John,

Men have not been pushed to the sidelines on abortion; they've often run to them.

From washing their hands of responsibility with the indecisive approach of telling women, "I'll support you in whatever you decide," to sometimes forcing a woman to have an abortion, men have often acted like boys when it comes to abortion.

Tina in Forest Park, Georgia saw a couple arrive to the abortion center in a sports car.

"It was immediately apparent that she did not want to go into the building," Tina said. "Her boyfriend put his arm around her neck, tightening his hold on her and pulling her towards the door. Once on the doorstep, she pushed him away and refused to go in."

For the next two hours, vigil participants prayed as the couple battled over the fate of their unborn child.

Tina and her prayer partners held signs that said, "Abortion kills children."

The abortion-vulnerable mom looked at Tina and said, “I know it’s true, but he won’t listen.”

"She was such a fighter for her unborn baby," Tina said. "But, towards the end of the two-hour ordeal, you could see that he was wearing her down. It looked like she didn’t have much fight left in her as she very slowly walked back into the building."

Fortunately, the couple left just 15 minutes later--without an abortion, but still very much in need of prayer.

Kalamazoo, Michigan

A vigil participant in Kalamazoo was praying when she overheard a couple in Planned Parenthood's parking lot screaming at each other.

The woman took a fistful of cash out of a backpack and threw it at the man, presumably returning the money he gave her to pay for an unwanted abortion.

The screaming continued, and the man pushed the expectant mother into a fence.

Fearful for the woman's safety, vigil participants called 911. The man drove away, leaving the woman to walk home by herself.

Columbus, Georgia

Amber in Columbus leads both the local 40 Days for Life campaign and the community's pregnancy help center. Recently, she helped support a mom fleeing domestic abuse.

"A mother came on Day 2 of the vigil to help problem-solve her immediate need for safety for herself, her other two children and her unborn child," Amber said.

While Amber's team supports moms inside the pregnancy help center adjacent to the abortion facility, her volunteers hold vigil in all kinds of weather.

"The rain is not keeping our committed prayer partners away from this 40 Days for Life vigil," Amber reported. "As the mother making a safety plan to flee her abuser works inside our pregnancy clinic, our prayer warriors sit in the rain, storming Heaven for mothers like her and many others."

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.

— Isaiah 1:16-17

O God, our heavenly Father, give us courage and wisdom as we seek to eradicate the evil in our society.

Help us to realize that your divine Spirit alone can change hearts and minds so that all your human creatures may enjoy the fullness of life you intended for them.

See today's full devotional

For life,

Shawn Carney
President/CEO, 40 Days for Life