Did you know that right now there are 40 Days for Life prayer vigils going on in 165 cities throughout the country?These have been described as “babies-saving, moms-helping, round-the-clock-prayer-and-fasting-outside-abortion-businesses effort that’s been saving thousands of babies’ lives.”Unfortunately, it has also been described, inaccurately, as “a nasty campaign of women harassers”.Some have been misled by these descriptions such as one young woman who waited for a policeman to escort her into the abortion clinic in California.The policeman had a chance to talk to the prayers later and found out that two dozen law suits were pending against the abortion center and there had been reports of three abortion-related deaths.He was heard to say, “The woman was scared to get out of the car with you here.”The volunteer responded, “She should have been afraid to go inside.”

In Indiana, a prayer participant was shocked to see a pro-life bumper sticker on a car in the Planned Parenthood parking lot. The driver explained that she didn’t like abortion, but it was her friend’s choice to have one.She was told that her argument wouldn’t wash if her friend were going to rob a bank.The driver of the getaway car would be considered an accomplice.The driver went back into the clinic to try to persuade her friend not to do it.Voices were raised, prayer went on, and the Holy Spirit went to work. Later, her friend came out in tears and said she had changed her mind, “I couldn’t do it”.

Thank God, and please pray for those praying around the country to save lives and to save women from guilt, remorse, and sometimes physical harm and death.

Diane Strippel

New Martinsville