40 Days for Life is a large-scale pro-life vigil that runs around-the-clock for 40 days straight. The Mission of this movement is composed of three parts. Firstly, their mission is to unite in prayer and fasting. 40 Days for Life claims that, “Prayer keeps us rooted in the fact that it is our desire to carry out God’s will. Fasting is a sacrifice that helps us reach beyond our own limitations with God’s help.”
The second pillar of the missions of 40 Days for Life is ‘Constant Vigil.’ “The visible, public centerpiece of 40 Days for Life is a focused, 40-day, non-stop, round-the-clock prayer vigil outside a single Planned Parenthood center or other abortion facility in your community.” The goal is to have at least two people at each Planned Parenthood or abortion facility for all 24 hours for 40 days.
Lastly, the 40 Days for Life campaign’s goal is to have stellar community outreach. Media outreach is an important part, especially in our day and age, and the word is spread to the local communities and communities across America about this powerful testament to pro-life culture in America.
This expansive mission has dozens of roadblocks each year, however. One recent roadblock that has since turned into a victory occurred in Granite City, Illinois. According to the report, the director of Hope Clinic–an abortion clinic that kills babies up to 24 weeks old–filed with her attorney for the right to build a fence outside the clinic. The director claimed that the pro-life protesters have been physically and verbally abusive to the women going inside.
In a close 5 to 5 vote, the mayor of the city broke the tie because of a powerful response from a representative from the Faith and Freedom Family Ministry. Peggy Dresden, representative, told the council that the fence would create a barrier to the group’s efforts of explaining to women why they have other options available to them besides abortion.
The mayor was moved by her testimony, so he overruled the clinic’s rights to erect a fence. According to the report, the mayor said he was “not comfortable being the person who blocks the opportunity for a woman to change her mind about abortion.”
This is a huge victory to the pro-lifers making a difference in the lives of these women because as hard as it is getting to talk to the women in general, with a fence erected it would be almost impossible!
40 Days for Life is a powerful testament to what pro-lifers around America can do when they are united in prayer, fasting, and testimony. It also opens the door to people to show them what it is like praying outside of an abortion clinic, so hopefully throughout the year more people will decide to pray outside abortion clinics on their own time.