“However, this kind of demon goes away only by prayer and fasting.” Matthew 17:21
Jesus told his disciples this when they questioned why they had been unable to cast out a demon from a young boy. Abortion is a demon in our country. Perhaps this is one that can only be driven out by prayer and fasting. That is the idea behind two of the aspects of 40 Days for Life. Fasting is when we humbly deny ourselves something of the flesh to glorify God and go deeper in our prayer life. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God and to ourselves that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Anything you can temporarily give up (chocolate, TV, radio, Facebook, snacks, coffee, etc. More ideas can be found at www.nicksenger.com/csc/101-practical-fasting-ideas-for-lent) can be considered a fast. Fasting is not intended to punish the flesh, but to focus on God as a form of physical prayer. Fasting strengthens us for the Christian lifestyle in which we strive to put God and others before our own wants. If we are able to say, “Yes!” to God in small things like not eating cookies, it will make it easier to say, “Yes!” when the situation is much bigger. Sometimes it can be hard to maintain a fast. We may find ourselves thinking, “Will it really matter to God if I eat this one cookie? Can I really be saving a baby by turning off the TV?” In these instances it may be helpful to take that “hunger” or desire for the object of our fasting and satisfy it with prayer. It is also important to remember that your fasting and any suffering you endure because of it is not limited to you. Your sacrifice is united not only with millions of others around the world as a sign of repentance to God, but it is also united with the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave His very life for us, so He could save us from our sins by rising triumphantly on Easter! - 40 Days for Life continues through March 29 – 119 babies saved so far! See “Upcoming Events” below to find out more about this mission which has had amazing results in converting abortion workers, closing abortion mills, and saving babies. www.40daysforLife.com - Although we are not an official "40 Days for Life" site at Wood Dale, we would be so grateful if you would take time this Lent to join us in prayer at Advantage Health Center on a Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday from 6:30 am - 11:00 am; we are desperately in need of more prayer support on Saturday. Please see below for details. News from vigils in Wood Dale: ** During the month of February, we estimate that 90 women made a "choice" that they could never un-do and had the child growing inside them killed at Advantage Health Care in Wood Dale. ** One day we spoke to a young Muslim couple who were leaving the clinic undecided about having an abortion. The wife told us that it was "too soon" to be having a baby since she had a baby at home. I encouraged her to think and pray about it and gave her a brochure. You can see it here: http://plam.org/Products/whfynational.pdf Then I told her it is a girl. Her face lit up and she responded, "Really?" Only God knows for sure, but I hope that the reality that this is a baby and not a problem to be eliminated will soften her heart. ** A Buddhist couple could not understand why were there praying on the day they killed their child, because they said it is acceptable in their religion. When you meet people who have a faith where abortion is acceptable or no faith at all, you can find loads of information from groups like "Secular Pro-Life" (www.secularprolife.org) or "Pro-life Humanists" (www.prolifehumanists.org). Of course, you can also stress the very important fact that abortion harms women. For a list of negative effects: www.familyandlife.org/resources/faq/effects-abortion. ** There is reason to rejoice, though, as we believe there may have been as many as 5 women saved from abortion in February! One Hispanic couple left telling the counselor, "We're not doing it." Another couple with a Rosary hanging from their rearview mirror left after only 20 minutes. A black couple was there last Saturday when there were an estimated 20 abortions at Wood Dale. They did not go through with it and were glad to receive information about the pro-life crisis pregnancy center down the street, Care Net www.care-net.org. ** An employee at the clinic is considering leaving. I'd like to leave her name anonymous for now because of the situation, but I can tell you that she said she would be calling the "And Then There Were None" help-line TODAY! When she first started talking to our early morning counselor, she told him she "felt bad" working there. By the next week, she said she "felt terrible." I told her today that we would be praying for her to have courage and trust in God, so let's all get praying! ** We need prayer warriors for Saturdays at Wood Dale! There have been very few prayer warriors on Saturdays, which is particularly sad because Saturday is the day that most abortions are committed. All it takes is 2 people to stand together in prayer; you don't need any signs or any special training in counseling - Your prayerful presence has power, especially in these cold days. However if you would like resources, there is a vigil kit housed near the clinic where you can get signs, pamphlets to hand out, and prayer books. Just contact us for where to pick it up. Call or email for more info: 847-651-4877 [email protected] Pray for These Abortion Employees - Nancy: Office manager and post-abortive woman - Dr. Goyal: owner and operator of Wood Dale and 3 other suburban and 1 Chicago abortion mill - *Marisela: Listed as “Medical Records,” She has been sarcastic to us in the past, often sent out to bring unsure women back in. - Eugene: Orderly/POC. We believe POC stands for “Product of Conception,” which is how abortion clinics refer to babies. This job may require him to reassemble the aborted babies’ precious bodies to make sure no parts were left inside the mother. - *Jocelyn: works behind the front desk. Started on May 22, 2014. - Marcelino and Omar: drivers of the "Medical Waste" truck that comes to the clinic every Tuesday morning. - Amy: works at Hinsdale clinic which is now up for sale. She spoke at length with a sidewalk counselor there. Pray that the building sells, forcing this young woman to find a new, hopefully life-affirming, job. - *Anonymous Employee at Wood Dale. * Starred have a copy of the Abby Johnson letter. You can print a copy of the letter here: www.attwn.org/wp-content/themes/attwn-child/images/attwn-onepage-lightbackground.pdf.
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