Dear Deacon, As the first full week of this 40 Days for Life
campaign comes to an end, we've already seen many
blessings ... and we expect God to send more. The
one question local campaign leaders are asking is: Can YOU do more?
-----------------------------------------------------
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
----------------------------------------------------- The 40 Days for Life team in St. Louis is expanding
their efforts this campaign, including for the first
time some overnight coverage for their peaceful vigil. "The power of prayer lives outside of time and space,"
said Brian Westbrook, the local coordinator. "When we
are standing on the sidewalk praying at night, the
woman who is about to go to the abortion facility the
next day is staying up all night worried because she
feels she has no other choice but to abort." He added that prayers often help to comfort and
empower these women to carry their children to term. "Abortion is a serious matter," Brian said, "and we
are showing our community that we are willing to step
out of our comfort zone to stand up for the truth and
change our local culture to END abortion, not just
reduce it." To see a picture of some of the nighttime prayer
volunteers in St. Louis, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3337
-----------------------------------------------------
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
----------------------------------------------------- Wynette in Sacramento tells me that Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays have always been very busy abortion days
at the location where 40 Days for Life vigils are held.
But she just found out last week that they are now
completely closed on Saturdays! "Dozens of children have lost their lives each
Saturday at this location for years in our community,"
she said, "but due to reduced demand for abortion, an
attempt by the abortion business to cut costs, and the
loss of several key veteran abortion staff members,
the business is now closed on Saturdays, which is an
encouraging answer to prayer!" Wynette also says she personally witnessed the answer
to other prayers. "I was present when a car pulled
over at the corner and the young woman said, 'I
changed my mind and didn't have my abortion!'
Praise God!" To see photos of the 40 Days for Life vigil in
Sacramento, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3337
-----------------------------------------------------
IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH
----------------------------------------------------- Finally, I’d like to share a story without giving
names or locations. One of our local teams tells the story of a couple
who pledged their lives together "in sickness and
in health." Now one of them has cancer. For the next seven weeks, virtually coinciding with
40 Days for Life prayer campaign, they will be
traveling past the vigil site en route to the hospital
for chemo. They've decided that every day after the
cancer treatment, they will stop by the vigil site
to pray. "They are not people who want adulations for what
they are doing," said one local team member. "They
prefer anonymity. We are inspired by this couple --
and challenged to do more. Much more!"
And now here's today's devotional from Fr. Terry
Gensemer, the National Director of the Charismatic
Episcopal Church for Life...
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 7 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- May we have a heart and a zeal to save the poor and
release the oppressed.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has
anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has
sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. -- Luke 4:18-19
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Fr. Terry Gensemer
----------------------------------------------------- This passage is a very familiar one. It has been
preached on many occasions, even made popular in
books and songs. Though the quote is about Jesus, all
Christians take this commission seriously as a
directive on how to reach the world with the gospel. We, like our Savior, are to bring the good news to
the poor, the brokenhearted, those in captivity,
those who cannot see, and the oppressed. The commission given to us in this passage is clearly
a charge to care for those for whom God cares the
most. I wonder though, whom do we look for to be
touched by the Holy Spirit as we go out into the
world? Who are the poor, if not those unborn children who
have been abandoned by their parents before they ever
leave the womb? Who are the brokenhearted, if not those unborn
children whose only example of love is having their
mother take them to an abortion clinic to be
destroyed, or the mother of a child who has been
deceived by everyone around her into believing that
what she is doing is best for her and her child? Who are the captives, if not those unborn children
who are bound over to death by the "choice" of
abortion? Who is more blind than an unborn child in the
darkness of a womb that has become a waiting room for
their death? And who is more oppressed than those unborn children
whose oppression has been legitimized by their
government, their church and even their family and
loved ones?
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- Lord, You empower us with Your Spirit to do your will
in the earth. Send us to the poorest, the most
broken, the most captive, the most blind and the most
oppressed in the world, the innocent pre-born
children in their mother's wombs that are scheduled
for destruction. Help us to bring them healing,
liberty, sight and justice through Jesus Christ our
Lord, Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2012day07print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: What's going on with 40 Days for Life in your
community? Please leave a comment on today's
blog entry and let me know! Go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3337 40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
campaign comes to an end, we've already seen many
blessings ... and we expect God to send more. The
one question local campaign leaders are asking is: Can YOU do more?
-----------------------------------------------------
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
----------------------------------------------------- The 40 Days for Life team in St. Louis is expanding
their efforts this campaign, including for the first
time some overnight coverage for their peaceful vigil. "The power of prayer lives outside of time and space,"
said Brian Westbrook, the local coordinator. "When we
are standing on the sidewalk praying at night, the
woman who is about to go to the abortion facility the
next day is staying up all night worried because she
feels she has no other choice but to abort." He added that prayers often help to comfort and
empower these women to carry their children to term. "Abortion is a serious matter," Brian said, "and we
are showing our community that we are willing to step
out of our comfort zone to stand up for the truth and
change our local culture to END abortion, not just
reduce it." To see a picture of some of the nighttime prayer
volunteers in St. Louis, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3337
-----------------------------------------------------
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
----------------------------------------------------- Wynette in Sacramento tells me that Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays have always been very busy abortion days
at the location where 40 Days for Life vigils are held.
But she just found out last week that they are now
completely closed on Saturdays! "Dozens of children have lost their lives each
Saturday at this location for years in our community,"
she said, "but due to reduced demand for abortion, an
attempt by the abortion business to cut costs, and the
loss of several key veteran abortion staff members,
the business is now closed on Saturdays, which is an
encouraging answer to prayer!" Wynette also says she personally witnessed the answer
to other prayers. "I was present when a car pulled
over at the corner and the young woman said, 'I
changed my mind and didn't have my abortion!'
Praise God!" To see photos of the 40 Days for Life vigil in
Sacramento, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3337
-----------------------------------------------------
IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH
----------------------------------------------------- Finally, I’d like to share a story without giving
names or locations. One of our local teams tells the story of a couple
who pledged their lives together "in sickness and
in health." Now one of them has cancer. For the next seven weeks, virtually coinciding with
40 Days for Life prayer campaign, they will be
traveling past the vigil site en route to the hospital
for chemo. They've decided that every day after the
cancer treatment, they will stop by the vigil site
to pray. "They are not people who want adulations for what
they are doing," said one local team member. "They
prefer anonymity. We are inspired by this couple --
and challenged to do more. Much more!"
And now here's today's devotional from Fr. Terry
Gensemer, the National Director of the Charismatic
Episcopal Church for Life...
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 7 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- May we have a heart and a zeal to save the poor and
release the oppressed.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has
anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has
sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim
liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. -- Luke 4:18-19
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Fr. Terry Gensemer
----------------------------------------------------- This passage is a very familiar one. It has been
preached on many occasions, even made popular in
books and songs. Though the quote is about Jesus, all
Christians take this commission seriously as a
directive on how to reach the world with the gospel. We, like our Savior, are to bring the good news to
the poor, the brokenhearted, those in captivity,
those who cannot see, and the oppressed. The commission given to us in this passage is clearly
a charge to care for those for whom God cares the
most. I wonder though, whom do we look for to be
touched by the Holy Spirit as we go out into the
world? Who are the poor, if not those unborn children who
have been abandoned by their parents before they ever
leave the womb? Who are the brokenhearted, if not those unborn
children whose only example of love is having their
mother take them to an abortion clinic to be
destroyed, or the mother of a child who has been
deceived by everyone around her into believing that
what she is doing is best for her and her child? Who are the captives, if not those unborn children
who are bound over to death by the "choice" of
abortion? Who is more blind than an unborn child in the
darkness of a womb that has become a waiting room for
their death? And who is more oppressed than those unborn children
whose oppression has been legitimized by their
government, their church and even their family and
loved ones?
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- Lord, You empower us with Your Spirit to do your will
in the earth. Send us to the poorest, the most
broken, the most captive, the most blind and the most
oppressed in the world, the innocent pre-born
children in their mother's wombs that are scheduled
for destruction. Help us to bring them healing,
liberty, sight and justice through Jesus Christ our
Lord, Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2012day07print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: What's going on with 40 Days for Life in your
community? Please leave a comment on today's
blog entry and let me know! Go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3337 40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
