October 27, 2009
Here's the latest video, a touching three-minute
report from the frontlines in Toledo, OH:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=464
As we enter the final days of this 40 Days for Life
campaign, please keep in mind that God does not
always grant the blessing of seeing immediate results
from our efforts.
Such is the case in one 40 Days for Life community
where the campaign has been conducted several times.
Participants knew that because of their peaceful,
prayerful witness outside the abortion clinic, lives
had been saved from abortion. But what was really
going on inside that building?
One person found out in a most surprising way. This
person was not scheduled to pray at this particular
day and time, but stopped by the vigil following a
meeting. The clinic manager stepped outside to clean
windows, so the vigil participant saw an opportunity.
"I spoke kindly and introduced myself."
About half an hour later, the manager came out and
asked to talk -- "and invited me into the clinic!"
To say the least, what followed was an interesting
conversation.
The manager wanted to explain and justify what goes
on at the clinic, but it seemed like this clinic
staffer was offering excuses for being involved in
the abortion business. Furthermore, the manager
professed to be a Christian who was certain "in my
heart" that this was God's calling, and that what
goes on in the clinic is not wrong.
"I asked if the manager's heart had ever been wrong,"
said the vigil participant, "and did my best to
lovingly communicate my disagreement and the reasons
I am passionate about defending both the unborn and
their mothers. I said that Jesus cared for children,
and that it does not matter what anyone thinks about
when a fetus is a person or whether abortion is
wrong. What matters is what God thinks; what Jesus
thinks."
If not for 40 Days for Life, this vigil participant
would have been somewhere else, would not have spoken
to the clinic manager -- and would certainly not have
been invited inside for this discussion that planted
many seeds.
Is the clinic manager reconsidering the abortion
business? We pray! Or as the vigil participant said,
"Please pray that God would use my small efforts and
words to accomplish big things!"
And sometimes it does take time.
Again with today's reports, I'm not mentioning
locations because these are "works in progress," and
I don't want publicity to unsettle any hearts that
may be in the process of changing -- or give the
abortion industry a reason to threaten or pressure
workers who are considering quitting. Just pray!
At another 40 Days for Life vigil, the prayer team
has been praying specifically for a security guard --
ever since the first coordinated 40 Days for Life
campaign in 2007.
Last week, the security guard and a clinic escort
approached the local coordinator with a request -- to
pray that another pro-lifer, who was not associated
with 40 Days for Life, would leave. This particular
individual was described as "harsh."
"Well, you pray for everything else," said the
security guard, "so I thought maybe..."
The coordinator said praying for the person to leave
was out of the question, "but I could ask him to
reconsider the tone of his message, and we could pray
that he would say what God gave him to say. They were
actually happy with that response, and thanked me."
While the local coordinator took all this with a
grain of salt, they have been praying for this
security guard for more than two years now. "It comes
as a sign to me," the coordinator said, "and I am
overjoyed! A beginning is a beginning. Blessed be
God!"
Here's today's devotional from Carmen Pate, Co-host
of the "Point of View" radio talk show...
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DAY 35 INTENTION
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Pray for post-abortive women who cannot forgive
themselves; may they understand that there is no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
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SCRIPTURE
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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
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REFLECTION by Carmen Pate
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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.
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PRAYER
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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.
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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/fall2009day35print.pdf
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For Life,
David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life