In January, I had the great privilege of meeting the Leadership Team of the 40 Days for Life Campaign - David Bereit and Shawn Carney. I was invited to speak at their conference during this year’s March For Life in Washington. I spoke about how Precious Life has been promoting the 40 Days For Life initiative in Ireland and UK for a number of years now. I shared with the American audience what we have achieved in our battle to save the unborn and to protect Ireland from legalised abortion.

  I’m so excited to once again be the local campaign co-ordinator for 40Days For Life which begins on 22nd September. Let me explain what the campaign is all about...

40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of:
-  40 days of prayer and fasting
-  40 days of peaceful vigils
-  40 days of community outreach

  It was started in 2004 by a pro-life group in Texas, who began praying and fasting for an end to abortion. Over the next three years it spread across the USA and in 2007, the first national 40 Days for Life Campaign was conducted. In 2008, it went international when Precious Life organised the first Campaign in Ireland and Britain. People who had never been involved in pro-life activities came forward to answer the call.

This powerful campaign has mobilised people of faith and conscience in hundreds of cities across the United States, Canada, Australia, Denmark, and of course, Northern Ireland.

  During these unified efforts, the campaign witnessed countless miracles:
*  Over 350,000 people have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion
*  Reports document 2,811 unborn babies that have been spared from abortion - and those are just the ones we know about
*  35 abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry
*  Five abortion facilities completely shut down following local 40 Days for Life Campaigns
*  Hundreds of women and men have been spared from the tragic effects of abortion.

40 Days for Life is first and foremost built on a foundation of prayer. During our campaign, we are calling on prayer warriors to fall on their knees before the Lord, asking Him to hear our prayers and spare Ireland from the scourge of abortion. Jesus says in Matthew 18:19
“I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”

  Our vision for Ireland is, that on each day during the campaign, churches, individuals, families and prayer groups will join together to pray for these specific requests. We will seek God’s help for :
-  the protection of Ireland an the Britain from all attempts to legalise abortion. We will be praying for the scrapping of the abortion guidelines issued by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland; and praying against threats to pro-life laws in the south of Ireland, including the ‘ABC’ case currently before the European Court of Human Rights and proposed legislation endangering the human embryo.
-  the repeal of the 1967 Abortion Act in Britain
-  all unborn children in danger of abortion
-  women and men who are
  post-abortive
-  the conversion of those involved in the abortion industry

Together we can save the lives of innocent unborn children by joining in:

40 Days of Peaceful Vigils
Every day, hundreds of unborn babies are murdered in abortion death centres and hospitals in the UK. We can help save these innocent babies by peacefully praying outside these places of death. God told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
  In Northern Ireland, Precious Life’s Prayer Vigils are held daily at the FPA abortion referral centres in Belfast and Derry. Please consider joining us for an hour to pray. Your prayers can really save lives. If you live outside Northern Ireland, please contact me for information about Prayer Vigils in other areas.

40 Days of Community Outreach
We must defend the right to life, but even beyond that we must take action for the promotion of what is good. We must build a civilisation that proclaims the Gospel of Life. You can help build a ‘culture of life’ by taking the pro-life message out into your community.
  For 13 years, Precious Life Youth have organised ‘Street Information Sessions’ in towns and cities across Northern Ireland. During 40 Days for Life Campaign we will be encouraging more young people to join us for this vital part of our work.
  If you live outside Northern Ireland, please contact me for information about distributing pro-life literature in your area.


40 Days of Praying & Fasting
Please pray and fast for an end abortion. Jesus himself has shown us by His own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil (Matthew 4:1-11). He taught His disciples, some demons can only be driven out in this way (Mark 9:29).
  You can spiritually unite with us by praying the ‘40 Days Daily Devotionals’ (see details at end of page). You can fast from food, TV, alcohol, cigarettes, sweets, chocolate, etc. The money you would have spent on these items could be used to make a donation to the work of Precious Life.

Just think - there are hundreds of churches in the Belfast and Derry area, filled with prayerful people who believe abortion is wrong and that we should be speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves. There are two abortion referral centres here in Northern Ireland. So ...hundreds of churches filled with pro-lifers ...two abortion referral centres ...what are we waiting for?!! Precious Life need faith-filled, convicted people to cover these abortion centres in prayer and fasting. This is our opportunity to organise and stand as one voice throughout the Belfast and Derry area, to stand as one voice for those who have no voice - the unborn.

“Nothing is impossible with God”
(Luke 1:37)
Imagine if every church in the Belfast and Derry area organised themselves to speak up for the unborn, and fasted and prayed for the end of abortion. Imagine if we all committed ourselves to standing on the front lines in front of the FPA abortion business praying peacefully. If we did this, I truly believe that there would soon be no more abortions referrals.

  If you are a leader of a Prayer Group, please consider picking a day of the week, and encourage your Group to cover that day for an hour or more, on each week of the 40 Days.

  If you can commit to any part of this 40 Days for Life Campaign please contact me on 028 9027 8484 or download a Commitment Form here... fill it in and return it to Precious Life, PO Box 425, Belfast, BT1 4YF

  I fervently believe that prayer, fasting, and action will one day end abortion. I really need your support to accomplish this.

Yours, in Christ,
Bernadette Smyth
Director


PS. To help maintain focus on the Lord and stay in tune with His guidance, a series of ‘Daily Devotionals’ has been prepared. They contain for each of the 40 days of the campaign, an intention, scripture reading, reflection and prayer. Download the ‘40 Days Daily Devotionals’ here...