Dear Deacon John,
Have you ever prayed outside an abortion facility at midnight?
What about 2 am? Or 3 am?
Right now, there are many 40 Days for Life vigils that take place 24 hours every day.
If you’ve never been to an overnight vigil ... or just want to see what it’s like ... watch this short video, featuring Steve Karlen, our North American campaign director, that was recorded at a 24-hour vigil in Wisconsin.
Click on the image below ...
... or go to:
https://40daysforlife.com/2016/02/18/day-9-sleep-is-overrated/
The natural question can be, “What possible good are you doing out there in the middle of the night? The place is closed … and nobody sees you!”
The abortion facility is closed ... but God doesn’t hear or answer prayers based on their business hours. Abortion survives on distraction in our busy world ... and there are no distractions in the still and silent hours of the night.
We saw the power of all-day, all-night prayer during the first 40 Days for Life campaign in Texas in 2004 ... when the Knights of Columbus created the Knight Shift. They committed to pray on the sidewalks outside the abortion business – every night – from 11 pm to 7 am.
There’s something special about the non-stop prayer witness that’s hard to explain. I encourage you to watch this video ... and if you're able, pray at yourclosest vigil – night or day.
Tempe, Arizona
When pro-abortion Planned Parenthood supporters came to protest the 40 Days for Life vigil, at first glance it looked like a circus had come to town.
Lisa in Tempe said the demonstrators included a woman in a pink bikini (it’s Arizona; it’s warm there) and a man in a pink tutu, and their event featured lots of loud music and profanity. Other women danced and jumped while shouting vulgarities about God and religion.
The vigil participants’ only response was continued peaceful prayer – “united in prayer and not divided; all one body, one in hope and one in charity.”
Lisa said the demonstration appeared to be a last-chance effort by Planned Parenthood. “We are making a big difference in Tempe. The Planned Parenthood supporters do not want us there. We will continue on … with prayer and fasting as our only weapons until the battle is won, for the glory of God.”
Spring Valley, New York
“Bitter cold temperatures and winds could not deter those brave people who came every hour on the hour to stand for protecting the most innocent among us,” said Eileen from Spring Valley. This vigil is across from a Planned Parenthood abortion center.
Fortunately, there are life-affirming services that volunteers can rely on to assist women who need help. A pregnancy care center is located nearby … and there’s also a 24-hour hotline available for women looking for options that Planned Parenthood is unwilling to provide. Eileen said these resources “can make all the difference between life and death.”
She said the vigil participants “are called to witness with love” – fasting and praying that a predatory business will soon leave their community – and bringing about “the conversion to life of all those involved in this dark culture of death.”
Here's today's devotional from Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-life Union.
Day 9 intention
May we grow in joy, knowing we serve a living God.
Scripture
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14
Reflection from Day Gardner
The Word of God came to us in human form in Jesus Christ. Every time I contemplate this fact I get chills! And I think it is something that we, as Christians, tend to gloss over. I can only imagine how the first disciples felt when they were looking into the eyes of the one and only Almighty God who created them. The first disciples developed a close relationship with Him as they daily walked and talked with Him. They ate with Him, prayed with Him and rested when He rested. As they listened to the Word of God, who was and is Jesus....they believed and "beheld His glory." Today, this is something we can still do because we serve a living God. Remember, Jesus died on the cross but rose from the dead in victory! Jesus is every bit as real and alive for all of us as He was to the first disciples. He wants us to develop a close relationship with Him in the very same way. Jesus wants us to know Him personally. He wants us to walk with Him and talk with Him on a daily basis.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love and saving grace in Christ Jesus. Help us to realize every day the great blessing we have in our Savior. I pray that we will rise every morning with excitement and zeal, looking forward to walking another day in your footsteps fully knowing that you continue to dwell among us. Amen.
Printable devotional
To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/media/day09.pdf
For life,
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SHAWN CARNEY
President
40 Days for Life
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