The We Wills

Today's devotional was prepared by Carmen Pate, a member of the 40 Days for Life board of 40 Days for Life
PRE-KICKOFF INTENTION

"For God's blessing upon all participating in the coming 40 Days for Life campaign.

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SCRIPTURE
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"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from
their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land."
-- 2 Chronicles 7:14

REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, 40 Days for Life
"Not unlike God's chosen people of Israel, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from
our wicked ways, if we expect God to hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. The need for repentance has not been greater since the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade in 1973.
The number one cause of death in America is the needless sacrifice of our children at the altar of convenience called abortion. Conservative estimates
put the number of deaths at nearly 52 million.

And lest we think this is an issue outside the church
walls, 43 percent of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27 percent
identify themselves as Catholic. One in four women has at least one abortion by the age of 45 -- both
non-Christian and Christian alike. Where was the voice of Truth -- the church?
Mary Comm of In Our Midst Ministries, Inc. sums up the issue best as she writes, "We (the church) have
been an unintentional accomplice to the millions of lives lost and to the multiplied millions of lives
devastated by abortion. We didn't want them to abort. We didn't mean for them to abort. But, because of our
lack of knowledge, because of our fear, we have continued to stand by and do nothing. We, God's hands and feet in this dark and hurting world, have been
unintentional, unknowledgeable accomplice, but an accomplice nonetheless."

May today mark the beginning of change within the church, as God's people, in unity, seek His forgiveness.

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, we have turned our backs on you and your principles in your Word. We have allowed man to
usurp Your role as God over life and the number of our days. But we come to you in brokenness and repentance over our sin.
We cry out for Your mercy and ask you to remove the scourge of abortion from our land.
Use us as your vessels, Lord, to bring the light of Your Truth to our nation once again. Because of Christ we pray, Amen"