The pro-life prayer campaign 40 Days for Life is reporting 680 babies saved during its international spring Lenten campaign, which ran from February 22 through April 2.
According to the organization, 76 of the children saved were in California, while 69 came from Illinois — two heavily pro-abortion states. During the campaign, two abortion facility workers also reportedly left their jobs and became pro-life, while three abortion facilities closed for good.
Lourdes Varela, director of 40 Days for Life in Ibero-America, told ACI Prensa that prayer and fasting are pillars to the campaign’s success.
“Prayer is at the center of 40 Days for Life, and that is why we call on people of faith around the world to get on their knees before God and ask him to hear us and heal our land,” she said, also noting, “Christ told us that demons can only be expelled through prayer and fasting, so both go hand in hand.”
She also spoke about the increasing pressure being placed on pro-lifers who are witnessing around the world. For instance, countries like Spain and the United Kingdom now prohibit sidewalk counseling and peaceful prayer outside abortion facilities.
“The great challenge is that our faith will be put to the test in the face of looming persecution. We ask everyone not to be afraid because God is the Master and Lord of the universe and Christ has already won the victory on the cross,” she said. “What we can see with this legislation is that they fear us because they have to move an entire political system and create laws so that we don’t go out to pray. They’re afraid of a few people who, for every hour, for every time slot, go to pray outside these abortion centers.”
40 Days for Life has been running its peaceful, prayerful campaigns outside abortion facilities since 2007, with a mission “to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.” Since that time, 23,528 children have been reportedly saved from abortion, 139 abortion facilities around the world have been closed, and 250 abortion workers are reported to have left the industry thanks to the prayerful witness of pro-life advocates.
