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Church Awareness Project
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Dear Friend,
Christians are celebrating Holy Week, as we prepare our hearts and minds for Easter. During these days of prayer and reflection, please pray for those affected by abortion -- both those at risk of undergoing abortions and those who have already been harmed by it. This includes not only millions of unborn children, but their mothers, fathers and families as well.
Many of those affected by abortion are "invisible" victims, whose stories will never make the media or be acknowledged by abortion supporters.
These include mothers who have unwanted abortions because they don't believe they have any other "choice," fathers who grieve for the children they lost or engage in self-destructive behavior to hide their pain, siblings and other relatives who mourn missing family members and broken families, and pregnant teens and women who are physically harmed or killed for refusing to abort.
During these remaining days of Holy Week, please:
Pray for those impacted by these issues and invite others in your church or community to do so as well. Download, copy and distribute our list of prayer intentions to families, prayer groups, ministries, etc. Use and meditate on these encouraging scripture verses, too.
Pray about excerpts from our Forced Abortion in America Report and share it with others to raise awareness that there are women in your community who might be at risk for abuse, discrimination or violence if they become pregnant. Commit to praying for those at risk of pregnancy- and abortion-related violence and individuals and families already hurt. These stories are difficult but important to read.
Fast for these intentions as well. Good Friday is a day of fasting for many Christians. Fasting is an act of personal devotion to God, a way to imitate Christ who spent 40 days in the desert praying and fasting. Keep this effort going by committing to praying and fasting once a week or once a month for these intentions.
In this article on prayer and fasting, Rev. Kenneth Collins wrote:
When Jesus taught us how to pray, He didn’t say, “If you elect to pray, do it this way…” and when He taught about fasting, He didn’t say, “If you elect to fast, do it this way…”
He said, "When you pray, don’t do it for show like the hypocrites do." It’s a conversation between you and God. And He gave us the Lord’s prayer as an example of what we should pray about:
Address God
“Our Father, who art…”
Submit to God’s will
“Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done…”
Ask for your physical needs
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
Ask for forgiveness
“Forgive us our debts…”
To the degree that you yourself are willing to forgive…
“As we forgive our debtors…”
Ask for help with temptations
“Lead us not into temptation…”
And preservation from evil
“Deliver us from evil…”
This Holy Week, may we remember, pray and fast for all victims of abortion, both visible and invisible. May you have a very blessed Holy Week and Easter!
~~~
About the Church Awareness Project
Help your church break the silence on abortion and become a place of support, advocacy and healing for those at risk of or hurting after abortion. Join the Church Awareness Project to help educate your pastor and church leaders and encourage them to teach and preach on these issues.
Church Awareness Project Resources
Join the Church Awareness Project (and get a free pdf copy of The Jericho Plan)
Letter to Pastors and Other Church Leaders
Complete List of Church Awareness Project Resources
Church Awareness Project Activities and Ideas
Finding Help
Pregnancy Help and Resources
Pregnancy Help Worldwide
Center Against Forced Abortions
Help & Healing After Abortion
Help After Abortion Worldwide
Support the Church Awareness Project
Make a donation to help support the Elliot Institute's research, education and outreach project, including projects like this one. For a donation of $20 or more, we will send you two paperback copies of The Jericho Plan: Breaking Down the Walls Which Prevent Post-Abortion Healing, by Elliot Institute Director Dr. David Reardon. Keep one copy for yourself and donate the other to your pastor, church library or other ministry. |
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