DAY 11: Responding to God’s call
Thank you to everyone who has come out to pray at 40 Days for Life vigils. If you haven’t had a chance yet, why not go out today?
Saturdays are the busiest days of the week at many abortion centers. Perhaps the Lord is calling YOU to step out in faith today at one of the 261 campaign locations.
Recently, I was in Florida and Texas, where they had one thing they don’t have at many of those 261 locations — warm weather!
In fact, in many cities it’s downright cold. Here are some thoughts — and pictures — from people enduring cold weather with warm hearts.
—————————————————–
CINCINNATI, OHIO
—————————————————–
It was “ever so cold” when volunteers bundled up and gathered together for a nighttime prayer vigil outside Planned Parenthood with Bishop Joseph Binzer.
“We give thanks to all who’ve been able to tolerate the cold and join us in prayer throughout the campaign,” said Theresa in Cincinnati. “Thanks to all who’ve answered the call to stand united in prayer to end abortion.”
—————————————————–
WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK
—————————————————–
Gerald thanked “over 30 hardy pro-lifers fired up White Plains despite the chilly weather. Thank you for showing up and witnessing to the dignity of human life. You are making a difference!”
—————————————————–
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
—————————————————–
Haylee prayed at the 40 Days for Life in Anchorage … concerned not with the cold, but by what she witnessed: “Young women, in a continual stream, entered the doors with sad faces and left missing the soul of their child they carried in with them.”
She prayed for those young women, but also that more “men and women of courage” would answer God’s call to join the vigil.
“My prayer is that the place of darkness might be turned to light, from despair to hope, from brokenness to wholeness, and from death to life,” she said.
“My prayer is also that Christ will convict the hearts of His Church to stand in the gap for the unborn. Don’t let another woman enter that facility without having someone there praying for her!”
—————————————————–
SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA
—————————————————–
“I saw one person praying out in front of Planned Parenthood the other day,” said Pastor Matt Haag in Sioux Falls, “and my first thought was I wish there were more! But in all reality, God is there even if no one is out praying. And perhaps when I see no one there, God is actually calling me!
“I pray that you are called to take a stand, to see God at work first hand. Please join us praying to end abortion!”
Here’s the link to today’s devotional.
Yours for Life,
Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: Has overcoming challenges been one of the blessings at your 40 Days for Life campaign? If you have any good news to share, please comment below.
February 23rd, 2013 at 7:50 am
Yesterday my friend Kitty and I arrived at the Metropolitan Planning Planning Clinic to pray. It was just the two of us. We held our 40 Days for Life signs and prayed the Rosary. The clinic was not open at the time. The clinic is next to a busy intersection where people have to stop for the light. We were so thrilled that several people beeped their horns and gave us the ‘thumbs up” sign as they rode by. (OK, one man gave us the finger!). It was so cold that by the time we got back to the car, the bottle of water that Kitty had in her pocket was frozen solid! But it was worth it! God was there with us!
February 23rd, 2013 at 8:05 am
THE BABY PRAYER
Dear Jesus, in your great Love and Mercy, touch the hearts of expectant mothers who are planning to have abortions.
Give them the grace and strength to CHANGE their minds, and with your loving help they will give birth to the babies destined for them.
February 23rd, 2013 at 8:46 am
Praying that 2013 will be the year that legal abortion ends in our nation.
February 23rd, 2013 at 8:57 am
One day in January it was cold (to us) even down here in Houston. I didn’t want to go, it was drizzly all day also. However, I recalled on Northerner in the book, telling David bereit, “it’s not cold. You just don’t have enough layers on.” So I layered up, and went. In Houston that day, I looked like i could have been in one of those pictures today.
February 23rd, 2013 at 9:06 am
The White Plains, N.Y. brought beloved memories of when I lived in the United States and specifically in Westchester County. Almighty God gives us Communion in The Holy Spirit,
In Christ
Ed Benya, S
São Leopoldo, R.S. Brasil
February 23rd, 2013 at 10:01 am
Yesterday we prayed the USCCB Life Stations of the Cross in front of the Springfield Planned Parenthood. As we prayed the Sun began to shine and we would feel the Love of God shining upon us and the the sun would disappear and extreme cold would fall upon us as we prayed each time Jesus fell someone was there to raise him. For us it was the Sunshine and the prayer.
Jesus is always there to show us the way and to offer up the harshness of the weather remembering what he gave for us!
February 23rd, 2013 at 1:16 pm
The 40 Days for Life Campaign is the best thing to happen to the pro-life movement. We must help it grow! Each one of us could help to share this loving, non judgemental campaign with other Christian denominations who’ve never heard of it!!Callling to get e-mail addresses from other churches and then preparing a loving cover letter, and then e-mailing that plus a copy of the local 40 Days For Life webpage along with link to the Nat. 40 Days for Life, would be a simple way to help others know about it. Too many protestants have not heard of it still and have never been invited to participate, or are included as speakers at Kick off Rallies. We need to share this message and make it the very most wonderful thing that occurs twice yearly!
Each one of us with computer basic skills, could start our own list of church contacts of various denominations in our area and put a loving cover letter and copy our local pro-life groups 40 Days for Life Page along with a link to the national group and send them to our contacts.
February 23rd, 2013 at 1:19 pm
I love to read all these beautiful 40 Days For Life events. We are getting a new Pregnancy Resource Center in Arkadelphia AR and I have been trying to let you know so that you can help us get started with our own campaign. We thought we could pray at our center since we do not have an abortion in our area, thank goodness. We will be known as the Pregnancy Resource Center of Southwestern Arkansas. Please send suggestions to lucilleluyet@yahoo.com.
February 23rd, 2013 at 1:33 pm
I am praying with you all, though I am one of those blessed with warm weather. Your warm hearts bless us all. We pray for an end to abortion in America, we pray that God would bring revival to our land, but especially the youth so they will value human lives, and we pray that husbands would stand beside wives in having and raising their children. Gob bless you all.
February 23rd, 2013 at 4:49 pm
Today my husband, Tom, went to keep his Saturday morning commitment to pray in front of Planned Parenthood in Annapolis, Md. It was cold and rainy and when he got there there he was by himself. Although totally out of
his comfort zone, he stood in front of the clinic solitary saying his rosary. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two young men approach. They stopped beside him and asked if he was praying. He said yes, and they asked if they could pray with him..one young man kneeling on the side walk. Shortly, another young man joined them. When finished the rosary he asked if they were from the Serverna Park parish that is often there at that time. They said no, they were from the Naval Academy. Those midshipmen are real men for others… what a contrast to the “men” in so many of the young women’s lives who feel compeled to seek abortion for lack of support. Stories like this, and the many found on this blog are certainly the good news in a darkened world. There may not have been a visible “save” by these men today, but we know that in God’s economy those graces have been applied and will be actualized somewhere else, and realized on the other side of the veil.
February 23rd, 2013 at 7:42 pm
I am praying for all who have un dergone abortions have the support they need to heal in this time of tragedy. I pray they feel the loving arms of God around they come to the realization of what they allowed the abortion workers to take from them. I feel for these women and men so much for I have seen at abortion clinics the coldness of hearts from abortion workers. Please transform in their hearts a warmth of your love and let them turn from their sinful ways. Allow the mothers to see Christ in those who join in prayer at these abortion mills. Help these women undergoing abortions to know they are not alone and God loves them. Thank you to all who join outside these abortion mills despite the bad weather and answer the call to do Christ’s work. MAy God bless all of you.
February 25th, 2013 at 9:48 pm
About 14 young people who are in a group called Fun Fellowship and Service planned something they have done for four of the past vigils. They prayed three hours in front of our local Planned Parenthood as a part of the 40 Days for Life action.
Six adults joined them, including myself. It was a very cold, rainy day. They would have had to cancel if the thunder and lightening continued, but right when the time came to pray it was only slightly drizzling and no more thunder!
That morning one of my clients had given me a long rain coat, wool scarves and gloves. The rain coat kept me completely dry, and I brought the scarves and gloves with me. Many had not dressed warmly enough and they were grateful for these items.
I was so elated to see how this group of young people were willing to endure the cold and how joyful they were to be together in solidarity to pray and hold up the signs, many of which they had made a sign making party.
They encouraged and motivated both their parents and people from our church to attend, and they were an inspiration to us all I know. Afterwards we went out to eat and bowling. They wanted to add an element of fellowship and fun to the service they performed. It is always so rewarding to just bask in the warm glow of doing God’s work.
I feel so grateful that we have a 40 Days for Life vigil in our town because it is something my whole family and our friends at church can unite in participating in. Our leadership group is awesome, and of course I am super grateful to David and Shawn for their hard work.
We ended our prayer vigil with a circle where we sang praise songs and many prayed aloud. Even though it was still cold, our hearts and minds were warm with the feeling of unity and hope that we had made a difference.