40 Days for Life

On 26 Sept 2007 a prayer campaign to put an end to abortion will begin. 40 Days for Life is a prayer campaign that has already been successful in reducing the number of abortions occuring in several cities in the USA. Now that same campaign will spread its efforts to 89 other cities. What is 40 Days for Life, how has God worked through it already & what can you do to be a part of it, even if you don't live in 1 of the 89 cities?

What is it? It is "an intensive effort designed to raise awareness, save lives, bring healing, and prepare America for the beginning of the end of abortion." It is made up of 3 components: 1) Prayer & fasting, 2) Peaceful vigils & 3) Community outreach.

From their website:

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.

Even if you don't live in 1 of the 89 cities listed on the website you can still participate. If you are near 1 of the cities on the list you can still go & join in the prayer vigil. But wherever you are you can join in with prayer & fasting for the success of the efforts on these 89 cities.

So, how successful have they been with past campaigns? The following are taken from their Record of Results:

Bryan/College Station, Texas: The local abortion rate was slashed by 28%

Green Bay, Wisconsin: Saved 2 babies from abortion during the first hour of their campaign

Dallas, Texas: 17 children were spared from death by abortion

Kitsap County, Washington: During their campaign -- and perhaps because of it -- the local Planned Parenthood abortion facility abruptly cut back its hours and is now closed two full business days a week

Houston, Texas: Saw a local abortion facility unexpectedly shut its doors and go out of business after 20 years in operation

Charlotte, North Carolina: A harvest of women -- and men -- began to receive healing from their past through effective post-abortion counseling programs

In addition, a 40 Day campaign is currently going on in Aurora, IL where Planned Parenthood is attempting to open an abortion clinic. (see Q. If Opening a Planned Parenthood Office is Such a Good Thing. . . . ) They were supposed to open on 18 Sept. A judge has denied a motion by PP to force the city to grant them an occupancy permit. Meanwhile an investigation into what really happenned goes on. PP is spinning it, but the reality is they lied on the application forms & may have broken several laws in doing so.

As for the 1 question not yet asked "Why 40 Days?" This video will answer that:

Here is an opportunity to make a MAJOR DIFFERENCE. Untold lives can & will be saved. & the more of us who participate the more we open up doors for God to work powerfully to do so.