Dear Deacon John,
Yesterday, I spoke at a
40 Days for Life kickoff event in Lakeland, Florida. Over the weekend,
our national director, David Bereit, helped launch the campaign in
Norristown, Pennsylvania.
Steve Karlen, our North
American outreach coordinator, has visited Shreveport/Bossier City,
Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. And Robert
Colquhoun, our international outreach coordinator, spoke in Cardiff,
Wales.
Those are just a few of the 253 locations
that start 40 Days for Life at a time when many Christians are entering
the season of Lent ... to prepare their hearts for the Resurrection of
Christ on Easter Sunday.
London, England
As we get ready to start this journey of prayer, fasting and peaceful vigil, I want to share big news ...
... the first international closure of an abortion location following 40 Days for Life vigils outside its doors!
This unprecedented
closure is from the heart of London — at the BPAS abortion business in
Bedford Square, where five campaigns have taken place.
You can watch a short video Robert Colquhoun made outside the former abortion facility by clicking the image below:
This now makes 45 abortion centers where 40 Days for Life vigils have taken place that are now totally shut down!
Lubbock, Texas
A new article from Baptist Press
focuses on these closures. The report highlights the vigils at the
Planned Parenthood abortion center in Lubbock, Texas and features an
interview with the campaign's young 40 Days for Life leader, Krysten
Haga.
If you've not taken part in 40 Days for Life before, I hope these stories show what can happen when you put your trust in God and step forward in faith.
The campaign runs from March 5 through April 13. Find the 40 Days for Life location nearest you by going to:
Click on the city's name, and then sign up to get involved however you can.
Deacon John, I'd like
to personally invite you to join the journey – as we look forward to
seeing what miraculous blessings God has in store!
As we prepare to start the campaign, here’s a special devotional from Carmen Pate of Alliance Ministries.
Pre-kickoff intention
For God’s blessing upon the coming 40 Days for Life campaign.
Scripture
"If My people who are
called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and
turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive
their sin and heal their land."
— 2 Chronicles 7:14
Reflection
Not unlike God's chosen
people of Israel, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and
turn from our wicked ways, if we expect God to hear from heaven, forgive
our sin, and heal our land. The need for repentance has not been
greater since the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade in 1973.
The number one cause of
death in America is the needless sacrifice of our children at the altar
of convenience called abortion. Conservative estimates put the number
of deaths at nearly 55 million.
And lest we think this
is an issue outside the church walls, 43 percent of women obtaining
abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27 percent identify
themselves as Catholic. One in four women has at least one abortion by
the age of 45 — both non-Christian and Christian alike. Where was the
voice of Truth -- the church?
Mary Comm of In Our
Midst Ministries, Inc. sums up the issue best as she writes, "We (the
church) have been an unintentional accomplice to the millions of lives
lost and to the multiplied millions of lives devastated by abortion. We
didn't want them to abort. We didn't mean for them to abort. But,
because of our lack of knowledge, because of our fear, we have continued
to stand by and do nothing."
"We, God's hands and
feet in this dark and hurting world, have been unintentional,
unknowledgeable accomplice, but an accomplice nonetheless."
May today mark the beginning of change within the church, as God's people, in unity, seek His forgiveness.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we
have turned our backs on you and your principles in your Word. We have
allowed man to usurp Your role as God over life and the number of our
days. But we come to you in brokenness and repentance over our sin.
We cry out for Your mercy and ask you to remove the scourge of abortion from our land.
Use us as your vessels, Lord, to bring the light of Your Truth to our nation once again. Because of Christ we pray, Amen.
Printable devotional
To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:
Let's pray, fast, and shape history together ... starting tomorrow!
For Life,
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SHAWN CARNEY
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
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