Since 1974, the year after Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in all 50 states, men and women around the country have marched every year to commemorate the lives lost to abortion. Almost 50 years later, legalized abortion has resulted in the deaths of over 61 million unborn babies.
The numbers are staggering, especially when one stops to consider that every one of those babies was someone’s daughter or son, sister, brother, grandchild, niece or nephew. But far more earth-shattering is the fact that we live in a nation that nonchalantly approves of this evil at the rate of 39 murders per hour.
In the face of the evil of abortion, we cannot be silent—it is an injustice that demands a response. The March for Life is one of the ways that we respond. It is one of the ways that we tell the world and our nation that abortion is not acceptable, that babies should not be stripped of their right to life, and that women deserve better than abortion.
As we march, we should keep in mind that hope in the face of the evil of abortion can only be found at the cross, so we turn to God, praying for his justice and his mercy for both the sinner and the sinned against, knowing that apart from God the abortion industry will not be defeated. God works through his people, but his people can accomplish nothing apart from him.
We can and should cry out against the injustice of abortion, pleading for God’s righteous judgment, asking, “How long, O Lord?” And yet, our prayer for justice does not exclude a prayer for mercy because God often brings about his justice through mercy. The stories of the men and women who have seen the light while working in the abortion industry are a testimony to the incredible fact that God changes lives! As we speak out against the injustice of abortion, we find hope in the realization that God is just, and we rejoice in the fact that God is merciful and gracious.
So as we pray about abortion, here are five groups we should keep in mind:
1. Unborn babies. Pray for the babies who will be slaughtered if eyes are not opened, hearts are not changed, and intervention does not take place. An unborn baby has done nothing to deserve a death sentence, and yet in the case of abortion, he or she is the one who will pay the highest price.
2. Abortion-minded mothers. Every woman who seeks an abortion, whether she enthusiastically supports and shouts her abortion or seeks it out quietly and fearfully or has been coerced by someone close to her, has believed the lie that abortion is her only answer. Insofar as women seeking abortion have been manipulated, deceived, or coerced, they have been sinned against. This does not change the fact that abortion is sinful, nor does it remove their responsibility for their choices, but it does mean that the hurt they are feeling is real and that they are in need of compassion, mercy, and truth.
3. People affected by abortion. Abortion regret is real because abortion really does destroy a human life. True compassion does not shield people from the truth, it points them to Christ. Pray that women who have had abortions and the men who have been complicit will come to realize what they have done and that they will find healing and hope.
4. Pray for those who currently work in the abortion industry. Pray that they will be given eyes to see the reality of what they are doing, that they will walk away from the abortion industry and know true forgiveness at the cross.
5. Elected officials. Pray for our elected officials who shape policies regarding abortion. Pray that they will be emboldened to stand for life and champion the rights of the unborn.
When praying about abortion, we should pray for all involved—that there will be changed hearts leading to the rescue of babies who will otherwise be slaughtered, that the perpetrators will see abortion for what it is and repent and find forgiveness, and that those who have been affected by abortion will experience forgiveness, healing, and hope. And finally, our prayer should drive us to action. Abortion ends through changed lives, and in light of that, we must speak truth, show mercy, and call the lost to repentance.
