One of the young women in my Bible study group shared with me that an acquaintance of hers had just found out she was pregnant from a one night stand. The pregnant woman had scheduled an appointment for an imminent abortion. I had no qualms about immediately shortening our bible study to spend extra time in prayer. Explaining the need to the others in our group, we held hands and resolved to fight for life according to God’s Word. I know He heard our intercession.

Living in a world that has grown callous toward humanity, we can easily drift into moral ambiguity—perhaps not in principle but in a marked loss of burden. I’ve been guilty of worrying more about the things I need to complete in the 24 hours of any given day than about the lives that hang in the balance during that same amount of time. According to an organization whose statistics are referenced by abortion advocates, 1,212,350 women obtained abortions in America in 2008. That means one baby was destroyed every 26 seconds.

While the destiny of John the Baptist was distinct in that he was the forerunner of the Messiah (Luke 1:76), Zechariah’s prophecy stands as the marker by which all life should enter this world—a father declaring that the greatness of God would become evident through his child’s life (Luke 1:76-79). However, not every child comes into the world as John the Baptist did—prayed for, welcomed with great love and destined to carry the message of God’s salvation. But we can “stand in the gap” (Ezekiel 22:30).

Let’s continue to spread God’s truth as we love others, pray for them and speak the words that reflect His Word.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Matthew 15:32-16:12