How YOU can end abortion in your town.

40 Days for Life begins this week.

If you have never participated in 40 Days for Life before, now is the time to try it. 40 DFL is an international campaign of prayer and peaceful vigil in front of abortion clinics across the country (and world) during the 40 days of Lent. It consists of individuals volunteering their time, committing to pray outside the abortion clinic for a specific block of time each week (such as every Wednesday from noon-2). At many of the 258 abortion clinics across the world where 40 DFL will be taking place this season, there will be a presence of Christians praying 24/7.

“But...in front of an abortion clinic? You mean... an actual clinic where they do the actual abortions?? That sounds a little extreme. That's not for me. I'm fine praying at home, thank you very much.”

Is that what you're thinking? If it is, you're not alone. There are thousands of pro-life people who feel exactly the same as you, which is why they are not standing in front of abortion clinics, which is why the abortion clinics in their towns are not closing.

Let me ask you something. If the clinic down the street was killing two-year-olds instead of two-month-olds, would you be praying inside your house? If the clinic down the street was filled with gas chambers and was gassing Jews on a daily basis, would you be praying inside your house? Or would you be praying at the site of the atrocity?

“But that's different. Killing two-year-olds? Gassing Jews? That's crazy.”

You know what else is crazy? Killing preborn babies, who are the most innocent and defenseless of us all. Abortion is genocide on such a massive scale that we absolutely cannot afford to think or pray about it from the comfort of our own homes. We need to be present at the scene of the crime.

In the past five years since the inception of 40 Days for Life, 61 abortion clinic workers have quite their jobs! Although most of us have only heard of Abby Johnson, the now-famous former Planned Parenthood clinic director who quite her job a couple of years ago and became a public figure after speaking openly about her conversion. That is in addition to over 5,000 abortion-bound women changing their minds and 21 abortion clinics closing down forever. All that, simply from the power of prayer... in front of abortion clinics.

Don't have time? You have time for your favorite TV show and the evening news.

Don't like being a protester? No problem, because 40 Days for Life isn't a protest!

Don't want to talk to anybody going inside the clinic? You don't have to.

Don't want to be seen by your friends? Praying for an end to the greatest human rights abuse of our time is something to be proud of, not ashamed of.

Don't want to go outside your comfort zone? Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Do one thing every day that scares you." It's good for you, and God will give you courage.

Get over the excuses and get outside, even just to try it once. Standing outside an abortion clinic is a powerful experience because the spiritual warfare is RIGHT THERE. You can feel it. And you'll be want to go back again and again.

I'm probably going to be outside praying close to 40 hours a week for the next 40 days. How many hours can you commit to?

***NOTE: for more information about 40 Days for Life campaigns and to find a location near you, check out 40daysforlife.com, and for info about the NYC campaign locations go to 40daysforlife.com/nyc.