Day 20 of the 40 Days for Life Campaign
Campaign Director
There's one thing you can say about praying and fasting for an end to abortion. It works! So far during this 40 Days for Life campaign, we are aware of ...
... 213 babies who have been saved from abortion!
Here's a quick sampling of the 213 stories of mothers who've changed their minds.
Manassas, Virginia
Mike in Manassas says prayer volunteers watched as a delivery driver pulled over to talk to one of the vigil participants.
"Turns out the delivery man drives by the site numerous times every day," Mike said. He told a woman who was praying that his girlfriend was pregnant and they had been thinking of aborting the baby.
"He confessed to her that after seeing so many people every day praying and witnessing for life, he knew abortion was no longer a possibility," said Mike.
"Praise God! Please keep him and his girlfriend in your prayers."
"Turns out the delivery man drives by the site numerous times every day," Mike said. He told a woman who was praying that his girlfriend was pregnant and they had been thinking of aborting the baby.
"He confessed to her that after seeing so many people every day praying and witnessing for life, he knew abortion was no longer a possibility," said Mike.
"Praise God! Please keep him and his girlfriend in your prayers."
Mary Anne watched as a young couple came out of the abortion center to talk. They kept talking, and the volunteers kept praying.
"They started to walk to the driveway so I said, are you both okay and can we help you?” she said. The young woman said, "Yes. I am having some doubts."
"We talked with them for a good while on the sidewalk," Mary Anne said. "We cried with them and they are going to keep the baby. Praise Jesus for answering our prayers today!"
Leamington, Ontario
Helen tells of a young woman who was planning to have an abortion … who drove past the Leamington vigil and was surprised to see people praying and holding signs that read "pray to end abortion." As she got closer, she recognized one of the prayer volunteers -- a friend's father.
"It was at that moment she decided against the abortion," Helen said. "Seeing her dad's face in the crowd changed her mind."
"I can do this," the woman said, after deciding to keep her baby.
"We are giving thanks to God for answering our prayers," said Helen. "Now if someone says, 'What if someone recognizes me standing out there?' we say 'Great!'"
Here's today's devotional from Rev. John Brown, the Director of United Friends for Life (United Church of Christ)...
Day 20 intention
May God's justice sober our society, and may mercy triumph over judgment.
Scripture
Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.
- Genesis 9:5-6
Reflection by Rev. John Brown
The value of every human being can hardly be seen more clearly than with this verse. God, the King of the universe, has created all human beings in his image, and declares forthrightly that shedding the blood of any individual will require the blood of the one who shed it.
God's concern for human beings is not limited to any particular group. Indeed, his concern is universal, and includes male and female, young and old, born and unborn, disabled and able-bodied, the citizens of every nation on earth.
Abortion, the deliberate killing of the unborn, is the shedding of innocent blood. Surely the blood of millions upon millions of innocent children cries out to God. It is true that we live in an age of grace, and yet this passage (among many other texts which express similar sentiments) should give every thinking Christian pause.
Christians of all people, entrusted with the Word of God as we are, must take a stand. We must speak out. We must do all that we can to protect the innocent, to pursue justice, and to encourage the repentance of all those who bear responsibility for this great evil. Only in this manner can we hope to forestall the judgment that must otherwise surely come.
This passage should also be seen as an encouragement to educate and disciple our children and grandchildren about what it means to be human, and the responsibility that will become theirs in this ongoing struggle.
Prayer
O Father, forgive us for our lack of courage and our want of compassion for the unborn and for those lost and hurt by abortion. Fill us anew with your Spirit.
Renew our minds, strengthen us in righteousness, help us be people of salt and light within our nation. May every human being, from conception to natural death, be treated with the respect due those made in your image. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Printable devotional
To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day20print.pdf
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