Dear Deacon, Saturday is often the busiest day of the week at
abortion centers. So on this, the final Saturday of
this campaign, please try to make it to one of the
40 Days for Life vigils. There are so many things we can do on a Saturday. But
40 Days for Life is, after all, a call to sacrifice. The note I've copied below, which was received by one
of the local 40 Days for Life coordinators, certainly
puts that in perspective. This is one amazing letter!
-------------------------------------------------------
HERE IS MY CHALLENGE
------------------------------------------------------- "I am sorry for contacting you so late in the process.
I had hoped to get involved much sooner, but time and
circumstances have not allowed. I volunteer at a local
pregnancy resource center but have never had the
opportunity to pray at a vigil this way. However, if
there is still time to do so, I would like to do this
before the end of the 40 Days for Life campaign. "Here is my challenge; I am totally blind, so
transportation is a huge issue. If you know of anyone
I might be able to count on for a ride in order to come
pray with you sometime this week, I would love to try
to work that out. "Please contact me if there is still a need for vigil
prayer or any other way I can assist. I am currently
laid off from employment and have a fairly flexible
schedule. I am going to school online, but should be
able to work around that in order to attend one vigil
session." [And yes, this determined volunteer got several offers
of transportation to the 40 Days for Life vigil, and
was indeed able to pray for the babies at the abortion
center yesterday morning!]
-------------------------------------------------------
LONG-DISTANCE SAVE
------------------------------------------------------- A 40 Days for Life volunteer in Everett, Washington got
a phone call from her sister, whose 18-year-old
granddaughter had scheduled an abortion in Richmond,
Virginia. She had hope, however, knowing there is a 40 Days
for Life campaign in Richmond. "I also put out a
request to my local 40 Days for Life prayer team in
Everett, asking them to pray for my niece's daughter,
her boyfriend and their child." She said the response among other 40 Days for Life
volunteers in Everett was touching, and it included
a promise from a pastor to pray for the family. All that prayer worked! "We have been blessed with the news that the abortion
appointment was cancelled," said the volunteer.
The teen and her mother made an appointment with an
ob/gyn instead, "where they were able to see the
baby's beating heart on an ultrasound." The young woman's mother wrote, "It was so wonderful
to watch the heartbeat of my grandchild today, the
day he or she would have died." "Praise God for another life saved," said the
volunteer in Washington. "I do believe it was
providential that this pregnancy occurred during
a 40 Days for Life campaign. Thank you all for your
prayers and sacrifices dedicated to sparing lives
from the atrocity that is abortion."
Here's today's devotional from Carmen Pate, a member
of the 40 Days for Life board of directors.
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 39 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- Pray that God will continue to bless the efforts that
have gone into the 40 Days for Life campaign, as we
trust Him for the results.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You
have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong
hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be
attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the
prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name. -- Nehemiah 1:10-11
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, 40 Days for Life
----------------------------------------------------- Nehemiah provides an awesome blueprint for volunteers
in God's service, particularly those responding to
the devastation abortion has caused our nation. Nehemiah grieved for God's reputation as he witnessed
the condition of the city walls of Jerusalem. The
walls were broken down which was seen by neighboring
people as a sign of weakness on the part of
Jerusalem's God. No wall meant no security for the
city and its people. We learn from his story that he covered every detail
in prayer; inspired others to join the cause;
organized others to help do the work; confronted
opposition directly and turned to God when
discouraged; and finally celebrated what was
accomplished and gave God all the glory! Like Nehemiah, we must acknowledge God's sovereignty
as we serve Him before a mocking world. We too need
to be reminded that we are "fighting" for our
families. We too must have an attitude of confession
and repentance before a Holy God. We must pray for
strength, refute slander, and not be diverted from
our work. Like Nehemiah, we will draw attention from the enemy
when we are seeking to protect the well-being of
God's people. We too must stand firm and seek God's
help to persevere until the task is done. We too will
be victorious.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and
the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all
that is in heaven and in the earth is Yours. We pray for your continued guidance and protection
throughout the remainder of this 40 day campaign. May
we be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in Your
work, knowing that our labor will not be in vain. We
pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2011day39print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: Has there been a single moment in this 40 Days
for Life campaign that stands out for you as a
sign of God's presence? Please share your story
by leaving a comment at today's blog entry: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2560
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
