40 Days for Life -- Pray to End Abortion

Day 2 - September 24

Intention:

Pray for those who work in the abortion industry, and for those who have repented of committing abortions and have resolved to defend life.

Scripture:

Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."

-- Luke 23:46-47

Reflection:

"Those of us who have participated in the killing of unborn children are the Centurions of today. We have dropped our swords against the unborn child. Now we must recognize the depth of our guilt and deal with the ramifications... To revitalize our humanity we need to forgive and be forgiven, to reconcile and be healed."

These words come from a brochure of the Society of Centurions, an organization for former abortion providers. These words convey in a beautiful and moving way what is happening across the nation as hundreds of abortionists and their staff members experience repentance, conversion, and healing.

How does this conversion begin? Dr. Philip Ney writes, "The factors that changed their opinion on performing abortions, in the following order of frequency, were: evidence of the infant's humanity, a spiritual experience, personal distress, evidence of the mother's distress, scientific articles, being accepted as a person, a personal relationship with a pro-lifer, pro-life pickets." (The Centurion's Pathway, p. 77).

The journey is not easy. But the Jesus who heals us calls us to face the truth of what we've done, make restitution where possible, and engage in the hard work of mending relationships. Let's pray for the Centurions; may their numbers increase!

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for those who have repented of committing abortions and have resolved to defend life. We too repent and resolve. We repent of every instance in which fear has made us silent when we should have spoken. We repent of the ongoing bloodshed in our land, and for thinking that we can deprive the unborn of protection but keep it for ourselves. We resolve that we will advance the cause of righteous candidates for public office, and that we will be more afraid of offending you by our silence than of offending others by our speech. We resolve that we will proclaim your name to the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Day 3 - September 25

Intention:

We pray for God's gift of strength as we strive to protect human life during these 40 Days for Life.

Scripture:

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

-- Matthew 6:25-26

Reflection:

Billions of dollars are spent each year on diet plans. But Jesus tells us to stop worrying so much about our bodies, and instead to trust in God's care for our physical needs.

What would happen if the people who had started on a low-carb diet this year had instead gone on a diet of heavenly food? For non-believers that diet would include trusting in Christ for their salvation, and for believers it would include a renewed prayer life, a new Bible study, or even a spiritual fast. This diet doesn't include giving up on certain kinds of foods. What this diet includes is giving up on anxiety by resting in the loving arms of Christ, trusting that He will provide.

Such a spiritual diet also frees us from our worries, and allows us to freely praise Him and serve others. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

This promised provision teaches us the inestimable worth of our lives. He will not allow us to go without. This intimate knowledge and care for human life on the part of our gracious God is what motivates us to seek for the preservation of human life in all its stages.

Prayer:

Loving heavenly Father, help us to see the worth of all human beings by the way in which you provide for us. We would ask that you provide also the faith, grace and courage to enable us to protect that which is so precious to you. Through Christ our Lord, amen.

Dennis DiMauro
Lutherans for Life

How about this message that I got in an email today?? Wow!

**And yes, even though I said that, the e-mail message
I received from Tim Palmquist with the 40 Days for
Life team in Bakersfield, California was REALLY
unexpected.

Tim wrote, “An employee of the Bakersfield Family
Planning Association abortion center has just quit!”

The woman walked out of the building and spoke to
Rosa, who was taking part in the prayer vigil, and
told her, “I’m done with this place!” The woman also
said she had turned in her uniform. Rosa quickly
offered a hug, which the former employee accepted.

All this time, another vigil participant was
watching. It was the first time she had ever gone to
pray at an abortion center. Rosa turned to her and
said, “Do you see the power of prayer?” After seeing
this amazing turn of events, the new volunteer said
she wants to spend much more time at the vigil during
these 40 days.

This happened Wednesday — yes, the FIRST DAY of this
40 Days for Life campaign!**

Day 4 - September 26

Intention:

We ask God that we may understand the concept of justice, as a gift he gives and as a responsibility that shapes our work.

Scripture:

Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

-- Amos 5:24

Reflection:

Justice, a key theme of the Scriptures, is something God does and that we too must do.

When God intervenes to save his people when they are helpless and in slavery in Egypt, he "does justice." He manifested his justice in the plagues that were sent upon Egypt, whereby Pharaoh was convinced that he must let the people go. Justice is manifested as, in awe and wonder, God's people see the Red Sea open before them, allow them to pass without even getting their feet wet, and then close again to drown their powerful enemies.

God is a God of Justice; he rescues us when we cannot save ourselves. His justice, above all, is seen in Jesus Christ, who, when we could not save ourselves, rescued us from the kingdom of sin, Satan, death, and hell. The mighty work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection is the perfect manifestation of God as the God of justice.

We, then, are to be the people of justice; we are to "do justice" by intervening to save the helpless in the name and by the power of the God who saves us who are helpless ourselves. That's why we have a pro-life movement; that's why we have a 40 Days for Life Campaign; that's why saving the unborn is our business.

Prayer:

God of Justice, you heard the cry of your people when they were being oppressed in Egypt, and you proved yourself to be the God of justice, who rescues the helpless. You likewise rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, and brought us into the Kingdom of your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, who saves us from the power of Satan, sin, death, and hell. Make us people of justice, ready to intervene to save the helpless. Indeed, as your prophets have announced, let justice roll on like a mighty river, to save all who are in need, especially the unborn. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Praying DOES have an impact!,p.

One of the unexpected blessings of this 40 Days for
Life campaign thus far is the unprecedented number of
media stories about local campaigns -- and it's not
just the number of stories but the tone of those
reports. Many of them have been highly positive!

An extremely favorable article about the 40 Days for
Life kickoff appeared in the Journal Star, the daily
newspaper in Peoria, Illinois. Here's the first part
of that story:

Cathy Trowbridge had an abortion and lived to tell
about it. Not overnight, mind you. But after 34
soul-searching years, the Princeton resident is
silent no more.

"Not everybody can do this," Trowbridge said
Tuesday night at a rally at Riverfront Park to
launch the 40 Days for Life campaign. "Not everyone
that has had an abortion can stand here and be able
to face a crowd. But that courage comes from Him
who selects those that can do it."

Trowbridge told a crowd of about 80 how she paid no
attention 34 years ago to those praying in front of
a clinic at 7405 N. University St. in Peoria and
entered what is now National Health Care and had
her pregnancy terminated.

"I didn't know what they were there for,"
Trowbridge said of the group whose successors
intend to be in front of the clinic around the
clock from Wednesday through Nov. 1. "I didn't
allow myself to look at their signs and figure out
what they said.

"I just knew that I was full of fear and
desperation," Trowbridge continued. "And the people
that counseled me told me that this is what I
should do and this is where I should go. And
because it was legal and lawful and because I
usually did what I was told, I did. It wasn't until
much later that I found out the truth."

Read the whole story at:

http://tinyurl.com/ydhfowq

What a powerful account -- and in a secular
newspaper! It's a valuable insight into the mind of
the woman who seeks abortion, and something to keep
in mind as you pray.

Abortion clearly leaves a lasting negative impact.

You even may meet someone at the 40 Days for Life
vigil in your own community who has a story similar
to Cathy's. The 40 Days for Life team in Bakersfield,
California knows it is more common than you might
think. Here's a posting from their blog:

During Saturday's kickoff rally, a volunteer
noticed a forlorn woman standing near the vigil
signup sheets. "I sensed that God wanted me to talk
to her," the volunteer said.

"Can I help you sign up for a time to pray at the
vigil?" the volunteer asked. The woman seemed
reluctant at first. As the volunteer continued to
talk to her, eventually she opened up to share the
internal struggle she was experiencing.

"Twenty-five years ago," she began, "I aborted my
baby. Maybe if people like you had been there, my
baby's life could have been saved."

During this 40 day prayer vigil, as you meet new
people joining you in prayer along the sidewalks
outside abortion facilities and Planned Parenthood
offices, remember that some of the vigil participants
themselves are still struggling with their own
private pain, and pray that they will experience the
fullness of God's healing grace.

Just this morning, at the 40 Days for Life vigil I
was visiting in Lexington, Kentucky, two different
women told me that 40 Days for Life was the vehicle
that helped them to begin the healing process from
their past abortions. One lady even told me that
40 Days for Life saved her from committing suicide.

Wow. We never know how God can work through our
prayers and faithful participation in this effort.

Please take time to pray at the nearest 40 Days for
Life vigil.

For Life,

David Bereit

Day 5 - September 27

Intention:

May the truth of the final judgment shape our thoughts, priorities, and choices here on earth.

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

Caring for others is not optional.

Jesus' picture of the final judgment concludes with this sobering word: the wicked, who failed to care for others in their various needs (e.g., the hungry, the thirsty, the aliens, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned) will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous who did seek to meet those needs will end up with him, enjoying eternal life.

We know that this was no parable! Jesus has given us fair warning! Everything in God's Word points to the truth that compassionate concern and practical care for all people, especially for the poor, the destitute, the weak and needy is required of us, if indeed we hope to escape the punishment of the fire of hell.

And who are the poor and needy, if not helpless, unborn babies, as well as the aged and infirm at the other end of life? Surely the "least of these" embraces not only those at both ends of the continuum of life, but all others in between. Just how we, as Christ's true followers, respond to his admonition "inasmuch as you did it to the least of these, you did it to me" will determine whether we enjoy eternal bliss in his presence or the bleak and dreadful reality of eternal punishment in hell. Nothing in God's Word could be clearer!

Prayer:

Gracious and merciful Father, we gladly embrace your Word that counsels us to care for the least of your children, and 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. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rev. Ben Sheldon
President Emeritus, Presbyterians Pro-Life

Today's testimonial:

"God is working in more ways than we can imagine."

That subject line jumped out from the hundreds of
e-mail messages that pour in to my inbox every day.

The story that followed certainly offered proof!

The writer told of her daughter, who was raised in
the church and grew into a young teenager who "was
more spiritual than I ever thought I could be. She
was so mature in her faith and her relationship with
Christ. It amazed me how someone so young could 'get
it' even more than I. She used to drag her friends to
church activities and pray for them all the time. She
even went on a mission trip."

As is the unfortunate case with many young people,
there also came a time of rebellion. In the 11th
grade, she got involved with a group at school that
didn't exactly practice Christian principles. "It
influenced her walk with God and she drew away from
Him," this mother wrote, "to the point of leaving
church and moving in with her boyfriend at the end of
her junior year."

This young man "does not approve of our deep faith in
God and we do not get along with him very well at
all," she wrote. But her daughter did finish school.

Later, she and her boyfriend got married. Soon
afterward, the young wife became pregnant, and the
couple's financial situation was pretty shaky. They
even had to turn to charitable assistance to make it
through this time.

The mother who wrote this story is now a grandmother
-- her daughter's little girl is an incredible
blessing, but she said her son-in-law hasn't been
much help. With the arrival of the new baby, however,
the mother and daughter have been spending more time
together, repairing their broken relationship.

So what does this have to do with 40 Days for Life?

Well, the woman who shared this story is a vigil
coordinator for one of the local campaigns, and her
daughter saw her working on the vigil schedule. The
young woman noticed blank spaces on the schedule.

She looked up and asked, "What will you all do for
these blank spots?"

"I told her God will send His people to fill those
slots. She looked at me and said, 'Well, maybe you
and I could go together sometimes. I'd like to take
the baby up there on the day they do the abortions
and pray. Maybe seeing my precious baby will make one
girl stop and think twice about what she's getting
ready to do and she'll change her mind.'"

The mother held back her tears and suggested they all
go pray together every Thursday.

She is thankful that God is using the prayer vigil to
save babies, that He is using 40 Days for Life to
restore relationships, and that He is drawing her
daughter back to His heart.

"We serve such a mighty and awesome God," she said.
"I know it's not quite a 'baby is saved' story, but I
believe eternally it will be."

Please hold this family in your prayers. Who knows
what amazing work God will do next?

Day 6 - September 28

Intention:

That knowing the shortness of life, all may value it more deeply.

Scripture:

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

-- Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

Reflection:

God is giver of all life. Short lived or long lived, human lives are lived out in this world. The metaphors for death are many. But their meaning is clear and singular: all will die. Even so, death is not the absolute end. It is not the end of the story. For as certainly as God gave life, at death the life or spirit that God gave returns to God.

By God, we are created. For God, we live our given days. To God, we return at the end of our earthly days. And with God, we live through eternity. Clearly, all along the way, this gracious, loving God is with us. No human life is random or alone. No human life was created without purpose. Not one human life is without destiny.

All human lives, acknowledged or not, are related to God -- from beginning, to end, throughout eternity. Therefore, in this world, all human lives are to be respected and protected, for their lives are signs of God's sovereignty.

Prayer:

O God, we too often try to live in ways that ignore our coming death. We forget that our days are numbered by You, that at the end of our days your judgment awaits, that You are the Lord of our destiny.

Help us to repent daily, and then to live each day in joyful obedience. Lead us to live in the light and promise of eternity. Prepare us to live fully and sacrificially. Prepare us to die faithfully and hopefully, so that we might live forever with You. Through Jesus Christ, who has gone before us, we trust and hope and love and pray. Amen.

Rev. Paul Stallsworth
President, Lifewatch (United Methodist Church)

Today's miracles from emails -- don't know if any of these stories have been posted or not!

While Jackie was praying at the 40 Days for Life
vigil in GREENLAND, NEW HAMPSHIRE, a car slowly
pulled up in front of the clinic. The driver rolled
down the window and said, "I don't know what you're
doing here; but whatever it is, it's working!" The
driver went on to say the abortion center had let
employees go because business was off.

All Jackie could say was, "Praise God for victories!"

The staff at yet another abortion center has shrunk
by at least one. But this wasn't a layoff. This was a
clinic nurse who walked out and quit!

Angela of the 40 Days for Life team in GRANITE CITY,
ILLINOIS said the abortion facility nurse came out
and hugged her. "Thank you for praying for me," she
told Angela. "Your witness has been powerful to me.
This is my last day! I'm going off to do what real
nurses should be doing." With that, she walked to her
car and drove away.

This is the SECOND abortion worker to quit during
this 40 Days for Life campaign!

And yes, there are amazing stories to share about
babies saved from abortion as well.

Thus far in this fall 40 Days for Life campaign,
we've received reports of 38 mothers who changed
their minds and chose life. And of course, those are
just the ones we know of!

Here are just a few of those stories:

In HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, Al reported that while
people were praying at the 40 Days for Life vigil
across from the abortion center, a man came over with
a simple message: "Thank you!" His niece had been
scheduled for an abortion. But after seeing the group
praying, she simply could not go through with it.

In WASHINGTON, DC, Dick tells of a young couple who
walked into the Planned Parenthood abortion facility.
Volunteers at the 40 Days for Life vigil didn't have
much time to talk with them on their way in. But
after an hour or so, they came back out. "They said
they changed their minds about having an abortion."

In PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, there was another situation in
which just the sight of people praying outside made a
profound impact. Ernie said an SUV had pulled up to
the clinic entrance, where the 40 Days for Life vigil
was in progress. The couple inside just stopped, took
another look, and drove away without ever going in.

The 40 Days for Life team in EL PASO, TEXAS received
a special blessing. Sandra said a woman drove up to
the vigil and wanted to talk about the day she
decided not to have an abortion. At the time, she saw
her pregnancy as something that would just get in the
way of her promising career.

But the day of her appointment, people had been
praying outside the clinic. When she saw that, she
stopped and asked herself, "What am I doing here?
This is not right!"

As she continued her story, the young woman rolled
down her car window, pointed to the child in the car
seat and began to cry. "Thanks to you all," she said,
"I have this beautiful son!"

"You could imagine the feeling," Sandra said. "I
believe at that moment everybody was crying with
her." The group prayed for the mother, her child and
for all her family. "We ask God to continue blessing
them and thank Him for this wonderful gift of life."

Prayer DOES work. And sometimes, you don't have to
say a word.

Let's keep it up!

Day 7 - September 29

Intention:

May we have a heart and a zeal to save the poor and release the oppressed.

Scripture:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.

-- Luke 4:18-19

Reflection:

This passage is a very familiar one. It has been preached on many occasions, even made popular in books and songs. Though the quote is about Jesus, all Christians take this commission seriously as a directive on how to reach the world with the gospel. We, like our Savior, are to bring the good news to the poor, the broken hearted, those in captivity, those who cannot see, and the oppressed.

The commission given to us in this passage is clearly a charge to care for those for whom God cares the most. I wonder though, whom do we look for to be touched by the Holy Spirit as we go out into the world?

Who are the poor, if not those unborn children who have been abandoned by their parents before they ever leave the womb? Who are the broken hearted, if not those unborn children whose only example of love is having their mother take them to an abortion clinic to be destroyed, or the mother of a child who has been deceived by everyone around her into believing that what she is doing is best for her and her child? Who are the captives, if not those unborn children who are bound over to death by the "choice" of abortion? Who is more blind than an unborn child in the darkness of a womb that has become a waiting room for their death? And who is more oppressed than those unborn children whose oppression has been legitimized by their government, their church and even their family and loved ones.

Prayer:

Lord, You empower us with Your Spirit to do your will in the earth. Send us to the poorest, the most broken, the most captive, the most blind and the most oppressed in the world, the innocent pre-born children in their mother's wombs that are scheduled for destruction. Help us to bring them healing, liberty, sight and justice through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Fr. Terry Gensemer
National Director, Charismatic Episcopal Church for Life

Sad email testimonial today.

I received a report from Houston that was both
eye-opening and heartbreaking.

People participating in the 40 Days for Life vigil
watched as a young man who appeared to be in tears
walked into Planned Parenthood with his girlfriend
and her mother.

When they left some time later, he was most certainly
crying -- and obviously quite upset.

I'll let one of the prayer vigil participants pick up
the story...

I watched him head down the street, alternating
between wiping the tears from his face and punching
the buildings in anger and frustration as he passed
them. Eventually he headed back toward the parking
lot. As he approached, I went to him first. All I
could think to say was that I was so very sorry for
his loss. He began to cry again.

Then a truck pulled up leaving the parking lot with
his girlfriend and her mother inside. The girl's
mother yelled at him to get in and cursed him as he
opened the door. He had one foot inside, then
stepped back out and closed the door. As she drove
away he promptly sat down on the curb and cried
like a baby. Three of us sat down beside him -- all
men -- and cried with him.

Eventually, he began to talk. He was probably in
his very early twenties. He told us that his
girlfriend did not want to keep the child because
she feared they would not be able to provide for
him. He asked her how she could destroy a life
based on a hunch. He told her this child had a
heartbeat and a soul and deserved to live. He even
tried to convince her to, at the very least, put
the child up for adoption.

I was struck by the fact that this young man knew
all this simply because his heart told him it was
true. He was wise well beyond his years and he was
hurting terribly.

I was struck by the clear reality that fathers have
so little to do with whether their own children
live or die. I also couldn't help but notice that
despite the high volume of Planned Parenthood
volunteers around, none of them approached him.

Before I left him, he stood up to hug me. All I
could tell him was what I truly believed -- that
today, his child knows that his/her father fought
for it. That to his child, he is a hero and that
someday he would know that also.

Please pray for this young man and others like him.
The tragedy of abortion is real and happening every
day. No one knows that better than he.

I sincerely hope this young man comes to embrace the
exceptional advice he was given; but that will most
certainly take time. I cannot even begin to imagine
the anguish.

This is a first-person account of what abortion does
to fathers. Who knows how many others have walked in
his shoes, as there are more than a million abortions
every year -- and more than 50 million since the 1973
Roe v. Wade decision that opened the floodgates to
abortion on demand.

Let's pray even harder!

Day 8 - September 30

Intention:

May the spirit and example of the Good Samaritan fill the hearts and minds of all our citizens.

Scripture:

Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So, too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

-- Luke 10:30-37

Reflection:

Here Jesus commands us to show mercy to the victims of the culture of violence and death.

But why did the priest and Levite fail to show mercy? Perhaps they feared that the robbers were hiding just around the next corner to attack them. They asked themselves, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?"

The Samaritan, however, reversed the question, and asked, "If I don't stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

In working to save the unborn, let's not worry about what will happen to us if we act; let's worry about what will happen to the unborn if we don't.

Prayer:

Father, we are moved by the lesson of the Good Samaritan, who allowed compassion to influence him more than fear. Give us the same heart. Grant that we may never count the cost of standing up and speaking out for the unborn. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

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