Speak up for those
who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. Speak up, judge
righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9
This past Sunday was Sanctity of Human Life
Sunday. On this day we, as a church,
declare our belief that human life is of inestimable worth and significance in
all its dimensions, including the unborn, the aged, the widowed, the mentally
handicapped, the unattractive, the physically challenged and every other
condition in which humanness is expressed from conception to the grave. We believe life is sacred.
As Christians we know we have a responsibility to
stand up for what is right and to also share the gospel and spread the light of
God’s love. Sometimes it is a delicate
balance to stand for what we believe in while doing so in love and remaining a
shining (and flawless) testimony to Christ.
It is easy to become judgmental.
It is easy to sound judgmental and not even realize it, and it is easy
to sound self-righteous when all we really want is to express our passion and
desperation in helping to win the war on abortion.
We can certainly end up doing the right thing the
wrong way and cause more harm than good.
There are women all around us that may have had an abortion in their
past and they are still hurting from it. Those women need to experience love more than
anything. God loves us and wants what is
best for us. He sent His son to pay our
debt as a testimony of His love for us.
We don’t always choose what is best and He knows that but He loves us
and will rescue us anyway. He saves us
on a daily basis from all our sins. We
would be hypocrites if we were to condemn and judge others, no matter what they
are struggling with. In God’s eyes we
are all on the same playing field.
Today pray for post-abortive women who may be
suffering silently. Pray for wisdom and
love in dealing with these hard issues.
PRAYER FOCUS: POST-ABORTIVE WOMEN (Adapted from Intercessors for
America)
Rather than
embracing a sense of panic and defense, go on the offense. Ask yourself,
"What can I do to help?" rather than asking, "What can I do to
convince?" List the ways that come to mind to reach out to post-abortive
and even pre-abortive, "at-risk" women in your community. Meditate on
1 John 4:16-21.
Do you know someone who is living a
lifestyle that doesn't line up with your beliefs? Maybe that kind word, that
gentle smile, that truth spoken in love will do more to reach them than your
loudest warning. Invite this person to get together with you, and pray that
he/she would be assured of God's love and grace available through Jesus Christ
(Romans 5:6-8).
Ask God to allow His peace and love to
embrace, fill, and empower post-abortive women in your community to make right
choices and seek the goodness of God. Ask the Father to draw them with His
goodness, impressing upon their spirits the beauty of how He heals the
brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1-4).
Scripture to Claim:
God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.
John 3:16-18 in The Message
God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.
John 3:16-18 in The Message
