The Power of Prayer

As human beings we all think that we have complete control over our lives.  It's often a big surprise to find out that, in fact, God is in control.  In the movie "Evan Almighty" (a highly recommended family flick!) God laughs as the main character Evan says something to the effect of "I can't do this- I have plans!".  In fact, God often has plans for our lives far greater than we could ever imagine. 

For Abby Johnson, the ex-director of the Bryan, TX Planned Parenthood clinic, who exactly one year ago today decided to walk away from her job and join the pro lifers on the other side of the fence, God had much larger plans.  Abby has said she expected that after the national news broke of her departure from PP that she would find another job and her family would get back to their daily lives in Bryan.  To her surprise God had additional plans for Abby and now she has become an strong, beautiful example of the pro life community.  For the prayer warriors who stood on the opposite side of the fence, praying fervently for so many years for Abby and all the doctors and staff of the Bryan Planned Parenthood, Abby's departure has been a testament to the power of prayer. 

Often we pray hoping for an answer right away.  But like the story of the widow in the bible who kept appealing to the unjust judge for justice against her adversary (Luke 18:1-8), we must persevere in praying for an end to abortion and, even better, praying for the staff, nurses and doctors of abortion clinics.  If there is no one to perform the abortion then the practice will, naturally, end. 

Our biggest weapon to end abortion is our prayer.  Prayer in our homes every day can work wonders.  Prayer, with an added physical presence in front of abortion clinics, has shown to work miracles.  We have heard from multiple women, and new grandparents, who changed their minds about abortion upon driving up to the clinic and seeing prayer warriors standing peacefully on the sidewalk.  In the past we have witnessed desperate friends, family and fathers of children in danger of abortion appeal to the help of prayer warriors and sidewalk counselors in front of the abortion clinic.   The San Antonio Coalition for Life has even documented a saved life by text message!  The father, locked out of the Planned Parenthood because of his opposition to the "choice" for abortion, with the help of a sidewalk counselor texted his girlfriend inside the building.   Later on she came out after changing her mind to have an abortion. 

So many of us want to see and end to abortion now- expecting that our prayer will be answered right away.  When abortions continue to happen each week some of these same people get frustrated and feel like their prayers are going unanswered.  In our daily prayers we have to remember that, not only do we have to persevere in asking, we may not always SEE the direct result of our prayer. 

How many women, contemplating abortion, drove by the abortion clinic to see a "Pregnant?  FREE Help" sign and called for the support she needed to continue her pregnancy?  How many men saw the prayerful warriors on the sidewalk and stepped up to be the man and father that God wanted them to be? 

We may never know.  What we do know is that prayer has power and some day we will see the answer to our prayers.  Someday we will live in a world where all life in cherished: Born and Unborn.