Get equipped for ministry that leads to life! Start every day of the year with a devotion by Joel Patchen focused on a Bible teaching about life.

If you are a Christian who is passionately pro-life, God may want to equip you to be a significant voice for innocent human life. Should you accept this mission you will first want to search God's word and engage in prayer. In 1987, I was confronted with the disturbing news that the denomination I had just joined (PCUSA) had a policy that stated abortion could be a "morally acceptable" decision in certain circumstances, my first response was to go to God in prayer.

On my knees, I foolishly declared to God that I needed to get out of "this dead church." By the time I rose from my knees, God had persuaded me to remain a fully engaged member of the PCUSA. With all my heart I believed that the policy of the PCUSA was wrong—that every life had value to God and the church should never say that abortion was acceptable. I also knew I needed to know exactly what God's Word said about life before I spoke out. That very day I began a personal study of what the Bible says about human life and the prohibition against the taking of life.

Maybe you are also passionately pro-life and feel you should be doing something about issues like abortion and euthanasia but don't know where to start. Let me suggest a first step. I've just become aware of a wonderful daily devotional book written by Joel Patchen. He describes LOVE is for Eternity, Cherishing Life Every Day of the Year, in these words:

"This devotional is constructed around the Bible and what it teaches about dignity and the sanctity of human life. It offers readers a biblical foundation for defending life, addressing abortion, and understanding life's beginning, value, and purpose."

Each day's devotion includes a Scripture with a short meditation, a prayer focus, and educational information on a pro-life theme. Patchen's dream is to "abolish abortion in American and the world." He intends this work to be a blessing, motivation, encouragement, and source of equipping that will change the church forever. Certainly God's word and the prayers of the faithful can do that!

I am using devotional as part of my daily time in the word and in prayer. I invite you to join me—let's see how God will work in and through us to equip for ministry that leads to life!