Day 40 of 40 Days for Life

Thank you David Bereit, Father Frank Pavone and Carmen Pate for 40 Days for Life!


40 DAYS FOR LIFE:
DAY 40, NOVEMBER 4
Daily Devotional by Fr. Frank Pavone*********************

INTENTION: Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears abundant fruit, and that we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into the gates of heaven.

SCRIPTURE: "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." -- Matthew 16:18

REFLECTION: When we read this verse, we usually think that the Lord is promising that the church, which is His Body, will withstand all the attacks launched against it. Of course, that is true. But when we think about it more carefully, we realize that in a battle, the gates do not run out into the battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, they stand still to defend the city from the enemy attacking it. So when the Lord says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, who is doing the attacking? It is the church storming the gates! The church, all of God's people in Christ, is called to take the offensive, to run into enemy territory, and to gain ground for Jesus Christ. We do not wait for an invitation; we already have a command. We prepare, but we do not wait for circumstances to be perfect; we already have one who has gone before us.

During these 40 days, we have stormed the gates. We have taken the offensive. We have pushed forward the boundaries of the kingdom. And we must keep doing so, in numerous ways. The pro-life effort is "a matter of the heart." To end abortion, our hearts must be broken. This evil cannot simply be something we know about or debate. We have to allow it to grieve us, to bring us to tears, to bring us to our knees. "Blessed are those who mourn," for only when our hearts are broken can they open wide enough to receive the grace and strength to storm the gates. Indeed, the gates of hell will not prevail. The gates of falsehood will flee in the presence of truth. The gates of sin will melt in the presence of grace. The gates of death will fall in the presence of the church, the People of Life!

PRAYER: Father, we praise you.

We have heard the voice of your Son,
And therefore we can make our voices heard.

We have been justified in the blood of your Son,
And therefore we can oppose every form of injustice.

We have repented of our sins,
And therefore we can lead the sinner to repentance.

We have done battle with the power of evil,
And therefore we can have compassion on those still within its grip.

We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness,
And therefore we can bear witness to your Kingdom of Light.

May the witness of all your people through these 40 Days for Life bear abundant fruit, and may we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until You welcome us into the gates of heaven. We pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord, AMEN

Thankful To God,
David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

Thank you 40 Days for Life for the enriching lessons and victorious warfare inwhich you have lead us these past 40 days. Praise the Lord Most High for the victories, changed lives and saved lives that have happened because of your effort. Thank you for letting us participate in your warfare. May God bless, strengthen, prosper and bless you as you continue to serve Him. And Shalom~