Dear Deacon, As I've traveled during this 40 Days for Life campaign,
there is one constant factor: unity. Just two nights ago, I spoke at an event in New Jersey
and an Evangelical pastor came up afterwards, smiling.
"I'm sure glad the Reformation has not stopped us from
working together to end abortion," he said. This event had Catholics, Protestants and Evangelicals
in attendance, and his comment reflected the unity that
the pro-life movement should be proud of. This unity is a gift -- and the abortion industry sees
it as a threat. We're seeing the evidence at 258 vigil
locations. Here are just a few examples.
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FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
------------------------------------------------------ Linda in Fort Collins says a class from Holy Family
Church comes to pray at the vigil every Saturday
morning. As they were concluding their prayer hour,
a couple came in from Greeley, a town about 30 miles
away. The couple only spoke Spanish, but a few of the
kids were able to talk to them. The woman was told to visit Planned Parenthood because
there was some sort of complication with her pregnancy
and that she could die if she had the baby. One of the student's parents arrived and picked up the
conversation, telling the couple that Planned
Parenthood does abortions -- and it would be much better
for them if they scheduled an ultrasound through the
pro-life pregnancy resource center, where there would
be no pressure to abort the baby. A prayer volunteer gave them additional information
about all the help that’s available locally. "The couple left," Linda said. "Praise God!" To see a picture of a youth group praying at the Fort
Collins vigil, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3089
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JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
------------------------------------------------------ Speaking of youth groups at 40 Days for Life vigils ...
Elizabeth in Jacksonville sent a photo of the girls'
soccer team from Jacksonville Christian Academy in
prayer outside the abortion center. That's just
excellent -- young people sending a message of hope to
other young people -- so we're really glad to see that. "They came out to the vigil Thursday afternoon in place
of their practice time," Elizabeth said. Their coach
"reported very positive responses from those who passed
by." The team spent over an hour praying in the public
right-of-way. To see the picture of the school group in Jacksonville,
please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3089
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CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
------------------------------------------------------ The Planned Parenthood facility in Cedar Rapids does
not currently do surgical or RU-486 abortions. But the
40 Days for Life volunteers praying on the sidewalk
outside know they're making a difference. "The response from people driving by has been very
positive lately," said Jim in Cedar Rapids, "and we've
seen some success." When volunteers talk to clients about the things
Planned Parenthood does in other places, they start
to think about getting routine health services from
somewhere other than America's leading abortion chain. They're also able to give information about local
pro-life resources to women who go there for
pregnancy tests. They also heard from a teenager who had an appointment
to remove a contraceptive implant. "She said she would
rather be abstinent and not return as a client," Jim
said. "How often do you hear that from a teen that's
used Planned Parenthood's services for several years?" Jim said with continued prayer, "we hope webcam (RU-486
distributed via the internet) and surgical abortions
never make it to Cedar Rapids -- or your community."
Today's devotional is from Carmen Pate, a member of
the 40 Days for Life board of directors.
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DAY 35 INTENTION
------------------------------------------------------ Pray that all believers participating in this 40 Days
for Life campaign will make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace
(Ephesians 4:3).
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SCRIPTURE
------------------------------------------------------ And the glory which You gave Me, I have given them,
that they may be one just as We are one: I in them,
and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one,
and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and
have loved them as You have loved Me. -- John 17:22-23
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REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, Point of View
------------------------------------------------------ Christ prayed that all those who would believe in Him
would be united in single purpose and spirit, just as
He and the Father were united. I find it convicting to consider that those who would
run to Jesus with their sins, seeking forgiveness, and
falling in love with the Savior, often run from
Christians today. Is it because they see division and dissension instead
of unity and peace? No doubt Christ is pleased to see the body unified and
praying together during these 40 days. This is exactly what we see when we read about the
beginnings of the church. Both the unity and the
prayer are conspicuous, along with the results of
unified prayer. Acts 2:46-47 tells us, "So continuing daily with one
accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to
house, they ate their food with gladness and
simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor
with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved." No doubt the enemy is disheartened to see the unity in
prayer, fasting and peaceful vigil, and he will
continuously try to disrupt the bond of peace among
brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us guard our hearts and minds, exhibiting the love
of Christ that He so graciously gives us, so that
those watching will see the love among us and know
that He must love them too!
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PRAYER
------------------------------------------------------ Heavenly Father, give us grace in every situation to
work toward unity. With humility, gentleness, and
patience, may we endeavor to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace. There are hurting men and women Lord at the crossroads
of life and death who are looking for love and peace
in their lives. May they see Christ in us and be drawn to the abundant
life that only He can give. It is in Christ's precious
name that we pray, Amen.
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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
------------------------------------------------------ To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2012day35print.pdf
------------------------------------------------------ Yours for Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: If you have stories to share about the 40 Days
for Life campaign in your area, please respond to
today's blog entry at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3089
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
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22408
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