John,

The largest Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign ever begins in 588 cities around the world TOMORROW.

As Christians everywhere enter into 40 days of prayer and penance, the ancient practice of fasting can bear tremendous fruit in both our lives and our broken world...

...but if we aren't careful, our fast and our Lent can be wasted.

On this week's episode of The 40 Days for Life Podcast, we share 8 ways you can ruin your Lenten fast--and how to avoid them so that fasting will cultivate your spiritual life and draw you nearer to God:

40daysforlife.com/ruin-your-lenten-fast

Tune in for tips to help you make the most of this Lent and then sign up to pray for an end to abortion at 40daysforlife.com/location.

Of course, there's more to 40 Days for Life than fasting. For tips on how to spoil your entire 40 Days for Life experience this spring, check out the #2 most-downloaded episode ever of The 40 Days for Life Podcast: Uncle Screwtape's 7 steps to a useless 40 Days for Life campaign, Season 4, Episode 10.

Campaigns around the world have launched their vigils with kickoff events. Today, we check in with a location on each side of the Atlantic.

Waco, Texas

Abby Johnson spoke to a packed house to open Waco's campaign.

Hundreds of people spanning Christian faith traditions gathered to see Abby, whose bestselling book Unplanned became a Hollywood box office blockbuster.

Aine, the local campaign leader in Waco, said the event was successful in getting attendees motivated to join the vigil. "Lots of new signups!" she noted.

Nottingham, England

The abortion unit based out of Nottingham University Hospitals became the 100th abortion facility to close following a 40 Days for Life campaign in 2019.

The local campaign team has since moved its vigil to a facility operated by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), an abortion mega-chain that performs more than 80,000 abortions every year.

40 Days for Life Director of International Campaigns Robert Colquhoun just spoke at the Nottingham kickoff event. "BPAS clinics have been heavily criticised by the Care Quality Commission for failures in patient safety," he reported.

Robert also noted that the facility where the Nottingham vigil now takes place performed more than 156 abortions at 10 weeks gestation in 2020. "By that point, the baby has all his or her major organs in place and even has fingerprints."

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 forgive their sin and heal their land.

-- 2 Chronicles 7:14

Heavenly Father, we cry out for Your mercy and ask You to remove the scourge of abortion from our land. Use us as your vessels, Lord, to bring the light of Your truth to our nation once again.

See today's full devotional

Once again, please find the location nearest you...and join your hometown vigil tomorrow:

40daysforlife.com/location

For life,

Shawn Carney
President/CEO, 40 Days for Life