This past Saturday, I was honored to speak at a prayer assembly before hundreds of people on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol. The purpose was to pray for the three spiritual battles in our country: religious liberty, the right to life, and traditional marriage.
From right to left: Me with my friends Kristen (I love seeing pregnant women at pro-life events!) and Republican leader Linda Lee
Bishop Boyea from the Diocese of Lansing was the first speaker for the life issues. In keeping with the theme of the event, he explained that our society has forgotten that the Evil One exists, and as a result, that God exists. For this reason, the event was an important reminder that spiritual battles exist. He concluded by leading the assembly in a beautiful litany of prayers for the pro-life movement, abortionists and their employees, the unborn and their mothers, and women and families who are suffering from abortion.
Elder Dr. Levon Yuille from the National Black Pro-Life Congress spoke passionately about our need to remember that abortion is spiritual warfare and our spirit is insufficient to combat the Evil One. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to be victorious.
I was one of the speakers representing pro-life youth. My message was about pro-life unity. I founded Students for Life of Michigan (SFLM) to unify the college pro-life movement and Young Professionals for Life (YPL) to unify pro-life communities in Michigan. The fruits of these efforts are SFLM sending busloads of students to the March for Life every year, hosting annual statewide conferences for students to connect with each other and Michigan pro-life leaders, and planning leadership retreats for students to get ready for the school year, among many other successes. I thanked Pastor Yuille for being a frequent speaker at our events.
I took a photo of the crowd during my speech to encourage them to post on social media!
In addition, I told the story of YPL Lansing working with local pro-life community leaders to put up a billboard advertising pregnancy services in front of the abortion clinic. I thanked Bishop Boyeafor his role in making this happen. Now, Lansing’s only abortion clinic is closing due to the collaborative efforts of local pro-life leaders.
Lastly, I emphasized that Students for Life of Michigan will team up with any pro-life group that wants to help pro-life students. Please contact SFLM to get involved.
My friend Bernadette Smith and her husband also shared their testimony about their miracle daughter whom doctors pressured her to abort. Their daughter was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a devastating genetic disorder that causes 50% of babies carried to term to be stillborn. Bernadette and her husband’s strong faith gave them the courage to carry their baby to term, and she blessed this earth for four years. Read more about their unconditional love and acceptance of their daughter on Right to Life of Michigan’s Real Stories page.
Right before my speech, I told Bernadette I had that heart-pounding, anxious feeling (aka “stage fright”). She responded with four simple words that immediately calmed me down: “Peace in Jesus’ name.” And truly, that is the answer to the spiritual battles we face.
