HOW TO PRAY AT AN ABORTION CLINIC FOR THE FIRST TIME / “My Story” by Nikki Bruni

HOW TO PRAY AT AN ABORTION CLINIC FOR THE FIRST TIME / “My Story” by Nikki Bruni
1. First, you need to have your heart broken. God’s Holy Spirit is the One for this job. He may do this in one or more of the following ways:

• You may see a photo of a tiny victim of abortion...perfectly formed little hands and feet, little arms and legs…lying in a mess of blood, intestines and a crushed head.
• You watch videos of women in tears talking about how much they regret their abortions (www.SilentNoMoreAwareness.org). You read a story from a 40 Days for Life vigil in another city, where a young man accompanies his pregnant girlfriend and her mother to an abortion clinic…all the while trying to talk her out of it. Even as they walk in the clinic door he is pleading for his child’s life. Three hours later the three of them exit the clinic. The woman and her mother get into their car, but the young man plops himself down on the curb, puts his head in his hands…and starts to sob. The girlfriend and her mother are shouting at him to get up and get into the car…but he is inconsolable. Two of the prayer participants at that 40 Days for Life vigil go to his side to try to comfort this young father who is grieving the death of his child…after he helplessly stood by as that child was murdered.
• You begin to educate yourself on the truth about abortion. You are in disbelief when you learn that abortion is legal for any reason, at any time during a woman’s pregnancy…right up to the day of birth! You are horrified when you discover the gruesome details of late term abortions...that thousands of babies are actually ripped apart by forceps while they are still alive in their mother’s womb and removed in pieces. You read about the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion, and the horrific and evil practices that go on un-punished and un-regulated in our country. You realize that our nation…the nation that YOU live in…is guilty of shedding the innocent blood of over 53 million….and counting. You cry and sob in repentance for living your life in oblivion to this horror and tell God how sorry you are for this terrible sin.
• Your eyes become opened to the satanic aspect of abortion, and you realize this is a spiritual battle that has been going on since sin entered the world …that Satan hates the woman…hates the womb, (the vessel that God used to send our salvation) and wants to kill, deceive and destroy that which was created in the image of God.

2. Now that the Holy Spirit has broken your heart, you need to do something…but WHAT? It’s time to be brave and go to the abortion clinic to pray and witness and possibly save a life! But the abortion clinic is in busy downtown Pittsburgh! If you are from the suburbs like me, you are scared to even drive into the city…let alone stand on the busy city sidewalk and publicly pray and witness! So, how do you do this?

• You decide to take a test run on a Sunday, when there is no traffic, plenty of parking and the sidewalks are quiet. You get in the car and find the address. You park and walk up to the doors of the clinic. You peer inside the glass and put your hands on the handles of the closed abortion clinic door and think about all the hands that have opened that door. You decide this is important. This requires sacrifice and determination. You commit to coming regularly to pray, mo matter what.
• The next “abortion day” at the clinic, you dress warmly and gather the sign you have made. Feeling very nervous, you drive into town in busy morning traffic. With butterflies in your stomach and palms sweating, you find a parking spot in a garage. Carrying the sign with a picture of an abortion victim toward your body, so others cannot see it…you begin to walk the three blocks to the clinic. While you walk, you are praying “Lord, walk with me. Be with me.” You begin to actually sense His Presence, His comfort and His encouragement. Your faith gets stronger with each step, and you learn how trustworthy our God is. You feel a little braver. When you arrive at the abortion clinic, you are relieved to see others who are standing there as well. After introducing yourself, you put your sign in front of you and begin your witness…all the while praying. People walking by look at you and you look back. You notice people in their cars looking at you. At first you are a little embarrassed, but after a while you begin to feel like you are doing something…standing up for what you believe in…and you begin to feel a little bolder. Not proud…but bold. As you see people looking at you and your sign, you think to yourself “maybe they are considering an abortion…or maybe they know someone who is considering an abortion, and maybe seeing my witness will be enough to change their mind.” It feels satisfying to actually do something…finally! You decide you will do this every week, no matter what. You will be a witness to the incredible value of each and every life.
• Your life is never the same after this. There are times when you are persecuted…cursed at, even felt mildly threatened. Your life is in some ways more difficult. But it is better…and lives are saved. You will never forget the first time that you learn of a life saved because of your witness…that cold October day that you stood on the sidewalk, holding your sign, and you noticed a young woman walking purposely towards you. You will never forget the words that came out of her mouth… “I just had a baby girl three days ago…”(as she holds her hand out to show you the hospital band still on her wrist). “I got off my bus a stop early, hoping that I would see you here!” She says breathlessly. “I just wanted to tell you that I was going to have an abortion last February, but when I saw you standing here in the cold…and I knew you didn’t have to be here… I decided that I couldn’t do it. My baby girl, Melawnya, is PERFECT! She is SUCH a BLESSING! Thank you SO much for being here!” You remember how your eyes welled up with tears as you hugged this tiny woman, before she turned and disappeared into the bustling crowd. You are forever thankful to God for saving this little life, and ponder the plans He has for her.