Subject: Changing One Heart for Many - URGENT!!
It's unprecedented for me to post to the prayer team 3 times in one week, but desperate times call for desperate measures!
You'd have to live under a rock to not know that the healthcare reform bill is going to be voted on Saturday...THIS Saturday. As it stands, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, won't allow a vote to take place on the pro-life amendment that deletes abortion funding from the current health reform bill (Stupack-Pitts Amendment).
As stated in a recent Family Research Council Action Alert statement,
"Rep. Stupak and Rep. Pitts are leading efforts to vote on this pro-life amendment, but if Speaker Pelosi does not allow this amendment to even come to a vote, then Members must oppose the "Rule" governing the floor debate. If the Rule is defeated, the legislation would be effectively defeated."
What do we need to do?
1. Pray
2. Email/fax your representative and senators
-urge them to oppose the Rule on HR 3962 (if the Stupak-Pitts amendment to remove abortion funding is not allowed)
- ask them to support the Stupak-Pitts amendment if a vote on it is allowed
- if the Stupak-Pitts amendment fails, ask your Representative to oppose final passage of the bill (unless all abortion funding & mandates are removed from the healthcare reform package)
3. Call the same leaders
Repeat the above message or keep it simple with this statement, "I want you to oppose all abortion funding and remove all mandates from any healthcare reform package."
4. Contact family and friends and spread the word. Email information, website links, blog links, and political contact information.
5. Pray some more...for the Lord to guide our efforts, guide our leaders, change their hearts for life and Truth.
Act Now
Contact your representative:
http://www.facebook.com/l/5c94f;clerk.house.gov/member_info/mcapdir.html
Contact your senators:
http://www.facebook.com/l/5c94f;www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Thank you in advance for your prayers, action and continuing support for the unborn and all those hurt by the lie of abortion.
My dear friend Melinda Garman has faithfully led us in the good fight of prayer for the past 44 weeks. The following post, as have many others gripped my heart and was an honor to join. I hope you will send Melinda a facebook message and let her know that you have prayed with us!!
I found an article this week that was both encouraging and troubling. The Guttmacher Institute report states the following:
"Worldwide, the number of abortions fell from an estimated 45.5 million in 1995 to 41.6 million in 2003. While both developed and developing countries show the same falling trend, the decline is faster in the developed world. Rates of decline vary more widely in the developing world, with Africa lagging behind the rest, said the report authors...Worldwide, the unintended pregnancy rate declined from 69 per 1,000 women aged 15–44 in 1995 to 55 per 1,000 in 2008." (for full report: http://tinyurl.com/ygfyt82)
Certainly, this is the encouraging news! However, they also reported that the larger part of the decline is found in developed countries where there is greater access to birth control. Developing countries have a reported 70,000 women that die every year from botched illegal abortions, having little access to birth control, which, of course is the troubling news. The recommendations of the report include creating a greater influx of birth control and education, as well as loosening the strict anti-abortion laws found in those developing countries.
Every week when I sit down to write this post, my heart is burdened afresh by how broken our world is. What was intended as an exquisite expression of love between husband and wife, has become the casual norm of uncommitted dating, resulting in the need for wide-spread birth control and the ability to get rid of the consequences if the birth control doesn't work or is forgotten altogether. Some would argue that because our world is broken, we can't hold people to an antiquated standard; they simply won't follow it, so we need to provide "safe" ways for them to "deal" with their mistakes. But, it has been proven, over and over by hundreds of thousands of women, that while they may save their own physical lives by having a legal, "safe" option to deal with an unplanned pregnancy, the death of that child leaves their hearts "dead." From where I sit, it seems that the breaking of that one covenant that God intended for marriage, has resulted in a perpetual cycle of death - physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I'm praising God today that there has been a decline in abortions, worldwide...it's what we've been praying for! But, while I'm strongly supportive of legislation to that end, doing my part (and continuing to encourage you to do yours) to see that it's not perpetuated any further, I'm even more acutely aware that the world needs Jesus.
Just Jesus.
SCRIPTURE FOCUS
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
John 10:10 Amplified
Father God, we come to You today - many believers, one voice - to stand for life. Lord, when we come together each week to pray for our president and the end of abortion in our world, we are reminded of just how fractured we are, as a society. We're reminded of the enemy that wants to rip it apart even further, to foster infection instead of healing. Your Word tells us that he just wants destruction and death, but You provided a way for life through Your Son - not just life, but LIFE, ABUNDANT. You knew that we needed Jesus, and in Your goodness, You sent Him. Father, we pray that we don't forget our own need for Jesus...that we don't forget to pray for a world that needs Him, too. Believing You will change one heart for many, we pray in the MIGHTY, LIFE-CHANGING NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, Amen.
"Worldwide, the number of abortions fell from an estimated 45.5 million in 1995 to 41.6 million in 2003. While both developed and developing countries show the same falling trend, the decline is faster in the developed world. Rates of decline vary more widely in the developing world, with Africa lagging behind the rest, said the report authors...Worldwide, the unintended pregnancy rate declined from 69 per 1,000 women aged 15–44 in 1995 to 55 per 1,000 in 2008." (for full report: http://tinyurl.com/ygfyt82)
Certainly, this is the encouraging news! However, they also reported that the larger part of the decline is found in developed countries where there is greater access to birth control. Developing countries have a reported 70,000 women that die every year from botched illegal abortions, having little access to birth control, which, of course is the troubling news. The recommendations of the report include creating a greater influx of birth control and education, as well as loosening the strict anti-abortion laws found in those developing countries.
Every week when I sit down to write this post, my heart is burdened afresh by how broken our world is. What was intended as an exquisite expression of love between husband and wife, has become the casual norm of uncommitted dating, resulting in the need for wide-spread birth control and the ability to get rid of the consequences if the birth control doesn't work or is forgotten altogether. Some would argue that because our world is broken, we can't hold people to an antiquated standard; they simply won't follow it, so we need to provide "safe" ways for them to "deal" with their mistakes. But, it has been proven, over and over by hundreds of thousands of women, that while they may save their own physical lives by having a legal, "safe" option to deal with an unplanned pregnancy, the death of that child leaves their hearts "dead." From where I sit, it seems that the breaking of that one covenant that God intended for marriage, has resulted in a perpetual cycle of death - physically, emotionally and spiritually.
I'm praising God today that there has been a decline in abortions, worldwide...it's what we've been praying for! But, while I'm strongly supportive of legislation to that end, doing my part (and continuing to encourage you to do yours) to see that it's not perpetuated any further, I'm even more acutely aware that the world needs Jesus.
Just Jesus.
SCRIPTURE FOCUS
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).
John 10:10 Amplified
Father God, we come to You today - many believers, one voice - to stand for life. Lord, when we come together each week to pray for our president and the end of abortion in our world, we are reminded of just how fractured we are, as a society. We're reminded of the enemy that wants to rip it apart even further, to foster infection instead of healing. Your Word tells us that he just wants destruction and death, but You provided a way for life through Your Son - not just life, but LIFE, ABUNDANT. You knew that we needed Jesus, and in Your goodness, You sent Him. Father, we pray that we don't forget our own need for Jesus...that we don't forget to pray for a world that needs Him, too. Believing You will change one heart for many, we pray in the MIGHTY, LIFE-CHANGING NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, Amen.
Amen, Amen!!
My love and blessings,
Pat
