The local 40 Days for Life vigil sponsored by Montgomery County Right to Life outside the Planned Parenthood facility at 4747 Louetta hosts prayer from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. However, a prayer participant saw an opportunity to extend prayer around the clock by partnering with men incarcerated in two Huntsville prison units. These men answered the call in a big way! Please read below J’s inspiring email.
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Last week I explained the 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil to some of the Christian men at the Wynne prison unit in Huntsville, Texas where I volunteer for the chaplaincy program. I told them that in some locations the vigil was 24 hours each of the 40 days, but at the Planned Parenthood facility in Spring where I was participating, the hours were from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. I asked the men if they would like to cover the evening hours, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. with prayer. This would give them a way to stand with us in prayer for the unborn little ones and all the other victims of abortion. They enthusiastically agreed.
March 7, the second day of the vigil, I returned to the Wynne unit and the offender heading up the unit prayer vigil gave me the sign up list… 12 pages of names! As I examined the list in semi-shock, and asked several questions, I realized that each man on the list had agreed to pray for one hour each day for the whole 40 days. For example, 16 men are praying every day from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the whole 40 days. Again, 16 different men from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fifteen men signed up for 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. and so on. Every hour is covered with at least 10 men who signed up to pray. I was amazed and encouraged.
I also gave the 40 Days challenge to the men at the Estelle Unit but I haven’t yet returned to see what the Lord is doing through them. I look forward to that. I spent 33 years serving as a chaplain in the Texas prison system before retiring last year, and the Body of Christ behind the bars never ceases to amaze and encourage me.
Thanks for this opportunity and may God bless all 40 Dayers,
J