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“From heaven above the stars came out to fight.
The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera.
The Kishon River swept them away…
March on with courage, my soul!”
~ Judges 5:20-21

In this Life-sustaining mission, like Deborah, through faith, we are called to help others trust that God’s Love and new beginnings remain available to them amidst impossible-looking circumstances — even if they feel they’ve made a mess of their lives and it’s too late.

In the days of Judges, the people of Israel had fallen under oppression from enemy forces (an intimidating army with 900 iron chariots). The streets were empty; people were tired and felt defeated. They had lost their way, gone after other Gods, and war was at the gate. It seemed impossible to stand up to the threat of death and ruin. Until Deborah arose like a MOTHER. (Judges 5:7)

God, in His great Mercy, gave Deborah a clear directive on how to deliver Israel from the enemy’s threats and procure victory life and freedom for the people.

Obediently, Deborah said yes to God and she summoned Barak, telling him to ‘stand up’ as God had commanded and lead Israel’s small army out to war against Sisera’s giant army. Deborah assured Barak that God would miraculously fight on their behalf and win the battle; however, Barak would not arise and go onward unless Deborah accompanied him (Judges 4:8).

Without hesitation, Deborah ‘struck up the song!‘ as she followed the Lord’s directives and courageously stood in the gap.

~ Like Deborah, having heard the Lord’s call, we awake and say yes to offering ourselves as willing volunteers (Judges 5:2) to protect and defend the family from the culture of death. We say yes to helping mothers and fathers arise with Hope through striking up the encouraging, compassionate and merciful services of a pregnancy help centre. A love-song that holds the power to set people free from the snares of death that surround them.

Like Barak, our clients require us (armed with faith and weapons of love) to journey with them through an intimidating battlefield (in this case, the stress of an unexpected pregnancy or the sorrow of abortion grief). Our willingness to accompany them helps them arise with courage and trust that they can look up and ‘be not afraid’ to walk, day-by-day, over the waters of their fears, worries and impossible-looking circumstances.

The Lord faithfully revealed Heaven’s Help for Deborah and Barak, commanding the stars to fight from heaven above, flooding the Kishon River and washing away those intimidating iron chariots in minutes!

Reflection:

Could you share any instances in your life where God supplied you with a ‘Deborah’ who accompanied you through an unexpected, challenging season of uncertainty, encouraging you to go by faith and not by sight?

Prayer:

Abba Father, we pray that the message we have and the work we do is not distorted and that it reaches those who are vulnerable to or heartbroken after abortion. We pray that those we serve may receive LIFE and be wrapped up in Your LOVE. Carried and kept, safe and cherished.

We pray especially for those who are fatherless or grew up without a loving father or mother figure. We pray that Your LOVE flowing through our services may heal generational wounds and restore the dignity and identity of fathers, mothers, sons and daughters to fullness.

We pray that every person’s heart would break for what breaks Yours, and that there would be an outpouring of repentance for the taking of life in our generation. May the healing power of Christ, Your Son, breathe resurrection LIFE across the hearts of all expectant parents and those who have lost a child to abortion now and forever. Your Kingdom Come. Let it be done. Amen +++

Prayer Points:

80,000 abortions take place annually in Australia. How many of these 160,000 mothers and fathers facing the stress and overwhelm of unexpected pregnancy are finding the Pregnancy Help Australia (PHA) network?

Regardless of whether pregnancy was planned or unexpected, our clients face a variety of high-stress situations that can leave them feeling overwhelmed and vulnerable to making quick fear-based decisions. Here’s a glimpse into some of the challenges they bravely navigate:

• Unexpected Pregnancy
• Financial Hardship
• Exposure to Violence | Coercion
• Isolation | Lack of Access to Community Support
• Homelessness or at Risk
• Single Parenting
• Asylum Seeker | Refugee Background
• VISA concerns | Mothers without Medicare
• Addiction Issues
• Child Protection Issues
• Pregnant After Loss
• Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
• Young Parent | First-Time Parent
• Multiple Birth
• Confirmed or Potential Prenatal Diagnosis

In 2023, the Pregnancy Help Australia network helped approximately 10,100 clients.

It is heartbreaking to know that the majority of the 160,000 parents who experienced abortion did not know about the incredible support available to them for free through the PHA network. What can we do about it?

• Pray for Divine Intervention, angelic assistance in the lives of those who are vulnerable to abortion. May those who are pregnant, feeling alone, uncertain and without support miraculously find the Pregnancy Help Australia network in their online searches today and in all the ‘todays’ of the future.
• Pray for a profoundly invested and deeply committed donor or group of donors who will intentionally invest into PHA’s marketing and advertising budget, enabling the creation of a strategic advertising campaign that breaks through the highly competitive and heavily funded pro-abortion landscape.

Volunteerism. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to fall afresh on all who sense a call to work for the pregnancy help mission. Pray that these chosen ones will respond with an obedient “yes”, arising as an army of willing volunteers to ensure the continuation of existing services and establish new start-up centres (hubs of love) in areas where services are currently lacking.