with the one on our sign.”

She had been told her baby resembled a pea at this stage of pregnancy and she was toying with the idea of abortion, mainly to please her parents. But after seeing the scan, she decided to keep her baby.

“It seemed as if God had us there with that particular picture to confirm her decision,” Clare said.