As we come to the sad anniversary of 9/11 and as awful as that is, we must also consider that every day is like a 9/11 in terms of lives lost only this time it is unborn Americans among whom about 4000 die each day. Here is one effort to end abortion. It is called 40 Days for Life and this is a national effort. This is an ecumenical effort.
http://www.40daysforlife.com/about.cfm
40 Days for Life: the Groundbreaking Pro-Life Campaign that Gets RESULTS!
This fall, 89 cities in 33 states across the nation will unite for a unique pro-life campaign called 40 Days for Life — an intensive effort designed to raise awareness, save lives, bring healing, and prepare America for the beginning of the end of abortion. The campaign will be conducted simultaneously in all locations from September 26 – November 4.
There are three components to 40 Days for Life…
1. Prayer and Fasting
Want to end abortion? First you pray. Prayer is at the center of 40 Days for Life. During the September 26 – November 4 campaign, we are calling on people of faith across the nation to fall on their knees before the Lord, asking Him to hear our plea and heal our land. Pray at church. Pray outside an abortion facility. Pray at work. Pray in the car. Pray at home with your family. Pray!
People of faith are also invited to fast throughout 40 Days for Life. Christ said there are some demons that can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. A fast is not a Christian diet; it is a powerful means of drawing closer to God by blocking out distractions. Fast from food. Fast from television. Fast from e-mail. Fast from apathy and indifference. Fast from whatever it is that separates you from God. We believe that when God's people pray and fast with a broken, repentant, and contrite spirit, our heavenly Father will hear from heaven and heal our lives, our churches, our communities, our nation, and our world.
2. Peaceful Vigil
The visible, public centerpiece of 40 Days for Life is a 40-day-long prayer vigil outside a Planned Parenthood center or other abortion facility in each community. The prayer vigil is a peaceful and educational presence that sends a powerful message to the community about the tragic reality of abortion. It also serves as a call to repentance for those who work at the abortion center and those who patronize the facility. In many locations, the vigil will be conducted 24 hours a day for each of the 40 days.
3. Community Outreach
During 40 Days for Life, the pro-life message is proactively taken to every possible corner of a community through a focused, grassroots educational effort. A door-to-door petition and education drive reaches out to households throughout a neighborhood or city. Informational flyers raise awareness about the local crisis of abortion. Citizens are invited to sign a petition of support for the sanctity of human life, and people are given the opportunity to visibly show their support for 40 Days for Life. Additional outreach activites can include church involvement, media contact, and campus outreach.
Why 40 Days? Throughout Biblical history, God has used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities and nations… Noah was transformed by 40 days of rain; Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai; David was transformed by Goliath's 40 day challenge; Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from one meal. Nineveh was transformed when God gave the city 40 days to remain faithful Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the desert The Disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus following His resurrection Imagine the transformation God could accomplish in America this fall when individuals and communities unite together for 40 days of prayer and fasting, pulling out all the stops to end the violence of abortion… You can be a part of that transformation by taking action today!
Benefits of Participating By participating in a 40 Days for Life campaign you could help: Reduce abortion rates — by 15%… 20%… 25%… Or more! Recruit and mobilize hundreds — even thousands — of new people into effective, life-saving efforts. Lead post-abortive women — and men — into proven and effective healing programs Develop dynamic new leaders to increase the future impact of pro-life efforts. Build church coalitions in an historic display of Christian unity and action Generate enormous buzz by getting prominent news coverage. Increase local financial support for pro-life efforts. Spotlight the sanctity of human life as a crucial issue in upcoming elections. All of these results have actually been realized in other communities, and — with God's help — could happen in participating cities this fall.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
