By Elijah Raines

Last month my church had a guest speaker named Chet Gallagher, and he shared his story of how he was a cop in Las Vegas and how he found himself at a pro-life rally that was blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic. He came to the realization that because of his oath as a police officer, he could not turn a deaf ear to the cause of life even after his Captain told to return to the office. He found that he had to obey God rather than his captain. He was the first person to be arrested that day in the defense of life. Hearing his story of his conviction to stand for life at odds with his captain’s order awoke in me an issue that was asleep. Asleep out of hopelessness, because how can one person make a difference in such a large issue?
It happened by chance that an article from a writer in Texas was published in the October issue of the Good News from a completely different source titled “I’m Ashamed,” which was about a lady who was ashamed of her lack of a bold stand against abortion. She went on to take a bold stand that did make a difference in the changing of the abortion laws in Texas. With these things on my mind I saw that one person could make a difference. Lives can be saved and each act of obedience will make a difference.
Driving down Division from the north side of Spokane I had it in my mind to go to Planned Parenthood in Spokane to pray. I felt led to go but I felt completely at a loss as to what to do, other than pray. The nudge that I felt would not leave. I did not want to ignore it and try to pretend that I didn’t feel it. As I was driving, I felt led to pray the scripture about sending out workers to the harvest field. As I prayed it seemed like even with the busy traffic that there was a stillness that was over Spokane. In a moment I thought about all the different ministries and churches that are in the Spokane area and all the seeds that have been planted in this community. With that thought I prayed that all those seeds would come to fruition.
I turned from Division going south over to Ruby where the location of Planned Parenthood is and I saw the road was closed off and I had another chance to not go, but I stuck to it. I saw a parking lot which was across the way from the location that I was headed. As I parked I noticed a couple there who were holding signs for “40 days of life to end abortion”.
I walked over to talk to them, and I stood there with them as we talked about the “40 Days for life”. I didn’t even know that this prayer movement was going on. They told me that this prayer movement is going on all over the world to end abortion. We talked as the busy traffic of the afternoon with all the honks, thumbs up, and fingers.
Then I told them that about God was drawing me to come to pray at the clinic and that I had no idea that this prayer movement was going on. I told them about the article that I read in the Good News.
As we were talking I mentioned the power of prayer and how Jesus said that ‘when two or more are gathered in my name in prayer that I am there in their midst’. They agreed and with that and we began to pray. We stood on the street corner of Ruby & Indiana and we prayed for women to choose life, we prayed for laws to be changed, we prayed doctors would have a chance to repent, we prayed for all the different people that work there that they would see. We prayed that God would shine his light down on Planned Parenthood and that all things would be exposed and that everything that is hidden would be in the open. We each prayed for the end of abortion in Spokane and the rest of the world.
Later I looked up the 40 days for life and here is some info from their web site.
40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion. It draws attention to the evil of abortion through the use of a three-point program:

Prayer and fasting
Constant vigil
Community outreach

The 40-day campaign tracks Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities … and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ’s resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.
Vision 40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion.
40 Days for Life is the largest internationally coordinated pro-life mobilization in history, helping people in local communities end the injustice of abortion.
Proven results by the grace of God, 40 Days for Life has achieved a stunning track record of life-saving results since launching in 2007 and rapidly becoming a worldwide movement 650,000 Volunteers in 579 Cities in 30 Nations around the world 3,588 Local Campaigns with 10,331 Lives Saved and 121 Abortion Workers Quit.
“40 Days for Life helps us to be spiritually aware of the need to pray for our unborn brothers and sisters, empowering us to be on the front-lines, reaching out to mothers and fathers with a message of hope. There is no movement more important, and 40 Days for Life is leading the fight, spiritually, and practically, in the trenches every day.”
www.40daysforlife.com
Lila Rose, Live Action

As I stood on the sidewalk that day we talked to people walking down the street. Everyone said that they were Pro-life but then said, “but what about this or that?” which told me that in the heart people know the truth but there is so much confusion and extreme cases that people cannot see the forest for the trees.
Apathy is the enemy in the church to the cause of life. These events awoke in me an issue that should never have fallen asleep. This world movment to pray is changing hearts in the issue of abortion. This tragedy has gone on for way too long. We can live to see things change in our communities and the world.
If Christians will do those things that God is calling them to do through prayer on this issue then we can confidently pray 2 Chronicles 7:14, “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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

You can look up Chet Gallagher on google & if you missed the article titled “I’m Ashamed” you can see it on our web site.
www.goodnewsnorthwest.org Click on Archives and go to
October 2015 issue.