Pro-Life
by Elijah Raines
By Elijah Raines
Last month my church had a guest speaker named Chet Gallagher, and
he shared his story of how he was a cop in Las Vegas and how he found
himself at a pro-life rally that was blocking the entrance to an
abortion clinic. He came to the realization that because of his oath
as a police officer, he could not turn a deaf ear to the cause of life
even after his Captain told to return to the office. He found that he
had to obey God rather than his captain. He was the first person to be
arrested that day in the defense of life. Hearing his story of his
conviction to stand for life at odds with his captain’s order awoke in
me an issue that was asleep. Asleep out of hopelessness, because
how can one person make a difference in such a large issue?
It happened by chance that an article from a writer in Texas was
published in the October issue of the Good News from a completely
different source titled “I’m Ashamed,” which was about a lady who was
ashamed of her lack of a bold stand against abortion. She went on to
take a bold stand that did make a difference in the changing of the
abortion laws in Texas. With these things on my mind I saw that one
person could make a difference. Lives can be saved and each act of
obedience will make a difference.
Driving down Division from the north side of Spokane I had it in
my mind to go to Planned Parenthood in Spokane to pray. I felt led to
go but I felt completely at a loss as to what to do, other than pray.
The nudge that I felt would not leave. I did not want to ignore it and
try to pretend that I didn’t feel it. As I was driving, I felt led to
pray the scripture about sending out workers to the harvest field. As
I prayed it seemed like even with the busy traffic that there was a
stillness that was over Spokane. In a moment I thought about all the
different ministries and churches that are in the Spokane area and all
the seeds that have been planted in this community. With that thought
I prayed that all those seeds would come to fruition.
I turned from Division going south over to Ruby where the location
of Planned Parenthood is and I saw the road was closed off and I had
another chance to not go, but I stuck to it. I saw a parking lot which
was across the way from the location that I was headed. As I parked I
noticed a couple there who were holding signs for “40 days of life to
end abortion”.
I walked over to talk to them, and I stood there with them as we
talked about the “40 Days for life”. I didn’t even know that this
prayer movement was going on. They told me that this prayer movement
is going on all over the world to end abortion. We talked as the busy
traffic of the afternoon with all the honks, thumbs up, and fingers.
Then I told them that about God was drawing me to come to pray at
the clinic and that I had no idea that this prayer movement was going
on. I told them about the article that I read in the Good News.
As we were talking I mentioned the power of prayer and how Jesus
said that ‘when two or more are gathered in my name in prayer that I
am there in their midst’. They agreed and with that and we began to
pray. We stood on the street corner of Ruby & Indiana and we prayed
for women to choose life, we prayed for laws to be changed, we prayed
doctors would have a chance to repent, we prayed for all the different
people that work there that they would see. We prayed that God would
shine his light down on Planned Parenthood and that all things would
be exposed and that everything that is hidden would be in the open. We
each prayed for the end of abortion in Spokane and the rest of the
world.
Later I looked up the 40 days for life and here is some info from
their web site.
40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that takes a
determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the
consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own
friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with
God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion. It draws
attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point
program:
Prayer and fasting
Constant vigil
Community outreach
The 40-day campaign tracks Biblical history, where God used 40-day
periods to transform individuals, communities … and the entire world.
From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after
Christ’s resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative
value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.
Vision 40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision
to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to
end abortion.
40 Days for Life is the largest internationally coordinated
pro-life mobilization in history, helping people in local communities
end the injustice of abortion.
Proven results by the grace of God, 40 Days for Life has achieved
a stunning track record of life-saving results since launching in 2007
and rapidly becoming a worldwide movement 650,000 Volunteers in 579
Cities in 30 Nations around the world 3,588 Local Campaigns with
10,331 Lives Saved and 121 Abortion Workers Quit.
“40 Days for Life helps us to be spiritually aware of the need to
pray for our unborn brothers and sisters, empowering us to be on the
front-lines, reaching out to mothers and fathers with a message of
hope. There is no movement more important, and 40 Days for Life is
leading the fight, spiritually, and practically, in the trenches every
day.”
www.40daysforlife.com
Lila Rose, Live Action
As I stood on the sidewalk that day we talked to people walking
down the street. Everyone said that they were Pro-life but then said,
“but what about this or that?” which told me that in the heart people
know the truth but there is so much confusion and extreme cases that
people cannot see the forest for the trees.
Apathy is the enemy in the church to the cause of life. These
events awoke in me an issue that should never have fallen asleep. This
world movment to pray is changing hearts in the issue of abortion.
This tragedy has gone on for way too long. We can live to see things
change in our communities and the world.
If Christians will do those things that God is calling them to do
through prayer on this issue then we can confidently pray 2 Chronicles
7:14, “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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their
land.”
You can look up Chet Gallagher on google & if you missed the article
titled “I’m Ashamed” you can see it on our web site.
www.goodnewsnorthwest.org Click on Archives and go to
October 2015 issue.
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