I was shocked, just like many of you, when I heard that Planned Parenthood of Eureka, California is launching a “prayer” campaign. The Six Rivers Planned Parenthood in Eureka decided to call the campaign “40 Days of Prayer: Supporting Women Everywhere.” Beyond the issue of offering up prayer asking God to support actions that are clearly deemed evil and sinful, the move was a slap in the face of pro-life advocates. The pro-life campaign “40 Days for Life” had just recently ended when Planned Parenthood made its announcement regarding the “prayer” campaign. Half a million voices had just been brought together for the cause of life.
According to Liberty Counsel, “40 Days for Life” is responsible for seeing at least 5,838 lives saved. The campaign has seen 22 abortion clinics closed and 69 doctors stop performing abortions. Compare that with the 329,445 abortions Planned Parenthood reports having performed in 2010.
Every life is precious, no matter its size, age, environment, or level of development.
You can’t tell me you don’t see the stark contrast between these two bits of information. For every life that the “40 days for Life” campaign has helped save in its entire existence, Planned Parenthood helped take just over 56 lives in 2010 alone. I’m frankly horrified at the thought of adding up the total amount of abortions Planned Parenthood has recorded since it began and comparing that number to the number of lives “40 Days for Life” has helped save. Every life saved is infinitely precious, but the number of lives taken in comparison is staggering.
The issue at hand here is the idea that God will hear prayers offered up to help in the commission of sinful action. Murder is murder. Exodus 20:13 lays down the law: “You shall not murder.” Many would argue that a fetus is not a life and that abortion is not murder. I challenge you, especially if you hold to a Christian worldview, to check out Psalm 139:13-16. In the English Standard Version of the Bible, it reads:
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was no hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your books were written every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.
God does not honor sin. No matter how much I, or anyone for that matter, ask God to have His hand on the commission of sin, He will not. God formed life, and it is precious to Him. It is His creation. From the Garden of Eden to every life formed in the womb to the end of time, life is precious to God. It is His masterpiece. He will not hear prayers offered up asking Him to bless the destruction of His masterful work. To do so would be contrary to His character. The Psalm above clearly lays out God’s mighty work in the forming of a child in the womb. Why would God bless the destruction of something He is so deeply involved in making? He wouldn’t. He doesn’t.
It is clear that God has blessed the prayers of participants of “40 Days for Life.” He has answered their prayers by allowing results. The Six Rivers Planned Parenthood of Eureka, California may continue to take life, but it will not see the blessing of God on its work, because God does not work contrary to His Word or His character. I’m all for prayer. But there is not point in praying against the will of God.
