{{first_name|Friend}},
A little apology for missing yesterday's reflection! Sometimes the days get away from me, but I'm grateful to be sharing today's with you.
Every morning, our Southwest Coalition team begins with Scripture Hour. We read the daily readings, spend time in personal reflection, and anyone who wishes can share what God has placed on their heart.
Today's Gospel, Luke 13:10–17, really made me think.
Jesus encounters a woman who has been bent over for eighteen years. He sees her suffering and heals her. Yet the synagogue leader becomes angry because Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath.
As I pictured this woman, I thought about all the beauty she must have struggled to see during those eighteen years. The magnificent colors of the sky, the clouds passing overhead, the treetops reaching toward Heaven, and even the faces of those standing before her. Her physical condition kept her from lifting her eyes to take in the world around her.
And I began thinking about how sin can do something similar to our souls.
Anger, bitterness, and years of turning away from God's truth can leave us spiritually bent over, unable to recognize what is right before our eyes.
I think about Dr. Theard, who performs abortions just on the other side of the wall from our chapel. When a pregnant woman comes before him, does he recognize that two human lives are present? Does he see the unborn child, created by the very same God who made the magnificent heavens and everything beautiful around us?
I cannot know what he sees in his heart. But I pray that one day he will recognize the full dignity of both the mother and her child.
And then I wonder what years of performing abortions must do to a person's soul. How hardened can our conscience become when we repeatedly turn away from the truth?
That brings me back to the woman in today's Gospel.
Jesus did not leave her bent over. He called her forward, laid His hands upon her, and she stood upright again.
What a beautiful reminder that no one is beyond God's mercy!
Perhaps this is why we must pray so fervently for those who perform abortions. Not simply that they will stop, but that they will encounter Christ, allow Him to heal their hearts, and come to recognize the precious lives entrusted to their care.
And may we examine our own hearts as well, asking God to free us from whatever sin keeps us from seeing His goodness.
Lord, help us lift our eyes, recognize Your truth, and never become so blinded by sin that we fail to see the beauty of the lives You have created.
Thank You for Your Prayers!
To everyone who joined us in prayer during Sunday's pro-abortion march in Las Cruces, thank you! May God bless you for your faithfulness.
Please continue praying for those who participated in the march, that their hearts may be opened to God's love and truth. We never know how God may use even one prayer to begin changing a heart.
Let's Celebrate Our Prayer Warriors!
40 Days for Life Closing Celebration
Friday, November 6 | 6:00 PM
Doña Ana County Cowboy Church
3920 W. Picacho Ave., Las Cruces
Join us for food, fellowship, special awards honoring our prayer warriors, and exciting door prizes!
RSVP: (915) 455-1311
Boots, Babies & Big Dreams!
Don't put those cowboy boots away just yet! Our Southwest Coalition Gala is right around the corner!
December 2 | Las Cruces Convention Center
December 3 | El Paso Starlight Event Center
Both evenings begin at 7:00 PM, featuring special guest Riley Gaines, Mark Cavaliere as MC, and our first-ever Western dance following the program!
Come for the mission, stay for the celebration!
For Life. For Love. For Both.
Gratefully in Christ,
Jessica Sifuentes
President & CEO
Southwest Coalition, Inc.
Devotional for Day 34
Intention: For the conversion of abortion providers and all whose hearts have become hardened by sin.
Scripture: Luke 13:13 — “He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.”
Reflection: For eighteen years, the woman in today's Gospel could not stand upright to see the beauty around her. Sin can do something similar to our souls, blinding us to God's goodness and truth. The same God who created the magnificent heavens also created every unborn child in His image and likeness. May we pray for those who perform abortions, that Christ will open their eyes to recognize the precious lives before them. No heart is beyond His mercy.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, free us from the sins that keep us from seeing Your goodness. Open the hearts of those involved in abortion, that they may recognize the dignity of every mother and child. May Your mercy bring healing and conversion. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Today's Challenge: Offer an Our Father for an abortion provider, praying for their conversion and healing. Pray Psalm 51 for Dr. Theard.