An overview of the prayer guide for Israel's first 'National Prayer for Life' pro-life event

The first-ever “National Prayer for Life” event in Israel is taking place this Friday at the Gardens of Life in central Israel.

While similar movements have existed in the United States ever since the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973, the pro-life movement in Israel has remained relatively small and has not had the same national recognition as organizations like America's National Right to Life Committee or Family Research Council (FRC) think tank.

However, the two organizations sponsoring the 10 days of focused prayer for the unborn in Israel hope to change that reality.

They are calling on congregations and faith leaders throughout Israel to focus on the issue of abortion during this year’s “Ten Days of Awe”.

With Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) recently announcing that the Jewish nation's population is approaching 10 million, it might be shocking to hear that estimates put the number of aborted babies in Israel between 800,000 – 2 million during the period since 1948.

To help individuals and congregations pray for the various issues surrounding abortion in Israel, they have distributed a prayer guide with scriptures, devotionals and prayer points for each of the 10 areas of focus.

As the “Ten Days of Awe” are a time when Jews prayerfully seek repentance before God and man leading up to Yom Kippur, the organizers of Israel’s first National Prayer for Life event chose those same days to focus on prayer and repentance over the destruction of so many innocent lives.

The prayer guide contains 10 subjects to focus on during the 10 days:

1.     Each person’s part in the fight for life.

2.     Repentance for abortion.

3.     Governments and laws that have allowed legal abortion.

4.     Pregnancy centers and medical workers, both those working for and against abortion.

5.     Communities and leaders taking a stand on behalf of the unborn.

6.     Education system and the teachers who can communicate the value of life to students.

7.     Fathers, who are often overlooked in the discussion about abortion by both proponents and opponents.

8.     Mothers, who play such a pivotal role in a child’s life.

9.     Soldiers and students, who are often encouraged to see a pregnancy as a roadblock to success.

10.  Children and babies, the most innocent and vulnerable members of society.

While many pro-life groups in the United States celebrated the overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision last year, Israel does not stand in the same position.

Not only does the Jewish state lack a constitution, which could contain a clause protecting life, but the right to abortion was voted into law by the Knesset, Israel's parliament. This means that abortion can only be outlawed by Knesset legislation.

Such a move would require a dramatic change in public opinion, as well as dedicated support to create a culture that honors the sanctity of life, beginning at conception, in the country.

Influencing public opinion is part of the goal of Friday's National Prayer for Life event.

To participate in the 10 Days of Prayer, you can download the prayer guide here.

To learn more about and support Israel's Be’ad Chaim Pro-Life Association, click here.  

To learn more about and support the non-profit organization A Future and a Hope, click here.