What a day !!

We finished out the fall 40 Days for Life yesterday at a concluding event in Sarasota, Florida, that was attended by more than 300 people (along with the local Planned Parenthood CEO, who was furious as hundreds of people gathered outside her new 40,000+ square foot abortion mega-center that is nearing the completion of construction.)

This day after 40 Days for Life has finished, there are more blessings than we can count, and I thank you for every contribution you’ve made to this largest coordinated pro-life outreach in history.

It’s a good day to look at where we’ve been — and where we’re going.

For one thing, 40 Days for Life has gotten far more media attention than it’s ever gotten before, meaning more people in more cities saw for themselves what this effort is all about. Here are a few of the many newspaper articles local teams have generated:

Washington Times: http://snipurl.com/4ymh0  

Chicago Sun-Times: http://snipurl.com/4ymf6  

And here’s what 40 Days for Life looked like on local TV newscasts (be sure to watch the video clips!):

WREG-TV Memphis: http://snipurl.com/4ymkn

KFSN-TV Fresno: http://snipurl.com/4ymlo  

WPTY-TV Fort Wayne: http://snipurl.com/4ymnn  

We’ve had numerous reports of clinics shutting their doors on days when abortions are usually scheduled.

Other abortionists apparently decided to take time off. “There’s a sign on our clinic door — closed until November 5,” wrote one vigil participant. “God is moving.”

In Oklahoma City, Karen reports that someone called the clinic and was told the abortionist won’t be back until November 6. “That’s two whole weeks plus two days of closure for the clinic,” she said. “I know our prayers had an effect on him!”

The abortion businesses expect that we will simply “go away” after 40 Days for Life is over. But they don’t know the hearts of the people who’ve stood vigil and seen the results.

“Why not 365 days for life?” asked Pablo. “We could keep the pressure on … I’m sure we can find volunteers.”

“I agree with Pablo,” wrote Ed. “Why not a perpetual vigil for life? My wife and I drove 3 1/2 hours each way to pray for two hours at an abortion clinic last Saturday. We’re going again tomorrow.”

One of the local teams has been praying for the security guard at an abortion center. They wave at him, and he waves back. This has been going on since the start of 40 Days for Life.

Just this week, he finally approached the group on the sidewalk. “I heard that you help women if they need food or clothes or anything for their babies. If I find women in need, can I send them to you?”

“How do I tell the security guard no? That 40 Days for Life is almost over, so if you find a woman in need we won’t be here anymore?” asked the local campaign director.

“It was such a clear sign that we can not stop. If he would have just quit the job we would have thought our work done, but because he wants to help us with our work it was a clear sign that we have to keep going.”

And keep going, we will. As to what form that will take, and what specific needs we’ll address — we’re already praying hard for discernment and the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

We encourage you to do likewise. The conclusion of this 40 Days for Life campaign is just the end of a chapter, not the end of the book.

“I am hearing the same thing over and over,” said Jennifer. “40 Days for Life may be over, but it is only a beginning. A volunteer told me today the clinic workers are not going away and neither are we. We will not quit until this clinic closes down.”

Here’s today’s “bonus” devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-life Religious Council…

DAY 41 INTENTION:

Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears abundant fruit, and that we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into the gates of heaven.

SCRIPTURE:

On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

– Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone:

When we read this verse, we usually think that the Lord is promising that the church, which is His Body, will withstand all the attacks launched against it. Of course, that is true.

But when we think about it more carefully, we realize that in a battle, the gates do not run out into the battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, they stand still to defend the city from the enemy attacking it.

So when the Lord says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, who is doing the attacking? It is the church storming the gates!

The church, all of God’s people in Christ, is called to take the offensive, to run into enemy territory, and to gain ground for Jesus Christ. We do not wait for an invitation; we already have a command. We prepare, but we do not wait for circumstances to be perfect; we already have one who has gone before us.

During these 40 days, we have stormed the gates. We have taken the offensive. We have pushed forward the boundaries of the kingdom. And we must keep doing so, in numerous ways.

Indeed, the gates of hell will not prevail. The gates of falsehood will flee in the presence of truth. The gates of sin will melt in the presence of grace. The gates of death will fall in the presence of the church, the People of Life!

PRAYER:

Father, we praise you. We have heard the voice of your Son, and therefore we can make our voices heard. We have done battle with the power of evil, and therefore we can have compassion on those still within its grip. We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness, and therefore we can bear witness to your Kingdom of Light.

May the witness of all your people through these 40 Days for Life bear abundant fruit, and may we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until You welcome us into the gates of heaven. We pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day41print.pdf

With just one day remaining before Americans go to the polls to decide the most critical election in recent history, here are some things that ALL of us can do to positively impact the outcome on Tuesday, November 4:

1.) PRAY AND FAST

If ever there was a time for massive, unified prayer for our nation — that time is NOW! Please commit to pray fervently, and if you feel led — fast these last two days.

2.) EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT’S AT STAKE

Here are several short, but highly effective videos that underscore what’s at stake in the elections:

For all Christians:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwLY_HRt-AM

For Catholic Christians:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61wj4tJICcc

3.) EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT THE CANDIDATES

A great resource to learn about the candidates and where they stand on life issues is:

http://www.politicalresponsibility.com

4.) GET TO THE POLLS EARLY TO CAST YOUR VOTE

Find your polling place by visiting:

http://www.vote411.org/pollfinder.php

Go early in the day and be willing to wait in a line, if necessary, due to likely high voter turnout.

5.) GET LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE OUT TO THE POLLS

This is not the time to argue and debate with people who do not understand the importance of protecting life. We must use every available minute to encourage pro-life friends, family members, co-workers, and fellow believers to turnout to vote.

Also, be sure to contact the offices of pro-life candidates and parties and ask what you can do to help with “Get Out the Vote” efforts. For a short video that reminds us WHY this is important, watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5SXjYkQpDk

By each of us investing time and energy into these activities, we can ensure that we will wake up Wednesday knowing we did all we could to “speak up for those who could not speak for themselves.”

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

 It’s Day 40 — the final day of this fall’s 40 Days for Life effort.

Margaret, Claire, Patrick, and I just arrived in Sarasota, Florida — the 51st city I’ve traveled to during this 40 Days for Life campaign.

When I logged onto my computer and began to read the hundreds of e-mail messages reporting victories from across North America, a wave of emotions swept over me: joy, relief, excitement, peace, thanksgiving.

Together we have witnessed God accomplishing amazing miracles through His people.

I’ll share some highlights of these reports with you over the next few days (before taking a MUCH needed break from e-mail.

I just recorded a 9-minute “wrap-up” audio message that will be played at many of the concluding events for local campaigns across North America today. You can listen to it here:

Listen to the Audio Online (click “Play” button to start audio):

Download MP3 (click to play, right-click to save to your computer):

http://www.40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/conclusion_24.mp3

Though this campaign is coming to an end, we know that there is much work still to do before the day when no more babies die and no more women cry.

Susan in Maryland realizes that as well, offering her thoughts after spending time in prayer at an abortion center — citing the importance of being there today, tomorrow… and as long as it takes.

Susan and two friends left church to pray at the vigil outside Whole Woman’s Health — it’s hard to imagine a more erroneous name for a place of death.

This particular abortion facility is tucked away in the back of a shopping center and many people don’t even realize it’s there, even though it’s near busy highways in metropolitan Baltimore.

As the three drove towards the vigil, the sky got progressively darker. “So much so,” she thought, “that I wondered in my heart if a ‘cloud of darkness’ permanently existed over the clinic,” which has been in business for more than 25 years. What does it take, she asked her friends, to close down such an abomination?

Seven others were praying at the clinic. When the three friends arrived, so did the rain. “It seemed like the sky had exploded with a storm fierce and powerful,” Susan said. “Torrents of rain pelted our faces, saturated our clothing, but we did not flinch but held steady in unified prayer for the unborn.”

The wind picked up, blowing signs out of vigil participants’ hands and turning umbrellas inside out. Some ran for rain gear, but no one stopped praying. “The wind blew,” said Susan, “over and over, with countless gusts that whipped our faces and with debris that stung our skin.”

As she prayed, Susan thought about why she was there. “Just the night before, I had visited Whole Woman’s Health web site. They have the most attractive women pictured with such luring lies as, ‘We care about the whole woman.’” For extra fees, this clinic offers a “VIP abortion” package with a private room, light meal and herbal tea.

The thought of that just led Susan to pray even harder. “Again the wind blew and the rain pelted our faces.”

She and her friends finished their prayer time at the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil with wet hair and soaked socks, feeling drenched but not drained. 

“Perhaps, this day, back in the parking lot, God touched a heart from the power of our prayers and had a young mother turn away from the clinic,” said Susan.

“Perhaps, the abortionist felt our presence and thought for a moment what our signs said. Or maybe a nervous parent took their pregnant daughter back to the car and just drove them home. In any event, we pray and continue to pray that we all will see the day when this moral crime will stop. We pray for a country where all will be protected — born and unborn. No matter what weather, we stand with God.

“Pray today for an end to abortion,” she added. “Just do it!”

Here’s today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-life Religious Council…

DAY 40 INTENTION:

Let us keep our eyes fixed on the New Jerusalem, where death will be no more.

SCRIPTURE:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

–Revelation 21:4-5

REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone:

Every activity we undertake in defense of the sanctity of life is prophetic, inasmuch as it points to the day when “death will be no more.”

Every victory we have when an act of abortion is prevented is prophetic of that day when death itself will be definitively conquered.

Every triumph of grace in this world, whereby someone is brought to see the value of life and given the strength to welcome it, is a breaking into our history of that definitive future in which the old order of things will have passed, and all things will be made new.

As pro-life warriors, we must keep our eyes fixed on heaven, and our hearts secure in the hope that the day is coming when all evil will be conquered. It is the future that shapes the present; it is victory that informs the battle; it is the destination that determines the journey.

Daily, we are called to reflect on heaven. When we weep, we are to think of the day when every tear will be wiped away.

When we face the destructive power of death, we are to think of the day when death is swallowed up in victory.
When we labor against abortion, we are to think of the day when we will have the rest and peace of the final triumph of life.

Heaven is as real as earth, and its joys will be as real as our present sorrows.

PRAYER:

Father, you are the God of hope. Your word fills us with the vision of the world to come, when every tear will be wiped away, and death will be no more. Father, how we need that hope, how we are strengthened by that vision!

Keep our hearts focused on heaven, and diligent in the labors of earth. As we struggle against the culture of death, root our souls in the assurance of victory. We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day40print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

P.S.- I, like you, am very concerned about our national elections that happen this Tuesday, November 4. The stakes have NEVER been higher. Over the next two days, I will suggest simple — but highly effective — things you and I can do to make a lifesaving impact in these crucial last few days.

Today is Day 39, and we’re in the home stretch of this fall’s 40 Days for Life effort.

Amazing things are still unfolding all across North America and many people are looking to keep the momentum building beyond the end of this campaign (See the press release we sent out yesterday at: http://snipurl.com/4w8j5 ) 

I had a daily e-mail message planned for you today until something happened a few hours ago that changed all of that…

…I watched in shock as a 16-year-old boy was hit by a car a few yards in front of me.

Here’s what happened…

All day, our family had been visiting 40 Days for Life locations along Florida’s Atlantic coast. In the evening we finally rolled into West Palm Beach to spend the night before heading out to visit more vigil sites in the morning.

A sweet local family had invited us to their house. While driving over to meet them, we stopped at a red light at a busy intersection.

As we sat there in the dark, a boy shot past us on his bicycle and rolled right out into the traffic in the middle of the busy street.

Before I knew what was happening, an SUV going 40 miles an hour plowed into the young man, sending him and his bike flying through the air before they crashed to the pavement.

The driver slammed on his brakes and narrowly missed running over the boy.

I jumped out of our rental car (as Margaret, Claire, and Patrick began to pray) and was the first one to the boy’s side. Within 30 seconds, nearly a dozen other people had stopped to help.

The boy was injured, but thankfully not in a life-threatening way. He had cuts and scrapes all over, and his leg was in severe pain — probably broken.

He told me that his bike’s brakes had failed.

The police and paramedics arrived quickly and were able to rush him to a nearby hospital to begin treatment and healing.

Having seen the accident from about ten yards away, I can tell you it is a miracle he is alive.

While driving away from the accident scene, Margaret and I were reflecting on what we had just witnessed, and came to two realizations…

1.) WHEN ANOTHER PERSON’S LIFE IS AT RISK, HONORABLE PEOPLE STOP EVERYTHING ELSE AND TRY TO HELP.

I was impressed by how many people stopped to assist, and by the response of the police and paramedics.

Nobody was worried about being late to where they were going. Nobody was thinking about how their stock portfolio was doing. Nobody was concerned about what church anyone else attended. Nobody was worried about each other’s political affiliations.

When another person was at risk, people set aside everything else to help save a life.

2.) WE WERE REMINDED OF JUST HOW FRAGILE — AND PRECIOUS — EVERY HUMAN LIFE IS.

In what seemed like a millisecond, this boy went from happily riding down the road to lying bleeding and in pain on the pavement next to the twisted remains of his bicycle in the middle of a busy intersection.

He certainly didn’t expect that to happen to him.

In the same way, none of us knows exactly how much time we have left on this earth and, as a result, we need to make the most of every single moment.

These two realizations made us immediately think of YOU, and the tens of thousands of other faithful believers participating in 40 Days for Life all across North America.

When the lives of innocent, pre-born children have been at risk of death, and women have been at risk of devastation from abortion, you stopped to help by participating in 40 Days for Life.

And your heroic efforts to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” demonstrate that you ARE making the most of every moment and showing the world how precious and sacred every human life really is.

Let’s pray for the swift healing of the young boy who was hit by a car, and let’s press forward together in our efforts to protect every human life.

Here’s today’s devotional from Carmen Pate, Co-host of the “Point of View” radio talk show…

DAY 39 INTENTION:

Pray that God will continue to bless the efforts that have gone into the 40 Days for Life campaign, as we trust Him for the results.

SCRIPTURE:

Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name.

– Nehemiah 1:10-11

REFLECTION by Carmen Pate:

Nehemiah provides an awesome blueprint for volunteers in God’s service, particularly those responding to the devastation abortion has caused our nation.

Nehemiah grieved for God’s reputation as he witnessed the condition of the city walls of Jerusalem. The walls were broken down which was seen by neighboring people as a sign of weakness on the part of Jerusalem’s God. No wall meant no security for the city and its people.

We learn from his story that he covered every detail in prayer; inspired others to join the cause; organized others to help do the work; confronted opposition directly and turned to God when discouraged; and finally celebrated what was accomplished and gave God all the glory!

Like Nehemiah, we must acknowledge God’s sovereignty as we serve Him before a mocking world. We too need to be reminded that we are “fighting” for our families. We too must have an attitude of confession and repentance before a Holy God. We must pray for strength, refute slander, and not be diverted from our work.

Like Nehemiah, we will draw attention from the enemy when we are seeking to protect the well-being of God’s people. We too must stand firm and seek God’s help to persevere until the task is done. We too will be victorious.

PRAYER:

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in heaven and in the earth is Yours.

We pray for your continued guidance and protection throughout the remainder of this 40 day campaign. May we be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in Your work, knowing that our labor will not be in vain. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day39print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

Tomorrow the number 5 and number 8 teams in college football meet for a huge showdown in Jacksonville, Florida: the Florida-Georgia game.

A few hours ago, I spoke at a fundraising banquet for a pregnancy resource center here in Jacksonville, after visiting the local 40 Days for Life campaign that has mobilized 1,500 people.

At the banquet, I shared the platform with Pam Tebow, mother of Florida quarterback — and winner of last year’s Heisman trophy as the best player in college football — Tim Tebow.

She shared her amazing testimony about how doctors had actually advised her to abort Tim when she was pregnant with him…

…And why she refused.

She also shared how ESPN broadcast their amazing pro-life testimony around the world, saving other lives.

After the dinner, Pam and her husband Bob sat down with me to record a short audio clip to share their story and to encourage YOU to persevere in your 40 Days for Life efforts.

I think you’ll be blessed by this seven-minute audio…

David & Margaret Bereit with Pam & Bob Tebow

Listen to the Audio Online (click “Play” button to start audio):

Download MP3 (click to play, right-click to save to your computer):

http://www.40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/tebow.mp3

Today’s devotional calls us to become vessels of hope. It is indeed hope that you are bringing to the abortion centers.

Women who are on the brink of abortion see no hope, unless you’re there to bring them hope: hope in God, and hope in the form of better options for themselves and their children.

Christ warned of those who would call good evil, and call evil good.

We saw that firsthand in some pictures Bob sent from an abortion center in Michigan. The clinic staff posted four large message boards in the building’s windows — three panels were an open letter to “persons of faith” and the fourth was titled “a blessing.”

Here’s the picture:

Letter from abortion facility staff

The letter began, “We forgive you for your infringement into what is a deeply personal and difficult time in our lives… We forgive you for your lack of understanding, your blind assumptions and your lack of faith in us.”

The whole point of the letter is to make 40 Days for Life vigil participants question why they stand outside and pray, attempting to create confusion about the very clear difference between right and wrong that is central to the effort to end abortion.

The letter continued with a rehash of worn-out abortion rhetoric. It suggests that in addition to praying for an end to abortion, vigil participants should “pray for universal health care, a living wage and affordable child care,” as if any perceived lack of support in those areas offers justification for terminating the life of innocent unborn children.

In short, this set of posters was an abortion movement manifesto, suggesting that we have no right to stand up — as Christ commanded us — in defense of the least of our brothers and sisters.

“We are honoring our selves, our partners, our families and our pregnancies with a wise decision,” the letter stated.

That’s enough to turn your stomach or rip your heart — or both. Sin honors no one.

What was truly reprehensible was the final poster, the “blessing,” which begins, “Let us be blessed as we go forth. Choices have been made in some of the hardest moments of our lives. May we leave this place free from guilt and ready to live with conviction and clarity of purpose.” It ends, in classic prayer style, with the single word, “Amen.”

I prefer to think of this ploy as a desperation measure by an abortion industry that knows its time is running out.

That feeling is echoed in a message I received from Marti in Little Rock.

“I cannot really describe the sense of relief I felt when I arrived at 7:45 Saturday morning and found an empty parking lot,” she wrote. The abortion center was closed.

“I just stood at the entryway of their lot and praised God and claimed that someday this lot will always be empty. I was standing there with the perfect vision of what we are praying for — days upon days where no babies have to die in this place.”

To that, we can truly say, “Amen!”

Here’s today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-life Religious Council…

DAY 38 INTENTION:

Pray that we become vessels of hope to all around us, especially to those who minister in the pro-life movement.

SCRIPTURE:

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”

– Luke 24:1-5

REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone:

This meditation, based on a sermon I once heard, is adapted for pro-life concerns.

It’s Friday. Jesus is on the cross. He has been killed by his enemies; he is off the scene. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’!

It’s Friday. Abortionists continue their work 3,300 times a day, tearing off the arms and legs of little babies and crushing their heads. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’! It’s Friday. Pro-abortion groups receive blood money from billionaires who are as deceived as they are. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’!

It’s Friday. Liars attempt to speak for all women and hide the pain of abortion, and ignore the evidence of how it harms women, and call abortion a blessing. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’! It’s Friday. People of hardened hearts guard the clinics and usher desperate women in to have their abortions, while keeping them from the pro-life people who want to give them hope. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’!

Hope does not mean that we ignore or minimize the evils around us. It means, rather, that we see the whole picture, which is that evil is conquered because of what happened one Sunday morning. The power of sin and death has been broken by the Resurrection of Christ. We are called to proclaim, celebrate, and serve that victory, waiting in joyful hope for Christ’s return and the full flowering of the Culture of Life! Indeed, Sunday’s comin’!

PRAYER:

Lord, fill your people with new hope. Make us vessels of hope to all around us, especially to those who minister in the pro-life movement, that as we engage in the difficult work ahead, we may experience the peace and joy that come only from you and that nobody can take away from us. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day38print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

P.S.- If you want to personally thank Tim Tebow’s mom and dad for their courageous pro-life stance, simply post a reply below this blog posting. I’ll make sure that they see your comments!

Today’s Scripture verse from Romans beseeches us to, “present your bodies a living sacrifice.”

This is exactly what faithful volunteers have done several times during this 40 Days for Life campaign, when the police have been called — either by abortion facility workers or abortion supporters — to investigate bogus complaints about those who are peacefully standing up for life.

The mere sight of people quietly standing in prayer outside an abortion center or Planned Parenthood office is considered a reason to call the police.

In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the 40 Days for Life team has seen squad cars pull up at their vigil more than once. Toni said the officers are always nice and supportive, “and they are clearly annoyed with the petty complaints about us being a disturbance.”

Toni said the local group has permit for its activities, and they’re in compliance with every requirement. “We are just being effective in what we are doing.”

And what they’re doing is raising awareness and telling the entire city of Winston-Salem that there is indeed an abortion center in their community.

“That appears to be the main topic of discussion when patients enter the surrounding doctors’ offices” in the medical complex where the abortion center is located, she said.

“That is what is bothering the doctors. We can only hope and pray that neighboring doctors and other businesses will unite to confront the owner of the building leased by Planned Parenthood — and maybe Planned Parenthood themselves. Pray for this!”

Those who are “presenting their bodies a living sacrifice” are also getting to know the local police in California’s San Fernando Valley. Patti describes a “police drama” at one of the abortion centers where a 40 Days for Life is taking place.

“We had five squad cars pull up, with officers going inside the building, walking back to the driveway and watching us out on the corner,” she said.

“Early on, one asked me if we were staying peaceful, and if anyone had been physically preventing people from walking into the building, blocking cars from getting into the parking lot, or — get this — jumping on top of car hoods!”

After about 20 minutes, the officer in charge spoke to the group and acknowledged that everything they were doing was perfectly legal. With that, they left.

Why the upsurge in calls to law enforcement?

The obvious answer is that the 40 Days for Life prayer vigils are working. Powerfully. And the abortion industry doesn’t like it.

“The folks inside are getting frustrated and recently called the police – twice – to ‘report’ [erroneously, of course] that we were throwing things at the women going in and were blocking the sidewalk,” said Major in Huntsville, Alabama. “This activity is definitely the result of the continuous 40 Days for Life presence.”

Thanks to all of the police officers who’ve responded so professionally to vigil participants in the wake of these unfounded “disturbance” calls which are clearly meant to harass and discourage participation in 40 Days for Life!

And thanks to all of you for continuing your prayerful witness against the evil of abortion, presenting your bodies a living sacrifice, at the very places where this unthinkable horror continues to occur.

Here’s today’s devotional from Carmen Pate, Co-host of the “Point of View” radio talk show…

DAY 37 INTENTION:

Pray that we will each submit ourselves this day as a living sacrifice to God, giving all that we have in us for those being sacrificed on the altar of convenience.

SCRIPTURE:

I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

– Romans 12:1

REFLECTION by Carmen Pate:

Since all things are for His glory, we are to offer ourselves for that purpose. This of course is in sharp contrast to those who are being swayed by the enemy to sacrifice their babies on the altar of convenience, rather than choosing to surrender their all, including their unborn child, to the Lord for His purposes.

A career, education goals, or even a boyfriend can unknowingly become an idol for some young women. In their minds, abortion is a convenient way to “rid themselves” of an obstacle in the way of their “worship.”

In light of the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf, and the fruit of God’s mercies on our lives, we owe God our highest form of praise and worship. Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices is therefore reasonable service.

We were made to worship God and God alone. The enemy who seeks worship for himself distorts God’s truth regarding worship, sacrifice, idols, and children.

As you have given of yourself to rescue those who are perishing — the young woman and her child — you are worshiping God in the truest sense of the word.

May your example lead an abortion minded client to turn from her idols to worship the one true God, sparing her child from the altar of convenience, and sparing herself from a lifetime of regret.

PRAYER:

God Almighty, You alone are worthy of our praise and worship. Having accepted Your Son’s sacrifice on my behalf, I in turn present my body to you as a living sacrifice. Thank you for deeming me holy and acceptable because of Christ’s shed blood for me.

I pray that you would use me as your vessel to rescue others who are perishing. Through Christ who is Our Glory, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day37print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

P.S.- Here are photos and short audio interviews with the leaders from three of my recent 40 Days for Life site visits — in Alexandria and Richmond, Virginia, and Ft. Wayne, Indiana. You’ll be inspired and encouraged by these!

Listen to the Audio Online (click “Play” button to start audio):

Download MP3 (click to play, right-click to save to your computer):

http://www.40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/va_in.mp3

Alexandria, VA 40 Days for Life

Ft. Wayne, IN 40 Days for Life

Richmond, VA 40 Days for Life

Yesterday afternoon I returned from Indiana, where I visited the 40 Days for Life vigil in Ft. Wayne and spoke for a Right to Life banquet in Columbia City.

Upon landing at Reagan airport in Washington, D.C., I drove two hours down to Richmond, Virginia, to visit the local 40 Days for Life campaign (which was the 43rd city I’ve visited since 40 Days for Life began on September 24th.)

I’m home for a moment, and in a few hours our whole family gets on a plane to head to Florida where we will be running hard to visit every 40 Days for Life location in the sunshine state before this fall’s campaign ends on Sunday — just four days from now.

The excitement we have been seeing all across America has been simply amazing.

But you don’t have to travel all over the country to get a sense of how God is moving across our land.

If you want to see more about the impact 40 Days for Life is having — especially on individuals — just search online blogs and comments. It’s incredible!

“Yesterday marked my very first time ever to pray in front of an abortion clinic,” wrote a blogger in Vallejo, California. “I have to admit that it has been a very moving experience. It’s quite different from praying at home or at church — since you’re in front of a place where innocent life is slaughtered.”

It is a similar reaction that gets people to return again and again, finding time in busy schedules to pray for an end to abortion at the place where this evil is permitted.

“It was a blessing to be there,” wrote a blogger in Washington, DC, after she and some friends went to pray at the vigil in front of Planned Parenthood.

“God supplied us with a parking spot right in the middle of the day. That is a feat in itself, considering DC traffic, possible tickets and limited parking. The hustle of the city ran about us; people scurried before us; prayers were calm and constant as we stood before Planned Parenthood, a place of death and lies.”

“My girlfriend and I took our bundled babies with us as we stood out there in 23 degree temps for an hour,” wrote a blogger in Anchorage, Alaska. “We decided today, that even after 40 Days for Life is over, we will continue to go and pray weekly. Just our presence is a conscience-tugger for many.”

A blogger in Grand Rapids, Michigan wrote of the discussion she had with a driver who pulled over in front of the 40 Days for Life vigil to see what was going on. He asked how long the people would be in front of that building, and she responded 40 days. The driver then asked what was in the building, and she told him it was an abortion facility. “That’s what I thought,” he responded. “What you are doing is great. Keep at it.”

“It was a simple exchange,” she wrote, “but I was struck by the fact that he stopped. Sure, people walking by stop to ask questions, but not many drivers. I realized then the influence we have had. Our example, our presence has emboldened others. Many people have drawn strength from our vigil, knowing if we have the courage to stand against abortion, they can have the courage to admit they are against it too. If anything, our impact has been silent and subtle, quietly changing hearts with our boldness.”

And who knows which hearts may be changed? 40 Days for Life is also mentioned on abortion advocacy blogs. Many such blogs screech with anger, but some are taking a closer look.

“I admit I am genuinely impressed by this group,” wrote a pro-choice blogger. They have found a way to voice their opinion without being mean, nasty and overly graphic.”

It was especially the absence of graphic posters that showed her 40 Days for Life was different. She said there was “not a chance” she would change her mind about abortion, but then listed a number of things that could be done to help women choose to keep their children.

Not a chance? Who knows? Maybe God is at work here, too. Keep praying!

Here’s today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-life Religious Council…

DAY 36 INTENTION:

We are the defenders of true freedom. May our witness unveil the deception of the “pro-choice” slogan.

SCRIPTURE:

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

–2 Corinthians 3:17

REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone:

Norma McCorvey (the former Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade) used to work at an abortion mill named “A Choice for Women.” She now realizes what a cruel irony that title was.

She saw first hand, just as pregnancy resource center counselors see, that women don’t get abortions because of freedom of choice, but rather because they feel they have no freedom and no choice.

They feel trapped, abandoned, desperate and afraid, and have been led to believe that abortion is their only option.

As Frederica Mathewes-Green has written, no want wants an abortion like she wants a Porsche or an ice cream; rather, she wants it like an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That doesn’t mean that the Spirit allows us to do whatever we want or to decide for ourselves what’s right and wrong.

Rather, it means that the Spirit gives us the freedom to do what is right, the power to choose what is good, when we see it before us and yet feel pulled in the opposite direction. Liberty means that we no longer have to feel doomed to do what we know is wrong.

We are the people of the Spirit of the Lord, and when we take action on behalf of life, especially by being present at abortion mills, we are acting on behalf of true freedom, and imparting to those who are in bondage the power to do what is right.

PRAYER:

Come, Holy Spirit. You are the Spirit of freedom, the source of all that is good, the power to do what is right. Fill us, and fill those who are in bondage today, feeling doomed to do what is wrong. Set them free, and help us to hasten them on the road to freedom, where your grace overcomes every temptation. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day36print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

Today’s devotional deals with post-abortion healing. With that in mind, here’s a story from Mike Stack from the 40 Days for Life in Southfield, Michigan that shows the importance of our outreach to those who are hurting following an abortion experience…

From Mike Stack, 40 Days for Life of Southfield, Michigan:

I’m still a bit awestruck and emotional at what I encountered at the vigil site today.

We had invited several post-abortive women and men to stand with the “I Regret my Abortion” and “I Regret Lost Fatherhood” signs from the Silent No More campaign. Several of them shared their testimony of hurt and healing. I am still trying to process the intense emotions I have from this experience.

Here we have women and men deliberately ripping off their band aids and exposing their pain for the sake of those entering the abortion facility and those who work there. I have never seen a greater act of love.

Their self sacrifice is changing hearts and saving their sisters and brothers from making the same mistake they made so many years ago. My heart breaks not only from the sorrow of listening to their pain but from the joy of seeing the healing that they have experienced through God’s Mercy.

One of the most remarkable stories we heard this morning was shared by a woman that providence brought to us today.

She is well acquainted with the abortion facility where the 40 Days for Life vigil is taking place. She had an abortion there several months ago.

She told us how she was ambivalent about her abortion decision and had gone back and forth between the abortion facility and the crisis pregnancy center just down the road.

At that time she had been given a diagnosis of HIV and the abortion facility convinced her that her only option was to abort to avoid passing the deadly virus to her baby. Even though her husband objected, she initially consented to the abortion.

She was well into her second trimester and would need the two-day procedure for her abortion. She wanted time to think but the staff insisted she stay for the abortion and tricked her into doing the entire procedure in one day.

Meanwhile her husband was doing every thing he could to talk to her and get her out of the abortion facility but the staff locked him out and forced her to turn off her cell phone so he couldn’t communicate with her.

With the abortion completed she left and was later rechecked for HIV. It was found that there had been some mistake at the lab and she had been given a false positive report for HIV.

Today God has given her a healthy pregnancy — twins! — a renewed marriage commitment and some good lawyers to bring prosecution against the abortionist and his staff. She freely admits that these are all good things but nothing will bring back the child she has lost to abortion.

We pray in thanksgiving for the courage these women and men have demonstrated in exposing their hurt and healing and we pray for blessings on all those that hear their courageous words.

Here’s today’s devotional from Carmen Pate, Co-host of the “Point of View” radio talk show…

DAY 35 INTENTION:

Pray for post-abortive women who cannot forgive themselves; may they understand that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

SCRIPTURE:

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the one to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.

– Romans 4:7-8

REFLECTION by Carmen Pate:

In the passage above, the Apostle Paul making a point about justification by faith, refers back to David’s words in Psalm 32:1-2. In spite of the enormity of David’s sin — adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband — and the utter absence of any personal merit, David in his brokenness, understood the imputed righteousness of God. David’s response was not continued guilt over his sins, but praise for his freedom from guilt, and God’s power to live life differently.

Once your relationship with God has been restored, your guilt has served its purpose and should no longer be given place in your life. This is true regardless of the sin, including the sin of abortion. As a post-abortive woman, I too struggled with this issue until I realized that punishing and hating myself after receiving God’s forgiveness was an insult to God.

It was as though I were minimizing Christ’s work on the cross as insufficient to cover my sin. I was denying Him the opportunity to bring glory to His name for the healing and restoration He wanted to do in my life. I was giving victory to the enemy who having lost the battle for my soul, was bent on destroying my testimony as I accepted the continual guilt he heaped on my mind.

It is my joy to continually sing of God’s grace rather than give the devil a foothold in my life. Don’t waste God’s mercy! Accept His forgiveness and forgive yourself as testimony of His amazing grace.

PRAYER:

Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. I come against the enemy of my soul who would have me feel cast down and dejected.

Lord, keep your children from falling prey to the accusations of the father of lies. Turn our mourning into dancing and may we bring praise to you as we give testimony of Your healing and restoration in our lives. For by His grace we are saved, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day35print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

“The Oklahoma City clinic has been closed five days in a row now,” Karen told me. “No word on why. Praise God! It’s not like him to close during the week.”

That quick message says so much. The “why” really isn’t that important; what’s important is that for numerous days during this 40 Days for Life campaign, the doors were locked — and no babies were dying in one Oklahoma City abortion facility.

In Ottawa, Ontario, the 40 Days for Life team spotted a want ad for the Morgentaler Clinic, the center run by Canada’s most infamous abortionist.

The ad is for a counselor. The clinic is looking for someone with a university degree to work 15 hours a week. The job pays $24 an hour, and it’s an immediate opening.

Does that mean the previous counselor quit? There’s no way of telling at this point. But that could well be the case.

It’s noteworthy when clinics close or lose staff members, but it’s your presence outside the abortion centers that is, has been, and will continue to be so critical to changing individual hearts and minds.

And that’s why we continue to rejoice in the many reports we’re hearing of saved lives.

The latest tally of confirmed lives saved as a result of this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign is up to…

…384!!

Here are just a few of those stories:

“Another turnaround!” notes Major in Huntsville, Alabama. “That makes six here since 40 Days for Life started. This one was 18 to 20 weeks into her pregnancy. Please pray for her!”

“A pregnant woman came to speak to me after having left the abortion clinic,” said Joanne at 40 Days for Life in Providence, Rhode Island. “She changed her mind because people were praying outside. She has decided to have the baby.”

A couple spoke to a 40 Days for Life volunteer outside the abortion facility in Louisville, Kentucky, then went in. A while later, they two came back out and the man said, “You got to me. We couldn’t do it!” Jenny said there is so much to be thankful for. “Isn’t it so humbling that God has called us to be a part of this?”

Luke in South Bend, Indiana tells of praying at the 40 Days for Life vigil on a day he was tired, hungry and really looking forward to taking a break. About that time, a woman drove up and asked if he worked at the abortion center. “No, I’m working for the Lord,” he said, “and praying.”

The woman told Luke she was under extreme pressure to have an abortion, and then asked him, “Can I have your advice? What do you think I should do?”

Luke prayed for the Holy Spirit to give him the right words. He then asked the woman, “Who gave you this child?” Those were indeed the right words; she responded, “God did.”

He asked her how she could reject such a gift. She thought about that for a moment and said, “You’re right. I could never have an abortion.” Luke told her she could find help at the nearby pregnancy resource center, and then she drove away.

“I broke down and cried for joy,” he said. “Blessed be God forever!”

Here’s today’s devotional from Rev. Paul Stallsworth, President of Lifewatch (United Methodist Church)…

DAY 34 INTENTION:

May we come to know that divine life, in relationship, creates human life.

SCRIPTURE:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

–John 1:1-3

REFLECTION by Rev. Paul Stallsworth:

“In the beginning” was God. Always, before all times, there was God. This particular God — the God of the Bible, the God of St. John’s Gospel — is different from all other gods. This God is alive and full of life. This God is not the picture of deadness and death, aloneness and isolation. This God is the picture of life, relationship, and unity.

For within this God, within this one God, there are three divine persons who live, who love, and who work — together. This is the glorious mystery of the Trinity. The Trinity means divine life. The Trinity means three, living Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who relate to each other. The Trinity means mutual love and service among three Persons.

The Word was always with God the Father. This Word was, is, and will be the Trinity’s second person. The Word is also the Son of God or, as revealed in time, Jesus Christ. God the Father and God the Son live, love, and work for each other. As one, they create “all things” together: the Father creates all things, including all human life, through the Son.

So the Father, through the Son, creates all human lives. The little one swimming in his mother’s womb, the infant smiling in his father’s arms, the child crying in pain in a hospital bed, the energetic teen running another mile, the old man gasping for his last breath — all were created, at their beginning, by the Father through the Son. No exceptions. Divine life creates human life.

PRAYER:

O God, may we always be quick to call you Father. And when we call you father, let your Spirit remind us that we, and all people, from their beginning to their last day, are your children. We praise you, Father, that you sent your Son to reveal to the world that all people are His brothers and sisters, that all people are your children. Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day34print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

P.S.- Just a quick reminder that Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life is hosting a major teleconference later tonight — Monday, October 27 — to discuss what can be done to make a positive impact on the elections before it’s too late. Get all the details and sign up for this important call at:

http://www.priestsforlife.org/conferencecall

With only one week left of the fall 40 Days for Life campaign, I wanted to share a touching story with you that appears in the current issue of the National Catholic Register.

It’s about two of the local 40 Days for Life leaders in Massachusetts. Until reporter Gail Besse called me about this story, I had no idea what Stephen Marcotte and Paul Fullen did for a living.

It turns out they do the same thing in their full-time jobs as they do with their local 40 Days for Life campaigns — they save lives!

Here, thanks to the National Catholic Register’s kind permission, are excerpts of their story…

HEARTS ON FIRE FOR LIFE
BY GAIL BESSE

Ever since the day he responded to an emergency at the Four Women Clinic in Attleboro, Mass., firefighter Stephen Marcotte has looked at lifesaving in a new way. The crisis was abortion-related.

“I asked the patient’s name like I do on all medical runs, but nobody knew,” he recalls. “Here they had just aborted this 19-year-old girl’s baby, and I saw them scrambling to find out who she was. To them, she was just a procedure, a paycheck. That really bothered me.”

An eight-year veteran Attleboro firefighter and emergency medical technician, Marcotte found himself contemplating Pope John Paul II’s call to build a culture of life.

“It just didn’t sit right with me that I was just sitting by with this in my back yard,” he says. Marcotte, 34, prayed about the situation at Eucharistic adoration.

The result: He’s now helping coordinate a 40 Days for Life vigil outside that same clinic. The vigil is one of 174 planned across the United States and Canada in the lead-up to Election Day, Nov. 4.

The 40 Days for Life campaign seeks God’s power to end abortion. It consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting, community outreach and peaceful public witness outside abortion facilities. The effort is modeled on biblical 40-day periods when God worked miracles through Noah, Moses, Elijah, Jesus and the disciples.

In Worcester, Mass., firefighter Paul Fullen will head up another of the five Bay State vigils. Fullen and his wife, Crystal, both 37, will coordinate efforts outside Planned Parenthood there.

“We could have other firefighters involved that I just don’t know of,” says David Bereit, founder and national director of 40 Days for Life. “I get to know people around this shared mission rather than by their occupations, but it’s certainly a natural fit. Firefighters have already demonstrated they’re willing to sacrifice and risk their lives. Now they’re willing to sacrifice and risk embarrassment and persecution.

“There’s just as much heroism involved in trying to save a life in the womb as in fighting fires in burning buildings,” adds Bereit.

Fullen, a 10-year veteran of the fire department, sees the connection between his occupation and his pro-life prayer work with new clarity. “Our job,” he says, “is to protect life and property.”

“This is stepping out into the trenches,” says Marcotte. “Prayer is so important, but it’s combining prayer with getting out of my comfort zone that drew me. I just bought into the whole campaign. The Holy Spirit put it on my heart to trust that the Lord is in charge — and I’m excited about how he continues to bless this campaign.”

Bishop George Coleman of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass., is among more than 20 Catholic bishops nationwide actively supporting this pro-life mobilization.

Bereit, says he, too, is energized by the campaign’s momentum. Since it began in Texas in 2004, two Planned Parenthood centers have stopped doing abortions and a third clinic has closed. At least 500 babies are known to have been saved.

“This comes at a crucial time now that abortion is in the forefront of the political debate,” Bereit points out.

Marcotte admits he was wary of going public with his convictions. “I knew I’d get razzing from some of the guys, and I was a little nervous,” he says. “Then I thought: Whoa — if I like being out of my comfort zone by praying outside the clinic, then I shouldn’t worry about my comfort zone when it affects other parts of my life. I’ve got to be consistent.”

Fullen concurs. “My wife is expecting our seventh child,” he says with a smile, “so the other guys think I’m crazy anyway.”

“Many firefighters I know are not afraid of standing up for what they believe in,” says Father Michael McNamara, a Boston archdiocesan priest who has headed numerous pro-life prayer vigils. “Maybe it’s because when they understand their role in the protection of life as a vocation from the Lord, they seek God’s guidance in their everyday lives.

“It’s so in their character to view a situation with a clear mind and logical thinking,” adds Father McNamara. “They’re used to reflection and then action as normal responses on the job.”

Volunteers in their 30s like Marcotte and the Fullens are typical nationwide, Bereit notes.

“You know, until I started with 40 Days for Life, I was just like many people are now,” says Fullen. “I was uninformed. Hopefully, this will get people to realize how the life issue is right up there in the forefront for the upcoming elections.”

Although 40 Days is ecumenical, Bereit says, it’s now almost 75% Catholic, thanks to early support from pro-life leaders like Father Frank Pavone and Father Thomas Euteneuer, along with coverage in the Register and other Catholic media.

“Evangelicals are being inspired by their Catholic brothers and sisters,” Bereit says. “It’s beautiful to watch people who don’t see eye-to-eye theologically stand arm-in-arm to speak up for life.”

Especially when they put their actions where their words are, extinguishing the fires of the culture of death — one vigil at a time.

Read the whole article online at:

http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/16302/  

I thank Stephen and Paul for their willingness to answer God’s call.

And I thank God for raising up people — just like YOU — all across North America who are also answering God’s call to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Together we are making a powerful impact!

Here’s today’s devotional from Fr. Terry Gensemer, National Director of the Charismatic Episcopal Church for Life…

DAY 33 INTENTION:

May we absorb the truth that God is paying attention to us, and to each human life, personally and individually.

SCRIPTURE:

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

– Psalm 8:3-9

REFLECTION by Fr. Terry Gensemer:

How often we ignore the phrase, “stop and smell the roses” and instead submit to the all too “urgent” task at hand. Is this tendency what keeps us, at least in part, from acknowledging that God’s care for His sacred creation is paramount in His own mind?

The Psalmist speaks of God’s handiwork: the heavens, the work of his “fingers,” and then points to God’s masterpiece – human life. He declares to us that God is mindful of us. God keeps His masterpiece in His thoughts.

God, the creator of the awe-inspiring heavens, is not distracted by the tasks before Him. He is not pulled away, as we might be, by thoughts of something “more important.”

God is paying attention to and attending to His crowning glory, His masterpiece of creation, which cannot be duplicated or replaced, which surpasses the beauty of all other created things — the human being.

There is no way to adequately describe how God feels about us as human beings. There are no words to fully portray His love, compassion or desire to be in communion with us.

Perhaps, the closest we can come, is to contemplate the thoughts of a mother as she gazes for the first time at her newborn child. God cares for Life.

We, as His followers, should take time to consider the life He has created and called upon us to love and protect.

PRAYER:

Lord, you are the creator of all things. Guide my thoughts to consider your creation in all of its majesty, beauty and holiness. Guide my heart especially to your creation of precious human life.

Help me to comprehend how essential life is in your own heart. Teach me to appreciate, love and protect all human life through your son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day33print.pdf

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

P.S.: Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life asked me to invite you to attend a very important teleseminar he is organizing tomorrow night, Monday, October 27, to discuss what we have to do as pro-life voters to make a real difference BEFORE election day.

He will be joined on the call by an all-star lineup including David Barton of Wallbuilders, Dr. Paul Schenck, and Dr. Alveda King (niece of Martin Luther King, Jr.) Learn more and sign up for this important event at:

http://priestsforlife.org/conferencecall

The call to participate in 40 Days for Life is a call to sacrifice.

Whenever I read the hundreds of daily e-mails in my overflowing inbox and see the comments on the 40 Days for Life blog, it always amazes me to see how many people are hearing that call and taking it to heart.

Praying outside an abortion facility is not a convenient thing to do. Yet many are embracing this sacrifice with faith, hope — and joy.

Bill is finding such joy in the witness of Patrick, with whom he prays in front of an abortion facility in Southfield, Michigan.

“He walks with the help of a cane or a walker,” said Bill, “but he is at this site several times a day and for several hours each time. Patrick participates in the wee hours of the morning when many others just can’t. Patrick is an inspiration.”

Susan in Greenland, New Hampshire finds similar inspiration from Vicki, a woman of around 80 years of age who prays at the abortion center every day. “She has a tremendous amount of physical pain but is on her knees at the entrance to the driveway, usually for an hour or two. This woman prays — through tears — for this abortion clinic to close, as this is her dying wish.”

Pat needed someone quickly to fill a vacant hour at the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil in Jacksonville, Florida. So she called Marie’s cell phone and asked her if she could get over to the clinic and help.

Marie laughed, because she was attending her husband’s high school reunion in Las Vegas. But she figured that if Pat was calling her to stand vigil, she was meant to do so. Pat looked up Las Vegas on the 40 Days for Life web site and gave Marie the vigil location.

“No matter where we are, we are united in our commitment to life,” Pat said, “even on vacation.”

There is no abortion center in Walker, Minnesota. But that hasn’t stopped the faithful people of this small town from gathering together and holding a 40 Days for Life to pray for an end to abortion.

“We are a town of approximately 1,069 people and have been able to go 24/7 without much trouble,” said local 40 Days for Life coordinator Beth Bohannon. “People are coming from minutes to hours away. God’s graces have been flowing in abundant amounts allowing many people to be touched in special ways. We have a cozy little white tent on the lawn of the courthouse that provides for a peaceful atmosphere with a touch of heaven. Many people of all faiths are uniting and praying together like never before.”

Beth said it’s an awesome thought that a little town in Northern Minnesota could be used in such a mighty way to help transform the culture of death into a culture of life. “God bless you all for listening to the Holy Spirit’s call to action in saying ‘yes’ — by using your hands, feet and mouth to help us to be part of this exciting movement in ending abortion in America once and for all.”

Here’s today’s devotional from Carmen Pate, co-host of the “Point of View” Talk Show…

DAY 32 INTENTION:

Pray that we display an attitude of humility as we stand in peaceful vigil, as we fast, as we knock on doors in our communities. Though we proudly proclaim Christ’s truth, may our boasting be only in His grace.

SCRIPTURE:

These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.

– Proverbs 6:16-19

REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, “Point of View” Talk Show:

The Lord who made us knows us well. I can’t help but think that perhaps as He inspired these words, He knew that our tendency might be to make the judgment call on which sins should be labeled as detestable.

He wants us to be absolutely clear, however, that the sinfulness of man encompasses much more than the external sins that we easily identify.

Lest we assign a particular sin as that of an abortionist, or a worker in an abortion facility, or an abortion activist, the Holy Spirit insured that our sin of pride would be listed first.

In this passage that speaks of eyes, tongue, hands, heart, and feet we realize than every part of our being is subject to the curse of sin.

We all need Jesus Christ who saved us from the penalty of sin, saves us from the practice of sin as we abide in Him, and will one day remove us from the presence of sin. Praise His Holy name!

Proper self-esteem in a follower of Christ is a matter of recognizing and confronting yourself in your humanity, including the tendency to sin. It is also a matter of embracing Jesus’ work on the cross — His grace that covers a multitude of sins.

The Apostle Paul sums it up best in 2 Corinthians 10:17-18: “But he who glories let him glory in the Lord. For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.”

PRAYER:

Dear Father, guard my heart. Prick my conscience and may I be receptive to your rebuke at any moment I drift towards pride. May I remember in fear and trembling that You cause the proud to fall, but the humble You raise up.

Lord, may I never forget my true identity is in Christ and that apart from Him I am nothing. By His grace, I pray, Amen.

Today’s 40 Days for Life devotional can also be downloaded at: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2008day32print.pdf  

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life