As Christians, we have the amazing freedom of coming before the throne of the Almighty, Holy, Omnipresent, All-Powerful Creator of the universe to petition Him in prayer – without being destroyed – because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
It’s an incredible privilege, and what’s more, we’re told in James 5:16b that
“the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Prayer is powerful because we are talking to a powerful God. As we wrestle against “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12), prayer is one of the strongest weapons we have.
One pro-life organization fully understands this and chose prayer as the foundation for their stand against abortion.
40 Days for Life is a pro-life organization based in Brazos Valley, Texas. Spanning 64 countries, through prayer, 40 Days for Life…
- has helped save 23,525 lives,
- has seen 251 abortion workers quit (including Abby Johnson of Unplanned fame!), and
- has seen 142 abortion centers close.
Their purpose statement reads,
“40 Days for Life is an internationally coordinated 40-day campaign that aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.”
40 Days for Life began their lifesaving work in 2004 when four members of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life were heartbroken over an abortion mill in their town.
They sought God for wisdom through prayer and felt led to a timeline of 40 days because of the Biblical significance of the number. Thus was launched 40 Days for Life.
In their first year, they had over 1,000 volunteers, and the local abortion rate dropped 28%.
They made local, state, and national news.
For every year since, they’ve held a 40-day prayer vigil outside different abortion mills (or important governmental buildings in towns where there’s no mill), spanning several states and even countries. Each prayer campaign runs literally non-stop for 40 days, which means that there is at least one person praying outside the clinic 24 hours a day, 40 days in a row.
2023’s prayer campaign starts on September 27th and runs until November 5th.
Make sure you get involved!
It’s a great way to support the pro-life movement and to do something that really, truly makes a difference.
Click here to find a prayer vigil near you. It appears that each state has at least one, and most states have several.
As Illinois is one of the most pro-abortion states in the union (proven by the recently passed anti-pregnancy care center bill), there are many options, including in Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Aurora, and Chicago. Even if you aren’t participating in a vigil outside of a Planned Parenthood, you can still support those involved and work to save lives by praying and fasting during the 40 Days for Life Campaign.
Proverbs 15:29 says,
“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Coming before the Lord in prayer on behalf of the unborn is a righteous thing to do.
He hears our prayers.
And He is a powerful God.
