The Mid-Knights in Shining Armor

¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.  -- Ephesians 6:13-18

So, they may not carry swords or shields or heavy armor...but they are clothed in something much better, much more lasting than that...the Holy Spirit.  They are men (and women) who cover the early morning hours of the prayer vigil at 40 Days for Life-Dallas and all around the country. They are servants of prayer who keep watch with Our Lord, during the night, peacefully & prayerfully, knowing that the abortion center will be open that coming morning without fail.

The traditional night hours at those 40 Days for Life locations, like Dallas, committed to a 24 hour prayer vigil are 7:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.  And for obvious reasons, they can be the toughest hours to recruit prayer volunteers -- especially midnight to 7:00 a.m.  Most people are gathering with family after a long day of work, at home relaxing with a favorite pet or roommate, or getting ready for bed in the early evening...and most people are asleep by midnight, let alone 3 a.m.!  We all have obligations that require us to be well-rested for the day ahead.

But those who make an extra sacrifice to come out to the site and pray during the early morning hours, also report that these end up being some of the most memorable and rewarding prayer times.  Many men's church groups have purposefully adopted shifts throughout the 40 Days, specifically midnight to 7:00 a.m. not only because they know it will be tough to fill, but also, they know that they will be blessed in unimaginable ways, keeping watch with Our Lord....sitting with him in the silence and the stillness of the evening, knowing that in just a few hours, women will start coming for their early morning appointments.  They know that if they fill that whole night with prayer, seeking to cover that time period in grace, maybe they will unknowingly touch the hearts of those who are having trouble sleeping, thinking about what they 'have to do' the next morning.

We want to thank those who arm themselves with the belt of truth buckled around their waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with their feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition ...the shield of faith, with which they can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one ....and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...

...to the men from the Young Serrans group who kept vigil with Our Lord last night & lost sleep in order to pray for His little ones & women-in-crisis... Darryl who took Midnight to 2 am... Mike who took 2-4 am...and Johnny who took 4-6 am... 

...and the countless Knights of Columbus men who are constantly filling the night hours for us, thanks in good part to Tom (Texas Pro-Life Director of the Knights) & his leadership in the 40 Days...

....and to Rob (from Blessed Sacrament Church in Oak Cliff), as well as Mike (from the Young Serrans & part of our 40 Days-Dallas team) who has covered numerous night hours already in this 40 Days-Dallas campaign...

...and for those who have covered early morning hours, that we have yet to thank...

They KNEW that it made a difference that they were out there... and we know that it will change hearts & minds in ways, yet unseen.  Eye has not seen...ear has not heard...what God has ready for those who love Him. -- (ref.) 1 Corinthians 2:9

If you would like to volunteer to cover some of the nighttime hours that still need prayer volunteers, please email us at 40days@prolifedallas.org.