There is a REALLY BIG announcement at the end of this message — that you won’t want to miss — but first I have to share the breaking news…

Just when you think it can’t get any better, it does!

I stand today in wonder at the awesome power of God, as one miracle follows on the heels of another miracle, which follows on the heels of yet another!

Here’s the latest …

For at least 25 years, there’s been an abortion facility at 6700 North 9th Avenue in Pensacola, Florida. But last Friday — Day 38 of the fall 40 Days for Life campaign — as people prayed outside, the clinic CLOSED ITS DOORS and shut down!

The local 40 Days for Life team didn’t even realize it at the time. Ernie Cyr, the Pensacola coordinator, heard reports that law enforcement officers went into the clinic on Friday to serve some legal papers, but no one really knew what was going on.

Then on Monday, a simple legal notice appeared in the fine-print section of the local newspaper: “As of October 30th, 2009, The Community Health Center of Pensacola will be terminating its practice.”

Ernie’s two-word response? “Praise God!”

A local TV news team did some digging, and last night their top story reported what they discovered. The clinic operated a lab, and that lab required a state license. The owners had a license at one time, but the news report documented that it expired 413 days ago. And that’s something state investigators became aware of only recently.

The clinic was given a choice: pay a huge fine or close down. The fine is $1,000 a day — for each of the 413 days the lab was without a license — which came to a whopping $413,000!

The clinic could not come up with the money … and was left with only one choice: CLOSE.

State officials told WEAR-TV that they had offered the abortion facility a reduced fine as part of a settlement agreement — but they never received a response. The abortion center staff would not talk with the TV reporters for comment, but the legal notice in the newspaper certainly suggests that the closure is permanent.

God works in mysterious — and wonderful — ways!

Here’s the WEAR-TV news report:

Now, I do have to tell you that this clinic had been the target of senseless violence in the past — a bombing in 1984 and two murders in 1994.

Because of that, many of the pro-life people in Pensacola quit coming out and opted to pray for the unborn at home or at church — or avoided pro-life efforts completely.

Although some stalwart Christian witnesses kept up their heroic efforts through the years, prayer presence at this clinic had drastically diminished because of the things that had happened.

Bottom line: the violence did not stop the abortions.

And, it drove away the very people who could have been part of the solution to the abortion crisis.

But God had other plans. A young couple named Ernie and Mary Beth moved to Pensacola and were not fully aware of the past history of the area. They heard about 40 Days for Life during a “Being Human” episode on EWTN and decided to conduct a local campaign — and then another, and then another.

It hasn’t always been easy, but throughout the three local 40 Days for Life campaigns over these last two years, Ernie and Mary Beth Cyr have seen more and more people coming back out to pray at the clinic, PEACEFULLY asking God to end abortion there.

And He did!

The TV news story reported the observable facts about a Florida health agency that took action against an unlicensed facility — but it also featured Ernie saying, “It’s just a complete joy and what a blessing for our community to have this facility close.”

During the news report, Bernadette Ensley — a University of West Florida student, and head of UWF’s Students for Life group — said it best: “For this to up and close the last weekend of 40 Days for Life is really shocking and great!”

Here are some of the Pensacola 40 Days for Life team members in front of the now-closed abortion center:

This now makes FIVE abortion centers CLOSED — facilities where people came to pray outside for an end to abortion during 40 Days for Life.

Praise God indeed, for answering your prayers and the prayers of thousands of others!

*** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ***

Today’s amazing news makes me even more excited to announce that this coming Monday, November 9, you are invited to participate in a live teleconference and webcast where you will:

* Learn about the comprehensive results from this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign — the impact is even bigger than you think!

* Meet Abby Johnson, former director of the Planned Parenthood abortion center in the community where 40 Days for Life began, who will be on the call live to share more about her amazing conversion — and the power of prayer

* Hear the incredible story of the closure of the Pensacola abortion facility directly from Ernie and Mary Beth Cyr

* Discover the BIG NEWS about what’s next for this nationwide movement

* And some additional surprises!

Here are the details:

*****************************************************

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

WHAT: 40 Days for Life “BELIEVE” Teleconference and Webcast Announcement

DATE: Monday, November 9

TIME: 9 PM Eastern / 8 PM Central / 7 PM Mountain / 6 PM Pacific

WHO: YOU!

FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via phone or webcast — it’s your choice)

TO REGISTER FOR THE EVENT, GO TO:

http://40daysforlife.com/believe

*****************************************************

With the BIG plans that will be revealed during the event, we believe that this next year could be the most exciting time the pro-life movement has seen in years …

… But we’ll also be totally transparent with you about the significant challenges that must be overcome if this effort is to realize its full potential …

… And how YOU can help make a life-saving impact during this crucial next year.

Register now at:

http://40daysforlife.com/believe

I can’t wait to share the breaking news with you next Monday night!

For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

What an amazing last few days!

After yesterday’s message sharing the miraculous conversion of Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director in Bryan/College Station, Texas (birthplace of 40 Days for Life,) her story has sent shockwaves through the abortion industry and inspired hundreds of thousands of people world wide.

Here’s a picture of Abby with 40 Days for Life campaign director Shawn Carney in Bryan/College Station on the sidewalk outside of her former workplace:

Among the 100+ media outlets reporting on Abby’s conversion story in the last 24 hours, she was a featured guest yesterday on the nationally syndicated Laura Ingraham radio show (guest hosted by Raymond Arroyo) and shared her riveting story about the impact of 40 Days for Life people praying outside of her workplace.

We just posted a 10-minute audio excerpt of that interview, and you will be deeply touched when you hear what she said.

Listen to the audio online (click arrow to start):

Not only that, but yesterday, the first segment of ABC’s “The View” had Barbara Walters discussing Abby’s conversion and the disturbing revelations about how Planned Parenthood pressured Abby to increase the numbers of abortions to increase their income — which even pro-abortion co-host Joy Behar called “gross.”

The View’s national audience then heard actress Sherri Shepherd relate her own experience of being pressured at Planned Parenthood when she was 17 years old. She told the Planned Parenthood worker, “I’m not quite sure what I should do and she was pressuring me to get the abortion.”

Here’s a brief look at that discussion:

Praise God for all these opportunities Abby has to share the truth about life — and the harm caused by the abortion industry!

Please keep Abby in your prayers as abortion advocates — whose worldview has just been shattered — are now resorting to personal attacks against her.

*** NOW, I NEED YOUR ADVICE… ***

This is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT request I have sent to you throughout this fall 40 Days for Life campaign cycle, and your response is crucial.

The unprecedented growth and widespread impact of 40 Days for Life is a direct result of the input received from many people over the last year.

Now it’s your turn!

Regardless of your level of involvement in this campaign, please fill out a short survey to let us know your thoughts about 40 Days for Life — AND MORE IMPORTANTLY — to help shape the future of this collective effort!

Take the short survey now at:

http://www.40daysforlife.com/survey

It’s a simple survey with just a handful of questions that should take you about 3 minutes to complete.

I would really appreciate if you could make the time to complete this survey today — or by the end of this week, if at all possible.

There are enormous opportunities for us all to build on the momentum of this campaign, and your input will be vital in shaping the direction of these collective efforts in the future.

Fill it out online at:

http://www.40daysforlife.com/survey

The next few months promise to be exciting, and I truly believe the best days of the pro-life movement — and the biggest victories — are just ahead of us!

For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” — Matthew 19:26

I’ve known about this for the past few weeks, but now I can finally share the HUGE NEWS!

The director of the Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Bryan/College Station, Texas — where 40 Days for Life first began — has resigned her job, experienced a profound conversion, and joined our pro-life efforts.

AMAZING!

Here’s what happened …

Abby Johnson worked at Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas for eight years. She was there when the first-ever 40 Days for Life campaign was conducted outside of her workplace in the Bryan/College Station community in 2004.

She was there for the next 40 Days for Life effort as well — the one that helped to launch the first nationally coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign in the fall of 2007.

And she was there for the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that — and the one after that!

In fact, Abby was able to look out the window of Planned Parenthood and see 40 Days for Life campaigns on six different occasions — as well as the regular year-round prayer presence organized by the local Coalition for Life, under the leadership of our own 40 Days for Life campaign director Shawn Carney.

For all those years, people outside the clinic prayed for Abby.

And with all those prayers, Abby finally had a change of heart. She said, “Over the past few months I had seen a change in motivation regarding the financial impact of abortions,” she said, “and I reached my breaking point after witnessing a particular kind of abortion on an ultrasound.”

She quit her job and went across the street to the headquarters of the Coalition for Life where Shawn has been helping her over these last few weeks.

Fox News just reported on Abby’s conversion, stating:

Abby Johnson, 29, used to escort women from their cars to the clinic in the eight years she volunteered and worked for Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas. But she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus “crumple” as it was vacuumed out of a patient’s uterus in September.

“When I was working at Planned Parenthood I was extremely pro-choice,” Johnson told FoxNews.com. But after seeing the internal workings of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, “I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart … a spiritual conversion.”

Johnson said she became disillusioned with her job after her bosses pressured her for months to increase profits by performing more and more abortions, which cost patients between $505 and $695.

“Every meeting that we had was, ‘We don’t have enough money, we don’t have enough money — we’ve got to keep these abortions coming,’” Johnson told FoxNews.com. “It’s a very lucrative business and that’s why they want to increase numbers.”

Read the whole story (and see Shawn with Abby) at:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,571215,00.html

Abby finally saw the truth. The truth which Planned Parenthood often tries to hide — even from its very own management staff.

She left on good terms, and says that Planned Parenthood tried to offer her more money to stay. “But this was not about money or me being angry,” she said. “It was about my change of heart on abortion.”

Planned Parenthood has responded by going to court to seek a restraining order against both Abby and the Coalition for Life. The requested court action warns against disclosing any “confidential information.” An initial court hearing is set for November 10, so please keep Abby, Shawn, and the Coalition for Life in your prayers.

Seeing is believing, so here’s the local news report aired by KBTX-TV in Bryan/College Station (there’s a short commercial first):

Abby’s amazing conversion demonstrates the importance of a constant, persistent, peaceful prayer presence in front of abortion facilities.

From that first campaign in 2004, we’ve prayed for Abby — and for all abortion workers — that they would come to see what abortion really is, and that they would leave the deadly business. In this case, those prayers have been answered.

We are so proud of Abby’s courage to leave the abortion industry and publicly announce her reasons for leaving.

And now a familiar face has been seen praying outside Planned Parenthood in Bryan/College Station during the final days of this fall’s 40 Days for Life — yes, Abby Johnson.

God can and will do amazing things — if only we ask!

We must continue to pray and fast for more conversions just like Abby’s.

In fact, we WILL continue.

In the days ahead, you’ll learn how — together — we will keep this amazing momentum growing.

In all, eight clinic workers left their jobs during the 40 Days for Life campaign that just ended — and reports are still pouring in from across the 212 participating cities, so it could be even more!

I have another updated total for you as well. The number of babies (and their moms) spared from abortion during this campaign is now up to …

542!

Praise God for ALL these miracles!

For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

P.S.- Please keep Abby in your prayers this week. She goes on the Laura Ingraham radio show to tell her story in a few hours, and is scheduled to be on the O’Reilly Factor on Friday. May God use her testimony to change many hearts and minds!

P.P.S.- Want to share words of encouragement or prayers for Abby? Leave a reply below and we’ll make sure Abby sees your comments.

It’s now the day after the end of the fall 40 Days for Life campaign.

Go ahead and take a deep breath — you need it! It’s important to re-charge after 40 intense days of prayer, fasting, vigil and outreach.

But you know what? Your efforts are working. So after you catch your breath, please don’t stop!

All the reports are still coming in, but as of now we know of at least 534 babies — and their moms — spared from abortion during this fall’s campaign!

The credit belongs to God — and YOU!

A report from Houston, Texas shows just how much the abortion industry hates it when there are people on the sidewalk praying and offering real alternatives to women.

There’s a pro-life pregnancy resource center around the corner from the Planned Parenthood facility where the Houston 40 Days for Life vigil was conducted. A counselor met two women outside the abortion facility recently — and convinced them to go to the pro-life center rather than entering Planned Parenthood.

The clinic escorts were furious.

The head escort told the women that if they didn’t move their cars out of the Planned Parenthood parking lot, she would have them towed.

Our Houston team reports, “The chances of these two women ever returning to Planned Parenthood are probably pretty slim based on the behavior of the escort. It is great when people are able to witness for themselves some of Planned Parenthood’s true colors.”

Planned Parenthood wasn’t the only one whose true colors were on display this fall. YOUR true colors also shined brightly for all to see! And we have pictures that tell the story.

Here’s a photo taken outside of Planned Parenthood in Phoenix, Arizona. The building’s on a corner, so the 40 Days for Life vigil was able to almost surround the place with prayer.

St. Cloud, Minnesota conducted its first 40 Days for Life campaign this fall. Here’s a picture of a faithful group praying outside Planned Parenthood (photo courtesy of Sue Schulzetenberg of The Visitor, the Catholic newspaper in St. Cloud):

Also along for their first 40 Days for Life campaign this fall was the team in Kitchener, Ontario — where it started getting chilly as the days got shorter:

“We continue to be a small group, but we are strong and do our best to be a witness to those who come to Planned Parenthood,” said Michelle in Lufkin, Texas. “We are confident that our prayers change lives even when we do not know the outcome. We will continue to pray in front of Planned Parenthood throughout the year.”

Here’s a picture of Lufkin’s 40 Days for Life vigil:

Sandy in Toms River, New Jersey tells a story that sums up 40 Days for Life and explains why your presence at the abortion facility for 40 days — and beyond — makes such an important difference.

A woman stopped her car at the vigil and told two volunteers that what they were doing is not in vain.

“My daughter was impressed that you are out here in the rain and cold and asked why,” the woman explained. “We had a good talk about standing up for what you believe in and what abortion means. A few days later my 16-year-old told me she is pregnant and wants to have the baby. I know that seeing you all helped her to make the right decision, so thank you for being here!”

The woman asked for prayers for her daughter. She also asked that her story be shared with other volunteers.

“We won’t even know until we meet the Lord how many more lives we have touched because of the continual presence at the abortion clinic during these 40 Days for Life,” Sandy added. “What enormous graces we have received!”

Over the coming days, I’ll have more stories to share from the conclusion of this 40 Days for Life — and I’ll be sharing other ways you can speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Thanks again for all you’ve done, and may God bless you richly for having answered His call.

Here’s today’s “bonus” devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-life Religious Council…

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DAY 41 INTENTION
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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.

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SCRIPTURE
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On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

– Matthew 16:18

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REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone
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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!

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PRAYER
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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.

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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day41print.pdf

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For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

It’s Day 40 — the final day of this fall’s 40 Days for Life effort.

Together we have witnessed God accomplishing amazing miracles through His faithful people, and I really believe that we are witnessing the beginning of the end of abortion in our land.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for being a part of the most profoundly touching 40 Days for Life campaign yet. As we wrap up the fifth coordinated 40 Days for Life effort, the seeds you have planted are beginning to bear incredible fruit.

One sign of that is the level of opposition that has been seen in many communities.

The abortion industry is starting to squirm.

Ann Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League sent photos of people praying at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Chicago — and a picture of people actually demonstrating against 40 Days for Life.

On the day the demonstrators were there, she said, “they managed to create enough of an obstruction along the street that no one came in for an abortion.”

Now that’s what I call utterly amazing — and it’s clearly the hand of God at work. “Little do they realize,” Ann said, “they are saving babies by their presence.”

Here are the pictures from Chicago:

A nurse walked out of the Planned Parenthood location where the 40 Days for Life vigil is being held in Houston, Texas. One of the vigil participants wished her a cheerful “Good morning!” and asked how she was doing.

The answer was quick and unexpected. “I need a new job now,” she said. This may, in fact, have been her first day at Planned Parenthood. But it was also the last.

“I went in one of the rooms,” the nurse said, “and this is not for me.”

Planned Parenthood, of course, bills itself as a health care organization. What this nurse found there was certainly NOT health care.

Vigil participants suggested a few leads for finding a REAL health care position, and asked if there was anything else she needed.

“Not really,” the nurse responded. “I’m going home to hug my children.”

This nurse becomes the EIGHTH employee to leave an abortion industry job during this 40 Days for Life campaign. Praise God!

In Psalm 119:18, the psalmist prays to God, “Open my eyes to see clearly the wonders of your teachings.”

Thanks to you, many eyes have been opened during this 40 Days for Life campaign.

A prayer volunteer in Reno, Nevada who has spent many hours at the 40 Days for Life vigil has noticed a trend at the abortion center. Business has been down significantly — and there’s no doubt that the prayers of faithful volunteers, especially during the 40 Days for Life campaigns, are being heard.

When the first 40 Days for Life vigil was held there two years ago, the clinic was open five days a week. Now it is open only three days a week. The abortionist used to arrive around 9 am. Now he often doesn’t show up until 11.

Two years ago, the prayer volunteers say the clinic had about 15 patients each day. Now it is only around five. Staff members are working fewer hours. They often have days — even weeks — between shifts.

Carol Marie noted that one of the prayer volunteers in Reno had set a goal of praying for at least 40 hours during the 40 Days for Life vigil. She has met and exceeded that goal.

“She’s not finished yet,” Carol Marie said, “nor does she expect to stop when the campaign ends. She realizes that while she’s tired and her spirits are hard pressed to continue what she’s doing, she knows that we’re making a difference. She has seen that lives are saved.”

Day 40 is not the end. It’s only the beginning!

Here’s today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-life Religious Council…

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DAY 40 INTENTION
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Let us keep our eyes fixed on the New Jerusalem, where death will be no more.

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SCRIPTURE
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He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

–Revelation 21:4-5

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REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone
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Every activity we undertake in defense of the sanctity of life is prophetic, inasmuch as it points to the day when “death will be no more.”

Every victory we have when an act of abortion is prevented is prophetic of that day when death itself will be definitively conquered.

Every triumph of grace in this world, whereby someone is brought to see the value of life and given the strength to welcome it, is a breaking into our history of that definitive future in which the old order of things will have passed, and all things will be made new.

As pro-life warriors, we must keep our eyes fixed on heaven, and our hearts secure in the hope that the day is coming when all evil will be conquered. It is the future that shapes the present; it is victory that informs the battle; it is the destination that determines the journey.

Daily, we are called to reflect on heaven. When we weep, we are to think of the day when every tear will be wiped away.

When we face the destructive power of death, we are to think of the day when death is swallowed up in victory. When we labor against abortion, we are to think of the day when we will have the rest and peace of the final triumph of life.

Heaven is as real as earth, and its joys will be as real as our present sorrows.

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PRAYER
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Father, you are the God of hope. Your word fills us with the vision of the world to come, when every tear will be wiped away, and death will be no more. Father, how we need that hope, how we are strengthened by that vision!

Keep our hearts focused on heaven, and diligent in the labors of earth. As we struggle against the culture of death, root our souls in the assurance of victory. We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day40print.pdf

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For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

Today is Day 39, and we’re in the home stretch of this fall’s 40 Days for Life effort. As we rapidly approach tomorrow’s finish line for this campaign, I just posted another short on-location video that I think you will love.

This hope-filled 4-minute clip comes from Peoria, Illinois — in the middle of the American heartland.

You’ll hear from several volunteers and the new president of the statewide right to life group about the blessings they have experienced as part of 40 Days for Life — and how they went from a previous campaign that really struggled to this fall’s effort that has involved hundreds of new people. Enjoy:

If you’ve missed any of the other short video reports (which have been getting THOUSANDS of views!) they’re all posted online at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/dbereit

Amazing things continue to happen during 40 Days for Life!

The 40 Days for Life team in Providence, Rhode Island report the story about a woman who had an abortion appointment at Planned Parenthood — and abortion facility escorts who tried to prevent her from hearing the truth.

Joanne said the woman “hesitated when she saw and heard the children praying” as part of the 40 Days for Life vigil. When she saw there was a member of the clergy praying with the children, “she stopped right in the middle of the road, her eyes filling with tears.”

Still, she permitted the escorts to hustle her into the clinic.

Fifteen minutes later, however, she walked back out. “She had found herself unable and unwilling to go through with the abortion,” said Joanne.

The escorts at Planned Parenthood didn’t like this one bit. “They shooed her away repeatedly, ending her stay by insisting that she was not to talk there,” Joanne said. “She was so unnerved at being pushed away by the escorts that she finally drove off, still crying. She remains in our hopeful prayers.”

Here’s a picture of the 40 Days for Life vigil in Providence:

People are also praying faithfully outside another Planned Parenthood center — in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Janet said the 40 Days for Life vigil participants have “shared the amazing gift of life, miracle of the preborn, and the devastating effects and aftermath that the abortion ‘choice’ has over our families and communities.”

Here’s a picture of the 40 Days for Life vigil in Honolulu:

Honolulu is also home of the “tow truck ministry.” Rocky is a tow truck driver whose job includes removing the vehicles of people who have parked in a nearby lot without paying. That often includes people who are visiting Planned Parenthood.

Rocky came to check on the vigil recently and said it was a real blessing to see everyone praying during 40 Days for Life. He also told Isaiah the story of a teenage boy who came to pick up his car, which had been towed from the lot.

“The boy was trying to reason that he only went into the clinic for a few moments,” Isaiah said. “Rocky was bold enough to admonish the boy over being too concerned over paying for his towed car rather than the life of the child that was aborted. The boy’s head dropped down in realizing the reality of what Rocky was speaking to him. We prayed for God’s blessing over Rocky as he continues to be a voice for life to those teenagers he encounters there at the clinic through his tow truck ministry. God bless you, Rocky!”

Here’s a picture of Rocky and Isaiah:

Here’s today’s devotional from Carmen Pate, Co-host of the “Point of View” radio talk show…

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DAY 39 INTENTION
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Pray that God will continue to bless the efforts that have gone into the 40 Days for Life campaign, as we trust Him for the results.

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SCRIPTURE
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Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name.

– Nehemiah 1:10-11

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REFLECTION by Carmen Pate
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Nehemiah provides an awesome blueprint for volunteers in God’s service, particularly those responding to the devastation abortion has caused our nation.

Nehemiah grieved for God’s reputation as he witnessed the condition of the city walls of Jerusalem. The walls were broken down which was seen by neighboring people as a sign of weakness on the part of Jerusalem’s God. No wall meant no security for the city and its people.

We learn from his story that he covered every detail in prayer; inspired others to join the cause; organized others to help do the work; confronted opposition directly and turned to God when discouraged; and finally celebrated what was accomplished and gave God all the glory!

Like Nehemiah, we must acknowledge God’s sovereignty as we serve Him before a mocking world. We too need to be reminded that we are “fighting” for our families. We too must have an attitude of confession and repentance before a Holy God. We must pray for strength, refute slander, and not be diverted from our work.

Like Nehemiah, we will draw attention from the enemy when we are seeking to protect the well-being of God’s people. We too must stand firm and seek God’s help to persevere until the task is done. We too will be victorious.

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PRAYER
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Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in heaven and in the earth is Yours.

We pray for your continued guidance and protection throughout the remainder of this 40 day campaign. May we be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in Your work, knowing that our labor will not be in vain. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day39print.pdf

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For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

Jennifer in Cherry Hill, New Jersey has been thankful that the 40 Days for Life campaign in her community has the support of the local Catholic bishop in the Diocese of Camden. Just recently, Bishop Joseph Galante participated in the prayer vigil outside the abortion facility — and more than 100 other people were there to join him.

Here’s a photo of Bishop Galante at the vigil:

But there’s someone else in that picture that I’d like to call to your attention — the young woman in the wheelchair next to Bishop Galante. Her name is Maricruz, and I would ask that you pray for her, her birth family in Central America, and her adopted family in New Jersey.

Maricruz is an abortion survivor.

Twenty-one years ago, her mother tried to abort her. This was an attempted chemical abortion; her mother took a pill, which was assumed to be RU-486. It is believed that the drug was being used experimentally in Central America at the time.

To make a long story short, the abortion pill didn’t work. Maricruz was born three months premature. She survived, but was left severely handicapped and must use the wheelchair. Maricruz has three siblings in Central America — and four others who were aborted.

The woman next to Maricruz is her adopted grandmother, an active pro-lifer who’s been honored for her efforts on behalf of the unborn. She is also the mother of 13 — including Jennifer.

Yes, the woman who helped bring 40 Days for Life to Cherry Hill, New Jersey (it’s just outside of Philadelphia, in case you were wondering) is also Maricruz’s adopted mom.

Please share this story with the next person who complains that pro-lifers care nothing about “unwanted” children after they’re born!

Said Jennifer, “God provides for us in our lives when we accept His plan for our lives.”

Jennifer also tells a story of the horrifying truth about abortion, the operation that its supporters call a “safe, legal medical procedure.”

Two prayer vigil participants saw a woman leave the clinic, crying hysterically. She said she was 18 weeks pregnant — and the abortionist had given her baby a lethal injection to end the child’s life. She had apparently known very little about the actual procedure, only that she had a “choice” that would permit her to become un-pregnant.

She cried that God would never forgive her for what she had done. Volunteers suggested going to the emergency room to see if the baby could be saved. Sadly, it was too late. She would have to return to the clinic the next day to have the dead child removed from her womb.

The woman told the volunteers that she wanted to stand on the sidewalk to warn the clinic’s clients about what abortion really is. But please pray that she recognizes her own need for healing and spiritual renewal at this most challenging time in her life. Please pray that the Lord will help her understand that He CAN forgive her and is willing to do so — and most importantly, that she herself can accept God’s forgiveness.

Here’s today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life and President of the National Pro-life Religious Council…

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DAY 38 INTENTION
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Pray that we become vessels of hope to all around us, especially to those who minister in the pro-life movement.

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SCRIPTURE
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On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”

– Luke 24:1-5

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REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone
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This meditation, based on a sermon I once heard, is adapted for pro-life concerns.

It’s Friday. Jesus is on the cross. He has been killed by his enemies; he is off the scene. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’!

It’s Friday. Abortionists continue their work 3,300 times a day, tearing off the arms and legs of little babies and crushing their heads. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’! It’s Friday. Pro-abortion groups receive blood money from billionaires who are as deceived as they are. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’!

It’s Friday. Liars attempt to speak for all women and hide the pain of abortion, and ignore the evidence of how it harms women, and call abortion a blessing. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’! It’s Friday. People of hardened hearts guard the clinics and usher desperate women in to have their abortions while keeping them from the pro-life people who want to give them hope. But that’s because it’s Friday. Sunday’s comin’!

Hope does not mean that we ignore or minimize the evils around us. It means, rather, that we see the whole picture, which is that evil is conquered because of what happened one Sunday morning. The power of sin and death has been broken by the Resurrection of Christ. We are called to proclaim, celebrate, and serve that victory, waiting in joyful hope for Christ’s return and the full flowering of the Culture of Life! Indeed, Sunday’s comin’!

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PRAYER
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Lord, fill your people with new hope. Make us vessels of hope to all around us, especially to those who minister in the pro-life movement, that as we engage in the difficult work ahead, we may experience the peace and joy that come only from you and that nobody can take away from us. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day38print.pdf

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A final note…

As we near the finish line of this 40 Days for Life, I am in Jacksonville, Florida, and in a few hours will be driving down to visit the 40 Days for Life site in Ocala.

There are a gazillion people here in town for the Florida-Georgia football game Saturday, and it just hit me that last year I was also in Florida right before that big showdown — and had the opportunity to sit down with Pam and Bob Tebow, parents of Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow.

Tim’s mom shared with me how doctors had advised her to abort Tim when she was pregnant with him … And why she refused.

That day last fall, Pam and Bob recorded a short audio clip to share their story and to encourage YOU to persevere in your 40 Days for Life efforts.

I think you’ll be blessed by this seven-minute audio…

David & Margaret Bereit with Pam & Bob Tebow

Listen to the Audio Online (click “Play” button to start audio):

As the top ranked college team takes the field on Saturday, led by quarterback Tim Tebow, keep his powerful story in mind!

Yours for Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

Here’s where you can see the latest short video report from the front lines of the 40 Days for Life in Charlotte, North Carolina.

During the brief video, you’ll hear from Protestants, Catholics, a maternity home director, and will get to meet Andrea — a wonderful post-abortive woman who, two years ago, helped us recognize that 40 Days for Life was supposed to be a national effort.

You will really be inspired by this one:

Now for the BIG NEWS!

In the last few hours, 40 Days for Life reached a major milestone, and I had to share it with you!

Through the grace and mercy of God — and the faithful prayers and fasting of well over 200,000 people standing vigil outside abortion facilities — an incredible miracle has taken place.

Starting with the first-ever 40 Days for Life campaign in Bryan/College Station, Texas in 2004, and continuing through the international 40 Days for Life effort that is under way this fall, we now have received cumulative reports of …

… OVER 2,000 BABIES whose lives have been saved from the tragedy of abortion!

Who knows what wonders each of these children will bring to the world!

Two thousand children would be enough to fill at least 80 classrooms. Two thousand children would be enough to make up 180 teams of little soccer players — and just as importantly, 180 teams of soccer moms — women who will enjoy watching their children run and jump and shout, blessings they would have never known if they had fallen for the lies that are so often disguised by the rhetoric of “choice.”

Here’s the story of just one of those 2,000 lives.

It was a stormy day at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Bakersfield, California. Yet people ignored the wind and rain as they stood and prayed outside the abortion center.

A young woman from outside the Bakersfield area soon arrived at the clinic for an abortion appointment. She was already stressed out; the drive across the mountains and through the storm left her in no mood to listen to the Christians on the sidewalk.

She looked at the group, shouted profanities, and told the vigil participants to leave her alone. One of the people on the sidewalk told her that if she thought the sky was dark, it was nothing compared to the darkness abortion could bring into her life.

She ignored the words and walked in.

But the “simple procedure” she had come for turned out not to be so simple — and she might not be able to have the abortion that day. She had come for the abortion pill, but the staff said she lived too far away to return to the clinic if any complications developed.

When she learned that, she became even angrier at the people praying out on the sidewalk — she even went back out to yell at them several times. Finally, after she realized there would be no abortion, she gave up and left the clinic.

But on her way out, the prayer supporters on the sidewalk offered to pray with her. As they did, the sun suddenly broke through the clouds and the sky instantly became bright.

It was like a new day.

The vigil participants explained the situation to Terri, one of the counselors, who helped arrange an appointment for an ultrasound at the pro-life pregnancy help center.

Terri could tell that the ultrasound had a significant impact on the young woman. “I knew that it was a good sign when I heard her talking to her baby,” she said.

After the ultrasound, Terri and the woman hurried back to the vigil site. Bursting with joy, the woman showed the prayer supporters the ultrasound picture of the baby she had intended to abort, exclaiming “your Jesus heard your prayers!”

Here are some of the 40 Days for Life prayer volunteers in Bakersfield — along with the young woman holding the ultrasound image of her baby:

Here’s today’s devotional from Carmen Pate, co-host of the “Point of View” radio talk show…

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DAY 37 INTENTION
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Pray that we will each submit ourselves this day as a living sacrifice to God, giving all that we have in us for those being sacrificed on the altar of convenience.

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SCRIPTURE
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I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

– Romans 12:1

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REFLECTION by Carmen Pate
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Since all things are for His glory, we are to offer ourselves for that purpose. This of course is in sharp contrast to those who are being swayed by the enemy to sacrifice their babies on the altar of convenience, rather than choosing to surrender their all, including their unborn child, to the Lord for His purposes.

A career, education goals, or even a boyfriend can unknowingly become an idol for some young women. In their minds, abortion is a convenient way to “rid themselves” of an obstacle in the way of their “worship.”

In light of the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf, and the fruit of God’s mercies on our lives, we owe God our highest form of praise and worship. Presenting our bodies as living sacrifices is therefore reasonable service.

We were made to worship God and God alone. The enemy who seeks worship for himself distorts God’s truth regarding worship, sacrifice, idols, and children.

As you have given of yourself to rescue those who are perishing — the young woman and her child — you are worshiping God in the truest sense of the word.

May your example lead an abortion minded client to turn from her idols to worship the one true God, sparing her child from the altar of convenience, and sparing herself from a lifetime of regret.

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PRAYER
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God Almighty, You alone are worthy of our praise and worship. Having accepted Your Son’s sacrifice on my behalf, I in turn present my body to you as a living sacrifice. Thank you for deeming me holy and acceptable because of Christ’s shed blood for me.

I pray that you would use me as your vessel to rescue others who are perishing. Through Christ who is Our Glory, Amen.

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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day37print.pdf

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For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

*** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ***

Don’t forget that Shawn Carney, our 40 Days for Life campaign director, is on international TV tonight at 6:30 PM Eastern on the EWTN network.

This episode of the Being Human series is called “What Is It?” The program dives into what many people in our nation attempt to avoid — the reality of abortion. This powerful, moving and challenging episode captures the viewer’s mind through reason and inspires the viewer’s heart through honesty.

EWTN is available on many cable and satellite TV services. The program may also be seen online at http://www.ewtn.com. At the time when the show starts, click on “television,” then on “watch live.”

A few days ago, I mentioned that Shawn Carney, our 40 Days for Life campaign director, was headed to New York City. Shawn made a short video account of his visit to the 40 Days for Life campaign in the city labeled “the abortion capital of America.”

If you only watch one video during this 40 Days for Life, it HAS to be this amazing clip.

During the brief video — which was filmed right on the street in Queens — you will:

• Hear from a volunteer who puts in 6-10 hours EVERY DAY outside of two of the largest abortion centers in the United States
• See hundreds of passers-by receiving a pro-life education on the street
• Discover the challenges of holding a campaign in a crime and drug infested area — on the spot where a murder took place right before 40 Days for Life
• Meet a sidewalk counselor who shares how they are saving lives in the midst of the hustle and bustle
• Learn JUST HOW MANY lives have been saved in the Big Apple due to 40 Days for Life campaigns over the last two years — prepare to be amazed in the last 20 seconds of the video!

The video is loud. Everything’s in motion. It’s got attitude. But hey — it’s New York City!

Watch this video now. You’ll be glad you did!

By the way, Shawn is going to be on international TV tomorrow night! The third installment of the Being Human series makes its broadcast debut at 6:30 PM Eastern time on the EWTN network (5:30 Central, 4:30 Mountain, 3:30 Pacific). This episode interviews a physician, former abortion providers, and philosophy professor Peter Kreeft. They answer the question of when life begins and what personhood means.

EWTN is available on many cable and satellite TV services. The program may also be seen online at http://www.ewtn.com where you can click on “television,” then on “watch live.”

Chris Slattery, who is featured in Shawn’s video clip above, not only coordinates the 40 Days for Life campaigns in Queens and The Bronx; he also directs Expectant Mother Care Frontline Pregnancy Centers.

This organization offers internships for young people to learn first-hand about various aspects of pro-life ministry.

The interns’ blog tells a story of life on the sidewalk at Dr. Emily’s Women’s Health Center, the 40 Days for Life vigil location in The Bronx.

It was 11:30 in the morning, and the interns were going to a pro-life conference. As they were leaving, they watched two young women leave the clinic. Once they reached the sidewalk, one of the 40 Days for Life volunteers handed one of them a brochure.

One intern saw this, walked up beside them, and started asking questions. “Have you had an abortion? How far along are you? Have you been allowed to see a sonogram?”

She learned that the women had only been inside the clinic for a short time — it was already too late in the day to schedule an abortion. The two were sisters, she learned. The older sister was there for the abortion, the younger one for support.

The intern saw an opportunity.

“I offered her a free sonogram appointment and began to tell her about fetal development. She was so surprised to find out that her baby’s heart started to beat at 17 to 21 days,” the intern said. “She thought that wouldn’t happen until the sixth month. I asked her what she knew about the abortion procedure, what had they told her in the clinic? She knew nothing, so I started to explain.”

The woman who had tried to schedule the abortion said she wasn’t feeling very well, so the intern offered to treat her and her sister to lunch.

As they walked to the burger shop, the intern and the younger sister had to steady the older sister.

About that time, some clinic escorts walked towards them — and then walked right past. “They saw a girl in obvious distress who had just come out of the clinic,” said the intern. “They just didn’t seem to care!”

The pro-life people on the sidewalk tell the women going into the clinic that they are there to help them. “Of course, the ‘clinic escorts’ scoff at the idea,” the intern said, “but when it counts, the proof is in the pudding.”

They sat in that restaurant talking for a long time — “almost two hours,” said the intern. “She started to feel better. In the end, she decided not to abort her baby!”

By the time lunch was over, this young woman knew that even if she faced hardships or had to make sacrifices, it would all be worth it for the life of her child.

God bless pro-lifers in the Big Apple — and all around the world!

Here’s today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life…

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DAY 36 INTENTION
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We are the defenders of true freedom. May our witness unveil the deception of the “pro-choice” slogan.

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SCRIPTURE
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Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

–2 Corinthians 3:17

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REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone
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Norma McCorvey (the former Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade) used to work at an abortion mill named “A Choice for Women.” She now realizes what a cruel irony that title was.

She saw first hand, just as pregnancy resource center counselors see, that women don’t get abortions because of freedom of choice, but rather because they feel they have no freedom and no choice.

They feel trapped, abandoned, desperate and afraid, and have been led to believe that abortion is their only option.

As Frederica Mathewes-Green has written, no want wants an abortion like she wants a Porsche or an ice cream; rather, she wants it like an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” That doesn’t mean that the Spirit allows us to do whatever we want or to decide for ourselves what’s right and wrong.

Rather, it means that the Spirit gives us the freedom to do what is right, the power to choose what is good, when we see it before us and yet feel pulled in the opposite direction. Liberty means that we no longer have to feel doomed to do what we know is wrong.

We are the people of the Spirit of the Lord, and when we take action on behalf of life, especially by being present at abortion mills, we are acting on behalf of true freedom, and imparting to those who are in bondage the power to do what is right.

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PRAYER
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Come, Holy Spirit. You are the Spirit of freedom, the source of all that is good, the power to do what is right. Fill us, and fill those who are in bondage today, feeling doomed to do what is wrong. Set them free, and help us to hasten them on the road to freedom, where your grace overcomes every temptation. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day36print.pdf

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For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

Here’s the latest video, a touching three-minute report from the frontlines in Toledo, Ohio:

As we enter the final days of this 40 Days for Life campaign, please keep in mind that God does not always grant the blessing of seeing immediate results from our efforts.

Such is the case in one 40 Days for Life community where the campaign has been conducted several times. Participants knew that because of their peaceful, prayerful witness outside the abortion clinic, lives had been saved from abortion. But what was really going on inside that building?

One person found out in a most surprising way. This person was not scheduled to pray at this particular day and time, but stopped by the vigil following a meeting. The clinic manager stepped outside to clean windows, so the vigil participant saw an opportunity. “I spoke kindly and introduced myself.”

About half an hour later, the manager came out and asked to talk — “and invited me into the clinic!”

To say the least, what followed was an interesting conversation.

The manager wanted to explain and justify what goes on at the clinic, but it seemed like this clinic staffer was offering excuses for being involved in the abortion business. Furthermore, the manager professed to be a Christian who was certain “in my heart” that this was God’s calling, and that what goes on in the clinic is not wrong.

“I asked if the manager’s heart had ever been wrong,” said the vigil participant, “and did my best to lovingly communicate my disagreement and the reasons I am passionate about defending both the unborn and their mothers. I said that Jesus cared for children, and that it does not matter what anyone thinks about when a fetus is a person or whether abortion is wrong. What matters is what God thinks; what Jesus thinks.”

If not for 40 Days for Life, this vigil participant would have been somewhere else, would not have spoken to the clinic manager — and would certainly not have been invited inside for this discussion that planted many seeds.

Is the clinic manager reconsidering the abortion business? We pray! Or as the vigil participant said, “Please pray that God would use my small efforts and words to accomplish big things!”

And sometimes it does take time.

Again with today’s reports, I’m not mentioning locations because these are “works in progress,” and I don’t want publicity to unsettle any hearts that may be in the process of changing — or give the abortion industry a reason to threaten or pressure workers who are considering quitting. Just pray!

At another 40 Days for Life vigil, the prayer team has been praying specifically for a security guard — ever since the first coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign in 2007.

Last week, the security guard and a clinic escort approached the local coordinator with a request — to pray that another pro-lifer, who was not associated with 40 Days for Life, would leave. This particular individual was described as “harsh.”

“Well, you pray for everything else,” said the security guard, “so I thought maybe…”

The coordinator said praying for the person to leave was out of the question, “but I could ask him to reconsider the tone of his message, and we could pray that he would say what God gave him to say. They were actually happy with that response, and thanked me.”

While the local coordinator took all this with a grain of salt, they have been praying for this security guard for more than two years now. “It comes as a sign to me,” the coordinator said, “and I am overjoyed! A beginning is a beginning. Blessed be God!”

Here’s today’s devotional from Carmen Pate, co-host of the “Point of View” radio talk show…

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DAY 35 INTENTION
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Pray for post-abortive women who cannot forgive themselves; may they understand that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

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SCRIPTURE
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Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the one to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.

– Romans 4:7-8

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REFLECTION by Carmen Pate
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In the passage above, the Apostle Paul making a point about justification by faith, refers back to David’s words in Psalm 32:1-2. In spite of the enormity of David’s sin — adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband — and the utter absence of any personal merit, David in his brokenness, understood the imputed righteousness of God. David’s response was not continued guilt over his sins, but praise for his freedom from guilt, and God’s power to live life differently.

Once your relationship with God has been restored, your guilt has served its purpose and should no longer be given place in your life. This is true regardless of the sin, including the sin of abortion. As a post-abortive woman, I too struggled with this issue until I realized that punishing and hating myself after receiving God’s forgiveness was an insult to God.

It was as though I were minimizing Christ’s work on the cross as insufficient to cover my sin. I was denying Him the opportunity to bring glory to His name for the healing and restoration He wanted to do in my life. I was giving victory to the enemy who having lost the battle for my soul, was bent on destroying my testimony as I accepted the continual guilt he heaped on my mind.

It is my joy to continually sing of God’s grace rather than give the devil a foothold in my life. Don’t waste God’s mercy! Accept His forgiveness and forgive yourself as testimony of His amazing grace.

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PRAYER
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Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for your amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. I come against the enemy of my soul who would have me feel cast down and dejected.

Lord, keep your children from falling prey to the accusations of the father of lies. Turn our mourning into dancing and may we bring praise to you as we give testimony of Your healing and restoration in our lives. For by His grace we are saved, Amen.

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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day35print.pdf

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For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life