John,

The surest sign your prayers are effective at saving lives from abortion is how hard abortion supporters work to ban 40 Days for Life vigils.

Pavica and her team in Pforzheim, Germany are taking their city to court after officials banned the community's peaceful prayer vigil.

The Pforzheim team had led 40 Days for Life vigils for years without incident--until the city suddenly denied permission.

"Pavica and her group were not preventing anybody from entering the building, nor were they blocking the pavement in the surrounding area," reported the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the Pforzheim campaign in court.

The abortion facility previously requested police surveillance of the 40 Days for Life vigil, but law enforcement found no violations.

"I want to be there to pray...for the vulnerable women contemplating abortion and for their unborn children," Pavica said. "This topic really touches my heart, as I know the pain of losing a child... Surely a simple prayer for the vulnerable cannot be banned?"

Unfortunately, the free speech crackdown in Pforzheim is not an isolated incident.

As 40 Days for Life campaigns save more lives around the world, pro-abortion public officials increasingly look to ban peaceful prayer vigils.

Frankfurt, Germany

Vigil participants in Frankfurt are required to remain 150 meters away from the abortion facility.

Tomislav, the local campaign leader, said that's far enough away that abortion clients can neither see nor hear the messages of hope offered by vigil participants.

"I have noticed that many people look at us despite the buffer zone," said Pamela, who noted the vigil might actually be more effective 150 meters away from the abortion facility. "More people look at us. We are in front of a street with people, cars and buses."

Pamela said the prayer vigils demonstrate the Christian unity of the pro-life movement.

"They pray in German and also in Croatian, and it’s beautiful the way you look at people joining together to pray for the end of abortion."

Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand does not have any buffer zones...but the abortion industry's friends in the legislature are looking to change that.

"Parliament is debating the implementation of buffer zones," said 40 Days for Life Director of International Campaigns Robert Colquhoun.

For now, the abortion facility is advising clients to take an alternate route to avoid the vigil.

But at least one woman is grateful for her encounter with peaceful prayer warriors.

"A woman stopped to give thanks for the prayers," the Wellington team wrote. "She said that when she was pregnant, our group helped her last year. How many other women see us and are somehow encouraged either in their choice for life or in their motherhood?"

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