The Day 1 devotional (below) begins with the words of Scripture, “Blow the trumpet in Zion!” Well, the trumpet has sounded and the fall 40 Days for Life campaign has officially begun.

These next 40 days will be an awesome journey as, together, we embark on the largest single coordinated pro-life mission ever conducted.

Tens of thousands of people across 212 cities are uniting in this prayerful effort — as well as countless others in places from coast to coast who will be praying from their homes and churches — imploring God to end the scourge of abortion.

For this effort to have grown to such an amazing size  — and to have already saved 1,561 children from abortion over the last two years — is, to me, proof that this is God’s work.

HE is the answer to this crisis of abortion, so let’s pray harder than we’ve ever prayed before!

And speaking of blowing the trumpet, I can’t help but mention how effectively many of the local 40 Days for Life campaigns are “tooting their horns” about this effort. Media outlets across the country are buzzing with news reports about this fall’s campaign.

Here are just a few examples…

In Dayton, Ohio –- The Dayton Daily News covered the local campaign’s kickoff event. Rev. Mike Spencer of Grace Missionary Church told the crowd about learning the truth about abortion after he became a Christian and decided to be “a voice for the unborn.” Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk led prayer and added, “If we don’t have reverence for human life, we are easing ourselves into a society in which nobody is safe. If you can kill little babies, you can kill anybody.”

In Columbia, Missouri –- Kathy Forck is helping lead that community’s first 40 Days for Life campaign. “All we want are prayers,” she told the reporter for the Columbia Missourian. “We just encourage people of faith to come out here and stand up for the little ones that can’t stand up for themselves.” A friend had invited Kathy to pray at the clinic last spring and she quickly realized she had to do more. “We can’t just stop,” she said.

In the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area — Local leaders for two campaigns appeared on Dave Palmer’s KATH-AM radio talk show to spread the word about 40 Days for Life. Milissa Kukla is the Dallas coordinator, and Jeff Williams handles the Fort Worth campaign. They were also joined by Laura Barker, who was part of the first-ever 40 Days for Life campaign in Bryan/College Station, Texas in 2004.

Listen to part of that interview online here:

Download mp3 (right-click to save file to your computer):
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/kath.mp3

40 Days for Life is the collective effort of ordinary people asking the Lord to act in an extraordinary way.

What will He do through YOUR prayers, fasting, and participation in 40 Days for Life this fall?

I don’t know, but I can’t wait for you to let us know!

Here’s today’s devotional from David Brandao, the communications director for 40 Days for Life…

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DAY 1 INTENTION
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That we may use these 40 Days for Life to plead for God’s mercy and grace upon all those involved in the sin of abortion.

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SCRIPTURE
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Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly. Gather the people, notify the congregation. Assemble the elders; gather the children and the infants at the breast… Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare, O Lord, your people.”

– Joel 2:15-17

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REFLECTION by David Brandao, 40 Days for Life
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The toll of abortion cannot be measured. We hear estimates of almost 50 million innocent victims, but that’s only one aspect of the harm that has unfolded in abortion’s wake. There are also the mothers and fathers of these millions, as well as the grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins. Unborn lives destroyed. Lives of the living shattered.

It’s overwhelming and depressing, but even in the midst of such unfathomable darkness, the church teaches us to have hope. Yes, it was indeed Calvary that followed Christ’s 40 days in the desert, but without Calvary there would have been no Resurrection — His victory over death that opened the gates of heaven to those who believe in and follow Him.

The psalmist encourages us to go humbly before God as we seek His will: “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me… Give me back the joy of your salvation and a willing spirit sustain in me… O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise” (Psalm 51:12, 14, 17).

We are called to be God’s messengers; or as the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: “We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

That is the true message to all we encounter at the abortion centers and in our communities who have been deceived by the Culture of Death. We don’t bring condemnation; we bring God’s good news.

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PRAYER
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Lord, we ask for the strength, courage, wisdom, determination and stamina to carry out this mission according to Your will.

Guide us, we pray, as we go forth and proclaim Your truth, always doing so with a spirit of love and compassion, as was demonstrated to us by Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, Amen.

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

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day01print.pdf

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For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 4:25 am and is filed under 09 Fall Campaign, 40 Days for Life, Audio, Devotionals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.