http://www.40daysforlife.com/
"I have never met a woman who had an abortion because
she was "pro-choice." Women usually make abortion
appointments because they feel they have NO choice.
Thanks to people just like YOU, who are praying
outside abortion facilities during these 40 Days for
Life, more and more troubled young women are coming to
understand the truth and understand it in love.
In Thousand Oaks, California, Molly arrived at the 40
Days for Life vigil and saw two girls sitting in a car
-- crying. She made eye contact with them, and one of
the girls motioned her to come over.
"We started talking," Molly said, "and it turned out
that the younger girl was about six weeks pregnant.
She was being pressured into having an abortion."
Molly had a fetal development chart. "I showed her
what her baby looked like and gave her some facts
about where she is in her pregnancy. I let her know
that no one can pressure her into doing something that
she doesn't want to, and that there are many people in
the area that would help her," she said.
"I told her that having an abortion would dramatically
affect her life -- that God loved her and had a plan
for her and her baby."
The girl and her friend then drove away. "She decided
that she wanted to keep her baby and could not have an
abortion," said Molly. "About 40 minutes later they
drove by waving and honking at me -- and smiling."
As people prayed at the 40 Days for Life vigil in
Memphis, a young woman was pacing outside the building
that houses the abortion facility. "She walked back
and forth a few times and was crying. Finally she got
back into her car and left," said one volunteer.
The young woman decided not to keep her appointment.
"Her boyfriend did not appear to be happy," the
volunteer added. "We need to pray for them."
At the same clinic in Memphis, a mother and daughter
arrived who also felt like they had no choice -- but
they spotted people with signs reading "pray to end
abortion" as they were walking up to the door.
They did not go in. They stopped and talked to the
people praying with the 40 Days for Life group. The
mother said, "I really don't want my daughter to have
an abortion. She does not want to have an abortion
either. Is there another option?"
The volunteers told her about the local pregnancy
resource center. She thanked them and went back to her
daughter. The two talked for a while, then left. They
had found their answer, and it was NOT abortion.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to pray at the
40 Days for Life location nearest you, please check:
http://40daysforlife.com/location.cfm
Just being there makes a difference!
Today's devotional was prepared for you by Carmen
Pate, 40 Days for Life board member and co-host of the
nationally syndicated Point of View radio talk show...
------------------------------------------------------
DAY 28 INTENTION
------------------------------------------------------
Pray that those standing in peaceful vigil will
extend mercy and grace to others as they remember
that Christ did not treat us as our sins deserve.
------------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
------------------------------------------------------
"You have heard it was said, 'you shall love your
neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I say to you,
love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do
good to those who hate you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute you."
-- Matthew 5:43-44
------------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, Point of View
------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps it is obvious by now that not everyone
thinks this campaign is a great idea! In fact,
those on the front lines standing in peaceful
vigil are perhaps being cursed and hated for what
God has called you to do.
Because we are all fallen creatures, our natural
response may not be as Christ-like as we would
hope it would be.
So, how do we keep our natural response in check,
while allowing the Holy Spirit to empower us to
love, bless, do good, and pray for those who hate
us or would do us harm?
Consider first the Holiness of God.
It seems that sin has clouded our ability to think
clearly about God's nature. We simply don't have a
clue of how outraged God is by our sin, what an
insult sin is to His person, or how sin fires the
flames of His wrath.
Praise God that He didn't leave us in our
depravity destined for His divine wrath!
Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But God, who is rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us, even when we were dead in sin, made us
alive together with Christ; by grace you have been
saved."
Because of God's mercy and grace towards us, we
who receive Him receive eternal Hope.
Those who curse you, hate you, spitefully mistreat
you and persecute you need that same Hope.
That is the only way we can ever expect them to
behave differently.
Ask the Holy Spirit to love them -- through you --
so they are drawn to the Hope that is in you, that
is Christ Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
------------------------------------------------------
Heavenly Father, may we reflect your character of
grace and kindness to those who hate us and curse us.
Guard our hearts and our tongues as we respond in love
to words and actions meant to rile us or cause us
harm.
Let others see the Hope that is Christ in all we say
and do. In His precious name we pray, Amen."
------------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
------------------------------------------------------
To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2009day28print.pdf
------------------------------------------------------
Yours In Christ,
Shawn Carney
Spring Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
3515-B Longmire #316
College Station, TX
77845
US
"I have never met a woman who had an abortion because
she was "pro-choice." Women usually make abortion
appointments because they feel they have NO choice.
Thanks to people just like YOU, who are praying
outside abortion facilities during these 40 Days for
Life, more and more troubled young women are coming to
understand the truth and understand it in love.
In Thousand Oaks, California, Molly arrived at the 40
Days for Life vigil and saw two girls sitting in a car
-- crying. She made eye contact with them, and one of
the girls motioned her to come over.
"We started talking," Molly said, "and it turned out
that the younger girl was about six weeks pregnant.
She was being pressured into having an abortion."
Molly had a fetal development chart. "I showed her
what her baby looked like and gave her some facts
about where she is in her pregnancy. I let her know
that no one can pressure her into doing something that
she doesn't want to, and that there are many people in
the area that would help her," she said.
"I told her that having an abortion would dramatically
affect her life -- that God loved her and had a plan
for her and her baby."
The girl and her friend then drove away. "She decided
that she wanted to keep her baby and could not have an
abortion," said Molly. "About 40 minutes later they
drove by waving and honking at me -- and smiling."
As people prayed at the 40 Days for Life vigil in
Memphis, a young woman was pacing outside the building
that houses the abortion facility. "She walked back
and forth a few times and was crying. Finally she got
back into her car and left," said one volunteer.
The young woman decided not to keep her appointment.
"Her boyfriend did not appear to be happy," the
volunteer added. "We need to pray for them."
At the same clinic in Memphis, a mother and daughter
arrived who also felt like they had no choice -- but
they spotted people with signs reading "pray to end
abortion" as they were walking up to the door.
They did not go in. They stopped and talked to the
people praying with the 40 Days for Life group. The
mother said, "I really don't want my daughter to have
an abortion. She does not want to have an abortion
either. Is there another option?"
The volunteers told her about the local pregnancy
resource center. She thanked them and went back to her
daughter. The two talked for a while, then left. They
had found their answer, and it was NOT abortion.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to pray at the
40 Days for Life location nearest you, please check:
http://40daysforlife.com/location.cfm
Just being there makes a difference!
Today's devotional was prepared for you by Carmen
Pate, 40 Days for Life board member and co-host of the
nationally syndicated Point of View radio talk show...
------------------------------------------------------
DAY 28 INTENTION
------------------------------------------------------
Pray that those standing in peaceful vigil will
extend mercy and grace to others as they remember
that Christ did not treat us as our sins deserve.
------------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
------------------------------------------------------
"You have heard it was said, 'you shall love your
neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I say to you,
love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do
good to those who hate you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute you."
-- Matthew 5:43-44
------------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, Point of View
------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps it is obvious by now that not everyone
thinks this campaign is a great idea! In fact,
those on the front lines standing in peaceful
vigil are perhaps being cursed and hated for what
God has called you to do.
Because we are all fallen creatures, our natural
response may not be as Christ-like as we would
hope it would be.
So, how do we keep our natural response in check,
while allowing the Holy Spirit to empower us to
love, bless, do good, and pray for those who hate
us or would do us harm?
Consider first the Holiness of God.
It seems that sin has clouded our ability to think
clearly about God's nature. We simply don't have a
clue of how outraged God is by our sin, what an
insult sin is to His person, or how sin fires the
flames of His wrath.
Praise God that He didn't leave us in our
depravity destined for His divine wrath!
Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But God, who is rich in
mercy, because of His great love with which He
loved us, even when we were dead in sin, made us
alive together with Christ; by grace you have been
saved."
Because of God's mercy and grace towards us, we
who receive Him receive eternal Hope.
Those who curse you, hate you, spitefully mistreat
you and persecute you need that same Hope.
That is the only way we can ever expect them to
behave differently.
Ask the Holy Spirit to love them -- through you --
so they are drawn to the Hope that is in you, that
is Christ Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
------------------------------------------------------
Heavenly Father, may we reflect your character of
grace and kindness to those who hate us and curse us.
Guard our hearts and our tongues as we respond in love
to words and actions meant to rile us or cause us
harm.
Let others see the Hope that is Christ in all we say
and do. In His precious name we pray, Amen."
------------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
------------------------------------------------------
To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2009day28print.pdf
------------------------------------------------------
Yours In Christ,
Shawn Carney
Spring Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
3515-B Longmire #316
College Station, TX
77845
US