-- and we can look back now at lives FOREVER CHANGED. During these 40 days, there have been ... ... 508 lives saved -- that we know of -- because of
God's response to your prayer! From past campaigns, we expect the number to KEEP
GROWING, as our local campaign leaders get their final
reports in. In the coming days, keep an eye on your inbox for some
exciting news and developments that have been in the
works during this campaign and for the past few months! But for today, let's look at some of the ways lives
have been changed during 40 Days for Life -- and thank
God for his abundant blessings during this time of
prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.
-------------------------------------------------------
AUSTIN, TEXAS
------------------------------------------------------- A volunteer spoke a teenaged couple approaching the
abortion center and learned that the girl just found
out she was pregnant. She was afraid of telling her
parents and wanted to go behind their backs to get a
judicial bypass -- a court order -- in order to have
an abortion. Her boyfriend was not in favor of the abortion, but
reluctantly said he supported her because it was her
decision. "I showed them what her baby might look like, based
on how far along she thought she was -- six weeks,"
said the vigil participant. "I also discussed
alternatives and resources that I could connect
her with." The couple walked into the abortion center, but soon
left "with smiles of joy and satisfaction. They decided
to not to have an abortion," said the volunteer. "Praise God!"
-------------------------------------------------------
OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS
------------------------------------------------------- The 40 Days for Life team in Overland Park had gotten
a call from the 40 Days for Life leaders in Columbia,
Missouri. Planned Parenthood's Columbia abortionist
had quit, so this office was sending women to Planned
Parenthood in Overland Park for abortions. A volunteer spoke to a couple who had shown up for an
appointment in Overland Park. He asked the couple if
they were from Columbia -- they looked shocked -- and
said in fact they were. So he shared some pro-life
information with them. They never made it inside the building, however. It
was closed! No one had shown up for work that day
-- there was no explanation. Later, another couple showed up, knocked, tried the
intercom -- nothing. There was still no one there.
They also took information from the volunteers and left.
-------------------------------------------------------
LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
------------------------------------------------------- A young woman stopped to talk to a 40 Days for Life
prayer volunteer outside the abortion center. "She was pregnant," the vigil participant said, "and
gave me many reasons as to why she should have an
abortion." She said the father was not around, she used
drugs and she wouldn't be a good mother. "I simply reminded her that God had a plan for her and
her baby, and that He would take care of her. I
referred her to the pregnancy resource center a few
doors down from Planned Parenthood." They prayed, and the volunteer gave the young woman a
hug, after which she said, "I'm out of here." As she left Planned Parenthood, she rolled down the
window and waved goodbye. "She was crying," said the
vigil participant. "I'm still praying for her."
-------------------------------------------------------
SHARONVILLE, OHIO
------------------------------------------------------- A vigil participant in Sharonville says a woman pulled
into the driveway and stopped to talk to her. "She thanked me for praying," said the volunteer. "She
said that a few days earlier she was driving by and was
considering an abortion. She has five boys and is
pregnant with a girl. Her husband of twenty-plus years
has left her." This woman told the 40 Days for Life participant, "Never
feel that what you are doing is in vain. It was your
prayers that changed my mind and saved my little girl
and me." "I prayed with her for quite some time," said the
volunteer. "It was extremely powerful."
Here's today's "bonus" devotional from Fr. Frank
Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life.
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 41 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears
abundant fruit, and that we begin again each day to
storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into
the gates of heaven.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of
hell will not prevail against it. -- Matthew 16:18
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone
----------------------------------------------------- When we read this verse, we usually think that the
Lord is promising that the church, which is His Body,
will withstand all the attacks launched against it.
Of course, that is true. But when we think about it more carefully, we realize
that in a battle, the gates do not run out into the
battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, they stand
still to defend the city from the enemy attacking it. So when the Lord says that the gates of hell will not
prevail against the church, who is doing the
attacking? It is the church storming the gates! The church, all of God's people in Christ, is called
to take the offensive, to run into enemy territory,
and to gain ground for Jesus Christ. We do not wait
for an invitation; we already have a command. We
prepare, but we do not wait for circumstances to be
perfect; we already have one who has gone before us. During these 40 days, we have stormed the gates. We
have taken the offensive. We have pushed forward the
boundaries of the kingdom. And we must keep doing so,
in numerous ways. Indeed, the gates of hell will not prevail. The gates
of falsehood will flee in the presence of truth. The
gates of sin will melt in the presence of grace. The
gates of death will fall in the presence of the
church, the People of Life!
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- Father, we praise you. We have heard the voice of
your Son, and therefore we can make our voices heard.
We have done battle with the power of evil, and
therefore we can have compassion on those still
within its grip. We have been freed from the kingdom
of darkness, and therefore we can bear witness to
your Kingdom of Light. May the witness of all your people through these 40
Days for Life bear abundant fruit, and may we begin
again each day to storm the gates of hell until You
welcome us into the gates of heaven. We pray in the
victorious name of 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/fall2011day41print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life PS: What's next for you? For your community's 40 Days
for Life effort? Please share your story by
leaving a comment at today's blog entry: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2578 40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
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