Dear Deacon John,
"Why
do I have to go to the abortion center? Can't I pray at home or at
church?" We get this question often; and the answer is very simple. You
need to pray outside the abortion facility because your prayers there
have an immediate impact on an urgent situation.
Yes, God hears and answers prayers, no matter where they're said. But when women arriving for abortions see the public vigil, they know and understand that at the moment they need it most, someone is praying specifically for them.
Your presence there is the last sign of hope before the abortion ... and the first sign of mercy after the abortion. Many of the moms who have chosen life ... and even former abortion workers ... say the prayer presence outside turned them away from abortion. They saw that someone was there, just for them.
Ithaca, New York
Yes, God hears and answers prayers, no matter where they're said. But when women arriving for abortions see the public vigil, they know and understand that at the moment they need it most, someone is praying specifically for them.
Your presence there is the last sign of hope before the abortion ... and the first sign of mercy after the abortion. Many of the moms who have chosen life ... and even former abortion workers ... say the prayer presence outside turned them away from abortion. They saw that someone was there, just for them.
Ithaca, New York
"This picture speaks volumes of why our presence is so important," said Mary Anne in Ithaca.
The young woman in the photo is a journalism major at Ithaca College who was doing an article on 40 Days for Life. She arrived and started posing questions to the vigil participants. "What’s your name?" she asked. "What’s your role in 40 Days for Life? Why are you here?"
One of the volunteers she spoke to was Deb, the woman on the left in the picture.
Deb explained that when she realized that what was being aborted was actually a baby, she needed to take a position. Convinced that life was being destroyed, she chose to stand for life. She had close friends who aborted their babies, and they are now without children.
She explained that the prayer volunteers are at the vigil to share the good news, "We are not the good news," Deb said, getting a bit teary-eyed at this point; "but God is the good news."
"We need to be on the sidewalk standing for life," Mary Anne said. "We never know when someone is looking or searching for the truth. The truth is that Life is the good news - God-given life is good news.
Here's today's devotional from Randolph Sly of the National Pro-life Religious Council...
Day 18 intention
We pray for a flowering of the joy of parenthood.
Scripture
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
-- Psalm 127:3-5
Reflection by Randolph Sly
I still vividly remember the day my first child was born. As she came into the world I gazed upon the most beautiful little baby I'd ever seen.
Later I was driving home from the hospital for a shower and a fresh change of clothes when a song came on the radio, "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" -- a ballad about being a father as he watches his daughter grow through childhood to womanhood.
I wept as I listened, knowing those years would go by very fast... and they did.
Being a father, whenever I read the Psalm quoted above I'm always captivated by one word - "heritage." It basically means "something passed down from a preceding generation."
That little girl I watched being born and wept for is not mine to give to God like a product of our fertility, but rather His, which he has entrusted to us. So are all her siblings.
My wife and I share a great treasure: precious lives, which are placed in our lineage that His life with us might be perpetuated.
To the psalmist, this was a blessing from the Lawgiver, God Himself, who blessed Israel with another generation intended to continue their covenantal promise.
For us in Christ, it is his gift of succeeding generations for His Church and her families.
These days I'm looking upon my grandchildren, and rejoicing that my children and their spouses will pass on the greatness of Christ's gospel to them and thus will continue the work of God in the world. What a blessing. What a heritage!
Prayer
The young woman in the photo is a journalism major at Ithaca College who was doing an article on 40 Days for Life. She arrived and started posing questions to the vigil participants. "What’s your name?" she asked. "What’s your role in 40 Days for Life? Why are you here?"
One of the volunteers she spoke to was Deb, the woman on the left in the picture.
Deb explained that when she realized that what was being aborted was actually a baby, she needed to take a position. Convinced that life was being destroyed, she chose to stand for life. She had close friends who aborted their babies, and they are now without children.
She explained that the prayer volunteers are at the vigil to share the good news, "We are not the good news," Deb said, getting a bit teary-eyed at this point; "but God is the good news."
"We need to be on the sidewalk standing for life," Mary Anne said. "We never know when someone is looking or searching for the truth. The truth is that Life is the good news - God-given life is good news.
Here's today's devotional from Randolph Sly of the National Pro-life Religious Council...
Day 18 intention
We pray for a flowering of the joy of parenthood.
Scripture
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
-- Psalm 127:3-5
Reflection by Randolph Sly
I still vividly remember the day my first child was born. As she came into the world I gazed upon the most beautiful little baby I'd ever seen.
Later I was driving home from the hospital for a shower and a fresh change of clothes when a song came on the radio, "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" -- a ballad about being a father as he watches his daughter grow through childhood to womanhood.
I wept as I listened, knowing those years would go by very fast... and they did.
Being a father, whenever I read the Psalm quoted above I'm always captivated by one word - "heritage." It basically means "something passed down from a preceding generation."
That little girl I watched being born and wept for is not mine to give to God like a product of our fertility, but rather His, which he has entrusted to us. So are all her siblings.
My wife and I share a great treasure: precious lives, which are placed in our lineage that His life with us might be perpetuated.
To the psalmist, this was a blessing from the Lawgiver, God Himself, who blessed Israel with another generation intended to continue their covenantal promise.
For us in Christ, it is his gift of succeeding generations for His Church and her families.
These days I'm looking upon my grandchildren, and rejoicing that my children and their spouses will pass on the greatness of Christ's gospel to them and thus will continue the work of God in the world. What a blessing. What a heritage!
Prayer
Heavenly
Father, please keep me from taking for granted the gift of children.
Help us to remember this heritage that you have given us. Make us
faithful stewards of these precious lives, that each generation might be
raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We ask this 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/fall2013day18print.pdf
Printable devotional
To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day18print.pdf
For Life,
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SHAWN CARNEY
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
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PS: How has 40 Days for Life affected you? Please leave your comment on today's blog entry:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=4856
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=4856
