If you’ve ever been to a graduation ceremony, you may have heard the event referred to as “commencement exercises.” Yes, the day marks the end of a period in the graduate’s life — but most importantly, it marks a beginning. Such is also the case with 40 Days for Life.

You may have heard me say that 40 Days for Life campaigns could well mark the beginning of the end of abortion in the communities where those campaigns are held — and across the nation and around the world.

There have been many, many, many blessings that God has given us during these 40 days. Go ahead, take a deep breath, and rejoice in the marvelous things the Lord has done!

But the truth is, this is just the start.

“The beginning of the end of abortion” means that seeds have been planted. When will the seeds sprout? When will they begin to grow and develop? When will they bear fruit?

The answer is God’s alone, of course. But who will water the seeds? Who will keep the garden free of weeds? Who will take the next steps to see that these seeds don’t wither and die — or simply lie dormant waiting for something to happen?

The answer, of course, is — YOU!

There are many things you can do to keep the momentum rolling. For one thing … please keep praying!

At a 40 Days for Life rally in Hagerstown, Maryland, a man told of going to pray at the abortion facility with his wife and eight children. While they were there, a woman canceled her abortion appointment and decided to keep her child.

Some days later, the man’s 4-year-old son said, “Daddy we saved a baby. When are going again?”

Any day when abortions are scheduled is an appropriate day to go and pray.

What else can you do?

• Train to be a sidewalk counselor outside the abortion facility.
• Support — and volunteer for — a pro-life pregnancy resource center.
• Start a pro-life group at your church or school.
• Promote the pro-life viewpoint in letters to the editor or calls to radio talk shows.
• Speak up for the babies in this year’s political discussions.
• And those are just a few of the many possibilities!

If you have not yet had a 40 Days for Life campaign in your community, please think and pray about bringing this prayerful outreach to your city. The dates for the next campaign are September 22 – October 31. We’ll begin taking applications this summer.

“The campaign is growing,” said Mary Anne in Ithaca, New York, which just wrapped up its second 40 Days for Life effort. “If anyone out there hears the Lord calling you to start 40 Days for Life in your area, please respond to that call. You are not alone. We are with you! What an awesome God we have!”

Were you able to attend the closing rally for your 40 Days for Life campaign? I hope you were! But if you were not able to join the celebration, I have a special “end of campaign bonus” for you.

David Brandao, our communications director of 40 Days for Life, attended the closing rally for the Virginia Beach, Virginia campaign.

Here are some pictures of their unique vigil location, followed by a powerful, moving 8-minute audio wrap-up of the closing event in Virginia Beach.

Listen to the audio report online (click arrow to start):

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

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/vabeach.mp3

As a second bonus … here is one final 40 Days for Life devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.

——————————————————
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
——————————————————

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. On this rock I will build my church; the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

– Matthew 16:18

——————————————————
REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life
——————————————————

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.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day41print.pdf

——————————————————

There’s no way I can really express the appreciation I have for everything you’ve done during this campaign — your prayers, your participation, your persistence.

You provide tremendous HOPE for our future!

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

It’s Day 40! It’s hard to believe that today is the final day of this 40 Days for Life campaign.

I was in Chicago yesterday and today my family is joining me in Jacksonville, Florida for a 40 Days for Life concluding rally.

Like you, we’ve been running really hard toward the finish line of this campaign — knowing the urgency of the abortion crisis in America right now.

And, like you, at times we’ve been exhausted on this journey we’ve gone on together over these 40 days.

Yet we are amazed as more and more people are saying, “We have to keep going!”

It’s easy to understand why people are overflowing with such enthusiasm when you hear all the reports of God’s blessings pouring in from across the country — and around the world — during this intense time of prayer and fasting.

Here’s a typical example of how hearts and minds are changing.

A young woman often drove by the 40 Days for Life vigil in Great Falls, Montana, offering a friendly toot on the horn and giving the vigil participants a thumbs-up.

Recently, she stopped to thank the prayer volunteers for being there. Nine years ago, she had driven by the same abortion center when people were praying.

She had honked her horn then, too — but it wasn’t a friendly honk. She was very angry, she said — so angry she nearly hit the car in front of her.

She was angry because nine years ago, she had an abortion.

“I gave her a hug and told her she should join us, as we were just Christians trying to make a difference,” said Bea in Great Falls. “She said she’s changed her life and has given it all to Christ. Praise God!”

“One of the powerful things that has happened because of 40 Days for Life is the members of the Body of Christ, no matter our denomination, coming together to pray for our brothers and sisters — born and unborn,” said Sylvia in Los Angeles County.

“We need all of the children of God coming together, praying together, fasting together, and helping those in need of healing and those who have chosen life for their babies,” she said. “With God, all things ARE possible — including the end to abortion and the horror that comes with it.”

These thoughts reminded me of one of my favorite 40 Days for Life pictures. It’s a photo of the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan.

There’s a 40 Days for Life banner at the front of the church. But the stunning thing about the photo is the church tower — a massive stone structure reaching far into the sky with the image of Christ on the cross carved into it. The tower stands in stark contrast to the dark, threatening clouds that are swirling around in the sky.

The church — not the building, but the church, the Body of Christ — is standing firm against the turmoil and the darkness in our world. And that is exactly what you’re doing through 40 Days for Life.

“I may be the only bible some of these folks will ever read,” said Margie in Sacramento.

“We are a sign of contradiction. We are the gospel — the good news taken out into the world. Hopefully, it becomes an exercise in humility and hope. Most of all, my patience grows and my heart fills with the love of all I meet. This is the time we are given. Let us rejoice to be of service to our King.”

Today’s devotional is from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.

——————————————————
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, Priests for Life
——————————————————

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.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day40print.pdf

——————————————————

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done to make this monumental campaign such an amazing success. You inspire me!

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

Here we are, approaching the end of another 40 Days for Life campaign. But do keep in mind that someone, somewhere will hear about 40 Days for Life — for the first time ever — TODAY!

Every day, someone new is inspired to pray for an end to abortion. Ever day, someone new answers the call to go the abortion center and join the peaceful vigil.

Until she took part in the current 40 Days for Life campaign, Rhonda had never done anything like this before.

“I went to the vigil for the first time this year,” she said. “We were so nervous trying to find the place and wondering what it would be like. I kept thinking how much more scary it would be to be going there for an abortion.”

Rhonda overcame her fears and answered God’s call. And so can you!

Sheila knew she was exactly where she was supposed to be, doing exactly what God wanted her to do, when a woman stopped at a traffic light and started to yell at her.

At the time, Sheila was praying outside a Planned Parenthood abortion center, holding a sign reading “Pray to end abortion.”

“Keep church and state separated, and leave your prayers inside your church,” the driver shouted. “Go home!”

Sheila looked up, and the woman kept yelling.

“She was really angry and I just kept on praying,” Sheila said. “I was really struck with how important it is to not go away and just ‘pray in our churches.’ Our Lord always went to where the people were. I was renewed with energy, strength, courage, and perseverance.”

“If you don’t think 40 Days for Life works, this should be proof,” said one of the 40 Days for Life team members in Fort Pierce, Florida.

This volunteer has been a sidewalk counselor for eleven years, but can’t remember an instance where, three Saturdays in a row, women changed their minds about abortion. “We’re not doing anything different as sidewalk counselors,” the vigil participant said, “but during 40 Days for Life, there is more prayer going on, and this is the fruit of your prayer. Thank you and keep it up!”

Judy in California tells of a co-worker who learned she was pregnant. This young woman was separated from her husband, and this was not his child. Abortion seemed the only answer.

She was then told that the baby had Down syndrome; abortion was advised.

But then one morning, she stopped at the fast-food restaurant next to the abortion center and noticed people praying — it was Day 1 of this 40 Days for Life campaign. One of the people praying was Judy.

“She knew right then that there was no way she could throw this baby away,” Judy said.

Just a few days ago, a specialist told the woman heard that the baby looks fine. “She’s having a girl,” said Judy. “Praise God and thanks to all who are out there day after day praying. You all have a part in this miracle.”

Today’s devotional is from Carmen Pate, a member of the 40 Days for Life board of directors.

——————————————————
DAY 39 INTENTION
——————————————————

Pray that volunteers will replace exhaustion or discouragement with rejoicing over the miracles we have seen thus far, and enthusiastic service as God takes us on to victory!

——————————————————
SCRIPTURE
——————————————————

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

– 1 Peter 1:6-7

——————————————————
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, 40 Days for Life
——————————————————

We have reason to rejoice when we consider the many babies whose lives have been saved during the 40 Days for Life campaign.

Add to those lives, the women and men who have been spared from a devastating decision and now have opportunity to make a plan for their baby that is both life affirming and God honoring.

Whether directly, or indirectly, you have contributed to these testimonies of praise with your sacrificial service.

Perhaps you have been grieved by various trials during your commitment to 40 days.

The attacks of the enemy come in many forms — difficulties in relationships, finances, health.

Or maybe you are physically and mentally exhausted and have been marking off the days on your calendar, eagerly waiting for April 5.

Consider these trials in light of God’s plan for you.

The Apostle Paul understood the big picture when he said in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

This is our Hope and our victory. Let us rejoice in the opportunity to give that Hope to others in our path.

——————————————————
PRAYER
——————————————————

Dear Heavenly Father, we sing to You a new song, for You have done marvelous things. Forgive us when we allow circumstances to defeat us. You give power to the faint and You increase strength in those who have no might.

We rest in You, dear Lord, and ask You to empower us again for Your service as You work out Your plan for us and through us.

May You receive glory through our victory in Christ, in whose name we pray, Amen.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day39print.pdf

——————————————————

Today — Saturday — is typically the busiest day of the week for abortions in many locations.

To ensure that this 40 Days for Life finishes strong, if there is any way you can carve out one extra hour this weekend to go pray outside the nearest abortion facility (even if it isn’t an official 40 Days for Life location) it could make a world of difference.

Who knows — God might even use you to help save a life!

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: I’m about to jump on a plane to head to Chicago for an event today, then tomorrow Margaret and the kids will join me at the 40 Days for Life closing event in Jacksonville, Florida. Check on the web site for the 40 Days for Life campaign nearest to you, see when they’re holding their closing event, and attend if you can — you’ll be inspired! Find the nearest campaign:

http://www.40daysforlife.com/location.cfm

PPS: Have you prayed at an abortion facility for the first time during this 40 Days for Life campaign? If so, please share your experiences by responding below.

I’m sending you this message from the Akron, Ohio airport where I’m about to board a 6 AM flight to Washington, D.C. Over the last few days, I’ve been blessed to visit 40 Days for Life locations from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Painesville, Cleveland, Akron, and Canton, Ohio.

Everywhere I go, people ask the question: “Are my prayers really making a difference?”

The answer, I am convinced, is often: “Yes, they most certainly are — and in ways you may never know. So just have faith that God is at work — somewhere!”

That answer was confirmed recently by a taxi driver in Providence, Rhode Island.

Joanne said the driver pulled his cab over to the area where 40 Days for Life vigil participants were praying outside a Providence abortion center.

“Let me tell you a story,” he said. “You make a difference, you know.”

The driver went on to explain that he’d been seeing people praying outside the facility for a few years. “Sometimes there’s just one,” he said. “I don’t like that, when one of you is left alone.”

It made this man think. “I asked myself why anyone would come out in the rain, the snow, the heat, the night, the morning — even when you’re alone, and even when people were mean to you. I figured what you were doing meant something big. Why else would you do it?”

The regular prayer presence, and the sign he often saw with a scripture passage — “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” — made a deep impression.

“What you do, standing and praying and holding that sign, standing no matter what — that is enough,” he said. “It speaks for itself. That’s the message. It’s true.”

But that’s only the beginning of the story.

“When my daughter called from down South to tell me she was pregnant,” said the taxi drive, “I thought of you. And I never said ‘abortion’ to her. I just helped. Now I’m the grandfather of a two-year old. That baby is so important — no matter what.”

He then related a more recent phone call, from his younger daughter. “She has lots of difficulties and worries,” he said, “illness, financial problems, abandonment, everything. She told me she was pregnant. I thought of you people. Again, I knew. I didn’t say ‘abortion.’ She’s seven weeks pregnant. She’s going to make it. We’ll work it out.”

This man, who was unknown to any of the vigil participants, just appeared to say that what you’re doing has an impact — so don’t ever so don’t ever wonder if the effort is worth it.

“We see you, we think about what you’re doing and why, and look what happens,” the driver said. “It’s a good thing, what you do.”

“O, my soul, bless the Lord!” said Joanne. The taxi driver’s message was, she said, “a love letter from heaven. Rejoice, for here is proof that even in our darkest days, God is working wonders in answer to our prayers!’

Keep praying!

Today’s devotional is from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.

——————————————————
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, Priests for Life
——————————————————

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.

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.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day38print.pdf

——————————————————

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: Have you received assurance that your efforts with 40 Days for Life have borne fruit? If so, please share your story by replying below.

The phrase “defenders of true freedom” comes from today’s devotional. Those words in a nutshell describe the people who have taken a leap of faith, during this 40 Days for Life campaign, to pray and fast for an end to abortion.

The 40 Days for Life team in Madison, Wisconsin stands witness in front of the Madison Surgery Center, where late-term abortions were scheduled to begin in January of last year.

“For 14 months, our vigils have held them off,” said Steve Karlen, the 40 Days for Life coordinator in Madison. This center had been projected to do about 125 late-term abortions a year.

Steve said an enthusiastic community overcame the challenges “of a very hostile anti-life college campus at the end of a very cold winter.” Rather than just one or two vigil participants, it was not uncommon to see eight or twelve out at a time.

Organizers hoped to have 25-to-30 people attending a recent prayer service. “Instead,” said Steve, “we had nearly 200 people pack the sidewalks to pray.”

It’s a small picture, but it will give you some idea of the size of the crowd on the sidewalk in front of that medical building!

In St. Cloud, Minnesota, 21 members of a homeschooling group — including 16 children — rode a bus from their home in Springfield to pray and sing at the vigil site. Springfield is more than two and half hours away from St. Cloud.

But this is not the only way they participate in 40 Days for Life. They’ve been holding a weekly prayer hour in the Springfield town square, each led by members of a different local church.

“It just goes to show what people can do in their own town with community outreach,” said Judy in St. Cloud.

In Lake Havasu City, Arizona, the 40 Days for Life team sponsored a rally with food, music and guest speakers — they called it Tailgate4Life. Not only did they build interest in the local campaign, but they also raised money for local pro-life projects — and made an individual impact on at least one person.

Fatima said that one prayer volunteer was overjoyed that her husband was standing with her in prayer. “Married for over 50 years, she shared that the tailgate rally was the first time that her husband said yes to active participation,” she said. “Although he believes in the sanctity of life, this year was the first year he opted to move from the couch. Praise God!”

There’s still time to get off the couch! If you haven’t prayed at a 40 Days for Life vigil yet, this weekend marks the perfect time.

Click here to find the location nearest you:

http://40daysforlife.com/location.cfm

Today’s devotional is from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life.

——————————————————
DAY 37 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, Priests for Life
——————————————————

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.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day37print.pdf

——————————————————

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: I’m really enjoying the stories of local 40 Days for Life campaigns posted on the 40 Days for Life blog. If you have news to share, please reply to today’s entry.

Looking for a little good news to start your day? Here are a few stories that show how prayer often makes a difference … in little ways. But small victories really do add up when you take a look at the big picture of what’s going on in 167 communities!

The 40 Days for Life vigil in Spring Valley, New York, takes place outside a Planned Parenthood facility that is open one Saturday each month.

“They were supposed to be open from 9 am until 1 pm this past Saturday,” said Eileen in Spring Valley, “and they were booked with appointments.”

However, vigil participants could not get to Planned Parenthood. In fact, NO ONE could get to Planned Parenthood. The roads were blocked off because of a gas leak and fire in the area, and the police said it just wasn’t safe to be in the neighborhood.

So the volunteers relocated their prayer vigil to the district office of their U.S. congressman.

Here’s a photo of the Spring Valley vigil.

Clear across the country in San Marcos, California, the 40 Days for Life team thinks they may have witnessed a record for longest distance traveled to a vigil — 2,423 miles.

A team of students from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio was on a mission trip to California.

“They came to speak to youth groups, work at soup kitchens and volunteer in different ways, but had also a desire to pray in front of a local abortion clinic,” said Gene in San Marcos. “They found out about the 40 Days for Life campaign and decided to join in.”

Here are photos of the Steubenville students in San Marcos:

The 40 Days for Life outreach in Birmingham, Alabama seems to have had an impact on Planned Parenthood’s bottom line.

Just last week, vigil participants learned that Planned Parenthood had laid off two staffers who often served as client escorts — and the accountant who’d worked there for 17 years. The three employees were given only two days’ notice that their jobs were ending.

“The accountant said that she spoke to our volunteer because we had always been nice to her,” said Judy. “She asked for our prayers and any help we could give her in obtaining new employment.” And the Birmingham team is doing just that — praying, and circulating the woman’s resume and looking for job leads.

“She seemed a little shaken and nervous losing her job with such short notice,” said Gwen, another prayer volunteer, “but she also said she didn’t really want to work there either.”

“This lesson has taught me that the employees of Planned Parenthood are not the enemy,” said Judy. “These people are God’s children and deserve our prayers for their conversion to the culture of life.”

Gwen added, “As long as we are reaching out in love, then God will do the rest.”

Amen!

Today’s devotional is from Vera Faith Lord, director of Alpha/Omega Life Ministry.

——————————————————
DAY 36 INTENTION
——————————————————

Pray that those who have forgotten their purpose may discover it in God and therefore have the courage to choose life.

——————————————————
SCRIPTURE
——————————————————

These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season, what you give them they gather in; you open your hand they are filled with good. You hide your face, they are troubled; you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.

– Psalm 104:27-30

——————————————————
REFLECTION by Vera Faith Lord, Alpha/Omega
——————————————————

“I am a feather on the breath of God.”

As the quote above portrays, we are upheld by the power and purpose of God.

Our very existence on earth, from our body’s first breath to its last, when we leave it to return home, is our Father’s choice and happens only by His willing to do so.

He who created the universe also created that which is “me.” I do not “have” a soul – I AM a soul, as well as a body.

My entire purpose in this life is to find my way back to my Creator.

——————————————————
PRAYER
——————————————————

Beloved Father, remind us today that there is no truth but you.

Do not let us fall prey to the evil one’s lie that we may choose death.

Remind us right now that you, who created all life, are in control of all life, and let us know right now that you who created all life, are in control of all life, and let us choose life always.

Father, please let us hear your voice more today than yesterday.

Keep lighting the pathway home, for us and for all who participate in this 40 Days for Life campaign.

Father, we’re on our way. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day36print.pdf

——————————————————

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: Coming up next month is a powerful conference where you can hear exciting national speakers with messages of hope — and receive valuable training about the abortion recovery movement and effective strategies to end the pain of abortion.

I will be one of the speakers at Operation Outcry’s Hope for Life conference, which is being held from April 15-18 in Dallas, Texas — and I would love to see you there!

To learn more, look over the amazing lineup of speakers, and register to attend, visit:

http://www.operationoutcry.org/pages.asp?pageid=78926

If you can attend, I know you’ll be blessed!

PPS: What small victories have you witnessed with 40 Days for Life in your city? Please share the good news by replying to today’s blog entry at:

As this 40 Days for Life campaign continues, the need for prayer for an end to abortion grows clearer each day — as does the need to pray for healing for those whose lives have been turned upside down because of their experiences with the pain caused by abortion.

Lynda said that through her efforts with 40 Days for Life, she often meets both women and men “who come to confess an earlier and much regretted decision to have an abortion.”

She had one person tell her, “I always wonder what my daughter’s sister would look like.”

“It’s so sad,” she said. “There are so many broken hearts; so much emptiness. There was a person who came to me in tears saying how sorry she was about her decision so many years ago. We must continue to pray.”

Nancy’s story is typical of what many 40 Days for Life vigil participants are hearing.

“I was pregnant — but not by the man I had lived with for the previous years,” she said. An older friend — whom she considered wiser and more experienced — recommended abortion. “No one spoke for the life of my preborn.”

Nancy is one of the millions who regret their abortions. Thankfully, she found healing in Christ.

The message that healing is indeed possible is part of the 40 Days for Life witness at many of the vigils.

There’s a photo of the 40 Days for Life vigil in Everett, Washington that illustrates that. Prayer volunteers are carrying signs from the Silent No More Awareness Campaign that read, “Women do regret abortion” and “Men regret lost fatherhood.”

“Praying in front of Planned Parenthood has drawn me closer to the cross than I’ve ever been before in my life,” wrote Julie. “Twenty years ago, I had an abortion. I never knew the power of prayer until now.”

For years, she said, the pain, shame and all that goes with it had been buried deep within her. “This year, God called me to 40 Days for Life and I was listening.”

She broke down while praying at the vigil. Two days later, “I made a complete confession and turned my life over to God, completely. I know I still have a long way to go in healing,” Julie said, “but I can’t express what it feels like to be forgiven. Thank you for your encouragement and thanks to all of the participants of 40 Days for Life. I could not have done this alone.”

“I was in the same situation some 30 years ago,” explained Alicia. “I was filled with such unimaginable guilt.” It took years for her to finally listen to God and actually accept His forgiveness — and forgive herself.

“I thank God that this beautiful ministry exists,” she said, “and will continue until the end of abortion comes to pass.”

Today’s devotional is from Carmen Pate, a member of the 40 Days for Life board of directors.

——————————————————
DAY 35 INTENTION
——————————————————

Pray that all believers participating in this 40 Days for Life campaign will make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3).

——————————————————
SCRIPTURE
——————————————————

And the glory which You gave Me, I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

– John 17:22-23

——————————————————
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, Point of View
——————————————————

Christ prayed that all those who would believe in Him would be united in single purpose and spirit, just as He and the Father were united.

I find it convicting to consider that those who would run to Jesus with their sins, seeking forgiveness, and falling in love with the Savior, often run from Christians today.

Is it because they see division and dissension instead of unity and peace?

No doubt Christ is pleased to see the body unified and praying together during these 40 days.

This is exactly what we see when we read about the beginnings of the church. Both the unity and the prayer are conspicuous, along with the results of unified prayer.

Acts 2:46-47 tells us, “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

No doubt the enemy is disheartened to see the unity in prayer, fasting and peaceful vigil, and he will continuously try to disrupt the bond of peace among brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let us guard our hearts and minds, exhibiting the love of Christ that He so graciously gives us, so that those watching will see the love among us and know that He must love them too!

——————————————————
PRAYER
——————————————————

Heavenly Father, give us grace in every situation to work toward unity. With humility, gentleness, and patience, may we endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There are hurting men and women Lord at the crossroads of life and death who are looking for love and peace in their lives.

May they see Christ in us and be drawn to the abundant life that only He can give. It is in Christ’s precious name that we pray, Amen.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day35print.pdf

——————————————————

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: If you have stories to share about the 40 Days for Life campaign in your area, please respond below.

As the dust settles following the devastating U.S. House vote that imposed abortion coverage and government funding of abortion under the guise of health care, many people are feeling a sense of despair today.

But Jeremiah 29:11 clearly instructs us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Even in the midst of this darkness, God has given us more than 2,500 reasons to have great hope. And that hope is because of YOU.

In the past week, 40 Days for Life reached a milestone. In this, the sixth coordinated, simultaneous 40-day campaign of prayer and fasting, constant vigil and community outreach, we now know of …

… more than 2,500 babies …

… saved from abortion during these campaigns.

The exact total is currently 2,536. Not only have so many babies been spared from abortion, but so have many mothers and many fathers!

Not only have 2,536 babies been spared from abortion, but the impact was also felt on each of their mothers and fathers.

So that’s roughly 7,500 lives directly impacted by your prayers and the mercy of Almighty God!

Add to that grandparents, siblings, friends — it’s genuinely amazing the number of people positively affected each time a mother rejects abortion.

For this campaign alone, the total stands at …

… 368 babies saved — that we know of. Of course, only God knows the true total.

The 40 Days for Life campaigns in New York City have reported more than 20 turnarounds this campaign. The good news is that prayer is effective; the challenge is that New York is the abortion capital of the United States.

The 40 Days for Life campaign in Queens is being conducted in an area the prayer volunteers call “abortion row.”

Here’s a photo of a typical day at the vigil in Queens:

It may look at first glance like these people are praying outside a donut shop — but that’s not the case. The donut shop just has the misfortune of being right between two abortion facility entrances.

To the left, there’s Women’s Health Care. To the right, Jackson Heights Women’s Medical. Because of the neighborhood they’re in, both businesses have signs in Spanish.

The prayer volunteers are often hassled for being there. But they know that’s where they have to be in order to make a difference.

We’re often told that it’s useless to stand outside the abortion center because women arriving for appointments have already firmly decided that abortion is the right “choice.”

Time after time, that abortion industry maxim is proven wrong.

In Southfield, Michigan, 40 Days for Life vigil participants met a woman who was walking into the abortion facility. They spoke to her briefly, and learned that abortion was the “choice” of her mother and boyfriend — she was being pressured into it.

As she walked into the building, one of the volunteers told her that free help was available just up the street at a pro-life pregnancy center.

That apparently struck a chord.

She recalled that this pro-life center had helped a friend of hers. So while she was in the waiting room at the abortion facility, she called her friend. The friend soon arrived, walked into the building — and the two women then left together to go to the pro-life resource center.

The young woman then called her mother to explain why she was refusing to abort her child.

As one of the Southfield volunteers said, “Praise God for using us and this incredible live-saving team he has put together in our community!”

Today’s devotional is from Rev. Ben Sheldon, president emeritus of Presbyterians Pro-life.

——————————————————
DAY 34 INTENTION
——————————————————

We pray for the conversion of abortionists and all abortion advocates.

——————————————————
SCRIPTURE
——————————————————

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.

Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

– Isaiah 1:16-17

——————————————————
REFLECTION by Rev. Ben Sheldon
——————————————————

God is just.

Inscribed around the inside of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC, are the immortal words of Thomas Jefferson: “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.”

If the deist, Jefferson, knew in the depths of his being that God is just, how much more ought we Christians to reflect on this profound truth?

The justice of God, like his holiness and his purity, encourages us to seek justice for all people.

It is the evil deeds and wrong, selfish attitudes of our modern society that have led to the cavalier acceptance of abortion and euthanasia.

But, as Jefferson also said, “his justice will not sleep forever.”

God is calling us today to seek justice, to encourage the oppressed, and to defend the orphans and widows of our society.

It is a noble calling! It is one which every true believer, every God-fearing man and woman, should heed with no hesitation and no reluctance.

To follow the God of justice and truth is to stand unequivocally for the right to life of everyone, especially the unborn, the physically disabled, and the terminally ill.

God’s word through the prophet Isaiah is as relevant in today’s 21st century world as it was in Isaiah’s 8th century BC world.

May God’s grace help us to defend the unborn’s right to life as well as that of the already born.

——————————————————
PRAYER
——————————————————

O God, our heavenly Father, give us courage and wisdom as we seek to eradicate the evil in our society.

Help us to realize that your divine Spirit alone can change hearts and minds so that all your human creatures may enjoy the fullness of life you intended for them.

I pray this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, Amen.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day34print.pdf

——————————————————

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: Keep faith even in the midst of the challenges! There are miracles happening every day at 40 Days for Life locations near and far. Please share your thoughts, feelings, and any good news by replying below.

Even though 40 Days for Life involves a lot of hard work, it’s always worth it — especially when faithful people are determined to carry out the mission despite hardships and challenges.

That’s certainly the case in Toms River, New Jersey … a community that’s currently conducting its fourth 40 Days for Life campaign.

“Over 460 people have signed up for at least an hour to participate in this spring’s vigil,” said Sandy in Toms River. “This year is well over double the number of commitments from our very first campaign in the fall of 2008.”

And that number does NOT include many more people who are praying and fasting on their own, or helping the local effort in other ways.

Vigil participants have seen firsthand what “choice” is all about. They recently met a woman who was arriving for an abortion appointment — in tears.

She already had a 15-month-old baby. She and her husband were having financial problems. She’d had mental health issues after the birth of her last child and “could not handle another baby.”

As the group was assuring her that all the necessary resources would be available, she admitted she didn’t want to have the abortion. But as she started to walk toward the parking lot, one of the abortion center workers intercepted her and steered her towards the building.

Vigil participants prayed even more intensely, some even dropping to their knees.

One of the prayer volunteers then found the woman behind the abortion center. She assured him that she was just calling her husband to have him pick her up.

She said, “Those people in there do not care about me. They only care about my money and taking my baby from me.” She said she would be back to show the abortion center workers her new baby — and to join the vigil.

As a testimony to the fact that 40 Days for Life is making a huge impact in Toms River, vigil participants have recently been joined by two women with “keep abortion legal” signs.

“It is so difficult to understand how they could possibly rationalize and justify the taking of a totally defenseless life, let alone promote this killing so passionately,” Sandy noted. “It becomes even more apparent the spiritual battle we are up against.”

It’s also telling that these two have only been on the sidewalk on warmer, sunny days. “Not surprisingly,” said Sandy, “they decided not to join us on a cold and rainy day while at least 30 people sacrificed their comfort for the cause of life.”

Yes, it’s a sacrifice. It’s hard. But it’s important. It’s necessary. And it works! Thank you for all you’re doing in response to God’s call.

Today’s devotional is from Fr. Frank Pavone, the national director of Priests for Life.

——————————————————
DAY 33 INTENTION
——————————————————

Let us affirm the unborn children by our language.

——————————————————
SCRIPTURE
——————————————————

Anyone who says to his brother, “Raca,” is answerable to the Sanhedrin… anyone who says, “You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.

– Matthew 5:22

——————————————————
REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life
——————————————————

Before the schoolyard bully beats up his victim, he calls him names. This is a way to dehumanize the victim, and therefore make it easier to justify attacking him.

In this verse from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that using dehumanizing language is sinful. “Raca” was an Aramaic term of contempt.

The respect and love we are called to have for other human lives is not limited to action alone; it also has to manifest itself in language.

Professor William Brennan, in his book “Dehumanizing the Vulnerable: When Word Games Take Lives,” traces the dehumanizing language used to oppress various groups of people in history, such as our African-American brothers and sisters, or our Jewish brothers and sisters in the Holocaust.

He then shows that the same kind of dehumanizing language is used against the unborn, who have been called “parasites,” “tissue,” and “medical waste,” among other things.

What are we to do instead? We are to affirm one another, including the unborn, with ennobling language that inspires respect and love.

The unborn are precious children, they are our brothers and sisters, they are the image of God. Let us multiply the language of affirmation, as we hasten to the day of their protection!

——————————————————
PRAYER
——————————————————

Lord, we ask your forgiveness for any times our words have dehumanized our brothers and sisters.

We also ask you to send your grace to those who speak and write in degrading terms about the children in the womb. Convert those who do not see the dignity of these children.

Loosen the tongues of those who do not know how to acknowledge the humanity and sacredness of these tiny lives.

Keep us all aware of the power of language, and help us to use it rightly in the cause of life and justice. We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day33print.pdf

——————————————————

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: Are you a first-time participant in 40 Days for Life? If so, thanks for joining the campaign! Please share your impressions by replying below.

Planned Parenthood often receives special focus during a 40 Days for Life campaign. It is the largest abortion chain in the United States, and according to its most recent annual report, it performed 305,310 abortions during a 12-month period.

During this 40 Days for Life campaign alone, there are vigils being conducted at 76 Planned Parenthood locations.

Two of those sites are in Houston, Texas. One is an office building that’s being refurbished into one of the largest abortion centers in the Western Hemisphere.

No abortions have been performed there yet — but already, a baby has been saved.

Fr. Carlos in Houston tells of a 17-year-old who showed up recently, telling vigil participants she was there for an abortion. “She didn’t realize the clinic was not open ‘for business’ yet,” he said.

Her boyfriend was pressuring her into an abortion. “She was going to go through with it,” Fr. Carlos said, “because she didn’t know what else to do.”

The Gabriel Project quickly rounded up support for this young mother and her child.

Members of a local church have already placed a billboard near the new Planned Parenthood mega-center. It reads, “Take my hand, not my life.”

Here’s a photo of that billboard:

The second 40 Days for Life location in Houston is a Planned Parenthood abortion center. It was there that Mikel Fair, a local video director, said he was inspired to put together a short feature on the 40 Days for Life campaign.

“It was a rewarding experience,” he said, “and I hope that this video will encourage other pro-lifers like myself to take a peaceful stand against abortion centers throughout the world, in a kind and loving way through prayer.”

There’s a 40 Days for Life vigil going on at another reported Planned Parenthood construction site in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The local newspaper reported on this campaign’s midpoint rally.

“Planned Parenthood makes teens believe that sex is recreational,” local volunteer Charles Gorski said. “They’re basically saying if you get pregnant by accident, just take care of it by killing your baby.”

Click here to read the full story:

http://tinyurl.com/ylrahzl

The 40 Days for Life vigil in Canton, Ohio is at a Planned Parenthood center that does not perform surgical abortions. And that raises many questions.

A young woman, who was waiting outside the building, asked the prayer volunteers, “How much do you guys get paid to stand out here?”

“We do not get paid,” the vigil participant answered. “We stand out here in the cold and snow to save the lives of unborn babies.”

The woman responded, “They don’t do that here, do they?”

“This Planned Parenthood refers, suggests and counsels women to abort their baby,” the volunteer explained, “and a portion of every dollar spent for services in this facility helps to kill the unborn.”

“She was shocked and disgusted,” said Linda in Canton. “She thanked us and went back to the building to wait. A seed was planted.”

Here’s a picture of the vigil in Canton:

Today’s devotional is from Rev. Paul Stallsworth, president of Lifewatch (United Methodist Church).

——————————————————
DAY 32 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, Lifewatch
——————————————————

“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.

——————————————————
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
——————————————————

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2010day32print.pdf

——————————————————

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

PS: How is 40 Days for Life changing your community? Your church? How is it changing YOU? Please reply below with your good news.