Alaskans from all walks of life will gather again this fall outside of the Planned Parenthood abortion clinics in Anchorage and Soldotna to peacefully pray for unborn babies and to help mothers choose life. The upcoming prayer vigils, Sept. 25-Nov. 3, are part of an international campaign by the group 40 Days for Life. Each fall, for the past 13 years thousands have gathered outside of hundreds of abortion clinics across the country.
More than 60 million unborn babies have been destroyed surgically with suction, forceps or scissors — and chemically, with cocktails of powerful hormones over the past 44 years.
According to state records, more than 1,600 abortions occur annually in Alaska. Many take place at the Anchorage Planned Parenthood on Lake Otis Parkway. Nationally Planned Parenthood is the country’s largest abortion provider.
Abortion – which is legal in the U.S. through all nine months of pregnancy and for virtually any reason – is a big business. Nationally, Planned Parenthood brings in more than $1 billion annually.
In the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil, participants pray and fast for the end to abortion. The goal is to have at least two people praying outside the abortion clinic — in hour intervals — 24 hours a day for 40 days.
While they pray, some participants hold signs with positive messages, such as “Pray to end abortion” and “Life is beautiful.”
Over the past 13 campaigns, national organizers have reported that 1 million people have prayed near abortion clinics across the globe.
Participants in 40 Days for Life sign a “Statement of Peace,” in which they commit to “show compassion and reflect Christ’s love to all,” including the abortion facility customers and employees. They also agree to obey the law and cooperate with local authorities. In Anchorage, participants stay on the public sidewalk along Lake Otis. If the abortion clinic clients approach them and engage in conversation, volunteers are ready to talk.
Some commit to pray an hour at the abortion clinic before work, while the homebound pray or fast from a distance. Others join the vigil for a few minutes.
In its 13 years, 40 Days for Life reports that 16,004 babies are known to have been saved during the prayer vigils. More than 190 abortion workers have quit their jobs in the abortion industry and 104 abortion facilities closed after the campaigns, the group reports.
The upcoming vigils in Alaska take place outside the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic on Lake Otis Parkway in Anchorage and outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Soldotna (130 E Redoubt Ave).
For more information and to join the prayer campaign in Anchorage, visit 40daysforlife.com/local-campaigns/anchorage or contact local organizer Patrick Martin at (907) 232-2211 or PatMartin@AlaskaRightToLife.org.
Click here for information on how to join the prayer campaign in Soldotna.
