International (MNN) — This week is the last week of 40 Days for Life. It’s a pro-life movement of prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil in front of abortion clinics all around the world. They’re finishing strong this week, so it’s not too late to get involved!
Tom Lothamer with Life Matters Worldwide says, specifically, the prayer warriors with 40 Days for Life are “praying for those going in for their [abortion] services, praying for the staff, and especially for the doctors who are performing abortions and asking God to change their minds about this…and choosing life. But also [they are] asking God to rid our communities of abortion. They do that with a constant vigil, 24-7 prayer for 40 days.”
(Photo courtesy of John Pisciotta via Flickr under Creative Commons License)
The 40 Days for Life movement began in 2007 and they’ve seen God do amazing things through their prayers and presence. According to their website, over 13,600 lives have been saved from abortion, 156 abortion workers have quit, and 90 abortion clinics have closed since the movement began.
The heart of this campaign is to peacefully and lovingly bring together the Body of Christ in prayer for God to move society from a culture of death to a culture of life and bring an end to abortion.
Occasionally, 40 Days for Life’s peaceful vigils are met with opposition. “Sometimes people go by and they’re not very happy with the prayer warriors so they’ll honk their horns or they’ll say something maybe nasty,” says Lothamer. “This year too in Grand Rapids we’ve had the group Antifa — which basically stands for anti-fascists, it’s kind of a radical political group — and they just come and they don’t necessarily do anything to the people who are praying, but they’re just there with their…masks in all black and they’re just there to intimidate and make them feel uncomfortable.
“But the people that are praying, we have the Holy Spirit of God who is giving us the power to not notice that so much but to continue their prayers.”
These prayer warriors are also available to speak with people outside of the clinics, and it’s from these encouraging conversations that hearts are encouraged towards life.
“A number of times, one of the prayer warriors will have a chance to actually connect with a client going in [the abortion clinic] and be able to talk to them and they’ll try to encourage them saying there are other options. In fact, if you wish, we can take you over to the local pregnancy center and you can get an ultrasound and you can get counseling for yourself. There’s a number of times people will take them up on that. Other times, they’ll go in and then they’ll come back out and take them up on that and they’ll take the materials they’re offering them.”
Prayer vigil with 40 Days for Life. (Photo courtesy of John Pisciotta via Flickr under Creative Commons License)
This fall’s campaign is taking place in 375 cities across 24 different countries. If you’d like to join a 40 Days for Life campaign near you, click here!
But that’s not all you can do. Lothamer adds, “You can actually get on the 40 Days for Life website and sign up to receive the daily news from around the world and then at the end, they have a Scripture and a devotional and prayer.” You can use these resources to fuel your prayers
Finally, this coming Sunday, November 5th is the last day of 40 Days for Life. Your church can commit to praying on Sunday for an end to abortion both in your community and around the world.
Find more pro-life resources and materials from Life Matters Worldwide’s website!
