Bonus Episode: The Overturning of Roe v. Wade, with Jannique Stewart

Dannah Gresh: Where were you last Friday when the Supreme Court of the United States made a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade? That’s something that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. I know where I was. I was traveling down 83-South on my way to Annapolis. And because I was so very close to the Supreme Court, my husband and I decided, “Let’s go to those steps and let’s rejoice, Let’s pray, and let’s cry out to the Lord together.”

Well, you know what happened when we got there? We got a wakeup call of just how divided our nation is right now. I didn’t really know how many people were so angry and how many people were so discouraged by this decision. Maybe you’ve figured that out by now.

Well, today we’re recording a bonus episode of Revive Our Hearts to equip you to talk with grace and truth to those friends and family members that you know who don’t agree with the decision that’s just been made by the court. More than that, if you tune in for the next few minutes, we’re going to talk a little bit about how we should be acting right now. We need to be women of action in this hour, immediately. What we can’t do right now is nothing. Every believer needs to be asking the Lord, “How do we respond? What can I do?”

Well, I’m not an expert on this topic, but I have someone here with me today who is. Her name is Jannique Stewart. She’s a national speaker with the Life Training Institute. She’s also the executive director of the Missouri Family Foundation, which exists to advance faith, family, and freedom through public policy, advocacy, and education. Jannique speaks every year to nearly 100,000 teens and adults at conferences, churches, high schools, and universities across the entire United States, and she fills up their toolboxes with everything they need to be an advocate for truth with grace.

Welcome to Revive Our Hearts, Jannique! We’re so happy to have you today.

Jannique Stewart: Thank you so much for having me on such an important show.

Dannah: You know, I think what I’d like to do is maybe have a Reproductive Law 101 course from you. I’ve actually met some wonderful praying friends who didn’t even know this decision had happened on Friday, so that makes me think maybe some people haven’t been following along. Tell us, why did the Supreme Court of the United States consider overturning Roe v. Wade? What made them even look at it? Why did they decide to do so?

Jannique: Sure. In 1973, there was an opinion that was rendered called Roe v. Wade, and it has changed the conversation as we know it. In fact, in 1973 when they passed that ruling or that opinion that abortion was legal across the United States, most people don’t realize there was a companion case Doe v. Bolton that essentially, the two of them together, allowed abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, Dannah. Most people don’t realize that.

Since then, states have tried to pass types of laws that will restrict abortion throughout the United States. Now, Mississippi in 2021, many of you remember hearing about what was called the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case. Essentially, what Mississippi wanted to do, Dannah, was restrict abortion at fifteen weeks. Part of the problem is, though, Roe and Doe v. Bolton said, “Wait, no! Abortion is legal through all nine months.” The caveat, though, was that they could try and say that, “Yes, we can limit abortion once that baby is viable, around twenty-one weeks; however,” they said, “if it doesn’t place an undue burden on her, especially in—” and they use the term “health.”

Well, “health” was actually defined to mean psychological, it meant emotional; Dannah, it also meant familial. Therefore, it essentially not only allowed abortion through all nine months, but essentially, health could be defined any way you want. So when Mississippi tried to pass this pro-life legislation that said, “We want to restrict and protect babies’ lives at fifteen weeks,” that is when it went before several courts and finally made it up to the Supreme Court.

For the Supreme Court to rule in this or share an opinion, they actually then also had to review Roe v. Wade, which is what legalized abortion to begin with. So, that is just a little bit of the overview that’s important for our listeners to understand.

As you well know, on June 24, this past Friday, they did actually say that yes, it was legal for Mississippi to restrict abortion at fifteen weeks, and furthermore, with Roe v. Wade, we see now that people are essentially upset—some are upset—some are rejoicing.

Dannah: What were the key factors that led the Supreme Court to say, “Yes, we’re not going to uphold Roe v. Wade. It wasn’t something that we think should have been made the law of the land.” That’s essentially what they were saying. “We made a mistake, and now we’re fixing it.”

Jannique: Yes.

Dannah: What are one or two things that you think led to that?

Jannique: Sure. First and foremost, I love that Justice Alito actually did state that there is no constitutional right to have an abortion. This is something we cannot skip over. That point alone is critical. Most people have said all this time that we have a constitutional right as women to have an abortion. Justice Alito said, “No, that’s actually inaccurate.” 

Nowhere in the Constitution do we have a right to an abortion or, furthermore, a right to kill another human being. So that’s actually what he stated when explained his decision and the Supreme Court’s decision in this opinion. They did actually explain, there is no constitutional right to have an abortion. That is something we cannot miss, because for far too long people have used that to say, “That’s why I have a right to abortion.”

But secondly, we also have to consider that the state has a responsibility to interfere in what’s called the best interests of its citizens. That also includes the unborn as well.

Dannah: That’s a little bit about policy and a little bit about the law, but what we want to talk about today is our hearts and how we should be responding, what we should be doing.

I have to tell you, Jannique, I just came from the hospital, where I held my third granddaughter. She was just born less than twenty-four hours ago, a week early, so she’s not quite forty weeks, she’s thirty-nine weeks, and perfect in every way, shape, and form.

Jannique: Congratulations!

Dannah: Thank you! So, this kind of hits home a little bit. Obviously, the juxtaposition of being on the Supreme Court steps last Friday and then holding this sweet baby in my arms today . . . it’s not lost on me that life is precious.

My first two grandbabies are twins. They were born at thirty-two weeks, very early, and very healthy. So one of the things that is remarkable to me is that we now know how very much life is happening in the womb today, in the year 2022, than we did when this decision, Roe v. Wade, was first made. We didn’t have all of the science to understand just how very much there’s a human in this womb that also has rights under the Constitution of the United States of America, right?

Jannique: Yes, absolutely. In 1973, we did not have the technology that we do have today. To be fair, I possibly could understand how in 1973 people were unsure about, “Well, what is the unborn?” which is a fundamental question that we should be asking. What is the unborn? When a woman is pregnant, what exactly is she pregnant with? If you recall, even in history books at one time they would use the phrase “she is with” what? She is with . . .

Dannah: . . . child.

Jannique: Child. Well, that has now been replaced with, “Well, the unborn is a blob or just a bunch of cells. It’s a blob of tissue.” Ultimately, a lot of people, to be fair, they just didn’t know any better.

However, you were just talking about holding that baby in your arms, and the ability to see this is a living human being. But even now, with ultrasound technology—gone are the days of those grainy . . . Have you ever seen those old ultrasounds that look like just grains?

Dannah: I have some of them in my baby books!

Jannique: Okay, you do. Now, for many people, that is their first picture in their family album. It’s a beautiful, very clear, 3D and now 4D ultrasound. There’s no confusion now that what we’re dealing with is an actual human being. You see, the science of embryology is actually on our side. The ultrasound gives us a window to the womb, unlike at any other time in history. So the humanity of the unborn is clearly seen. There’s no way around that today.

Dannah: Yes. I have a little sound clip I want to play of Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth teaching on the beauty of life, because I want to stop on the thought that you were once an embryo—you were once an embryo. God chose that. It wasn’t like, “Oops, there’s a Jannique!” or “Oops, there’s a Dannah!” That’s not how it happened. It was precision, created by the God of the universe, that brought your life, your embryonic self, into being. This is what Nancy says about that, based on Jeremiah 1.

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: Your life is not an accident. God put you here for a purpose. God said to Jeremiah in chapter 1:

Before I formed you in the womb [before anyone ever thought about you, before there was a cell in your being] I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. (Jer. 1:5)

God says, “I have a purpose for you. I have a design for your life.” Now, God’s design for your life may not be to be a prophet to the nations, but it is something. God knows what it is, and it was designed for you before you were even born.

The apostle Paul recognized this. He says in Galatians 1:

[God] set me apart before I was born, and . . . called me by his grace. (Gal. 1:15)

There are some days when I would like to trade jobs with somebody else. You have the same thoughts. Some days I think I would like to have not so much pressure, have a different life, maybe do something a little different.

Then I’m reminded: before I was born, God called me. Before I was born, God set me apart. Before I was shaped in my mother’s womb, God called me by His grace. He designed, He prepared good works for me to walk in them. I have no choice, in a sense, a glad choice I make, but my choice is to say, “Yes, Lord, I surrender to what you have designed for my life. I realize that it is important, it is necessary that I fulfill that which You have created me."

God has a purpose for every human life—even those that some would consider useless. That ninety-two-year-old woman in advanced stages of Alzheimer’s, just hanging on with no clue who anyone is or what’s going on—God has a purpose for her life for every day that she is here on this earth.

That child with severe disabilities; that baby born with multiple birth defects; that young adult child who is autistic; special needs children; adults who can’t care for themselves. That woman I spoke with a few days ago who is in hospice care dying of cancer. God has a plan for her life—for this moment, for these days, for this season.

If God is still granting that person breath and life, then there still is value in that life. That life is still precious, whether that person, that child, that adult can contribute the way that our society feels it should or not.

Human life is precious to God for all of these reasons: creation, reflection, affection, redemption, and intention. For all of these reasons, human life is precious to God and is to be val­ued and protected through the whole span of life—from conception to the grave and everything in-between.

It’s every human life that we are talking about. That means others’ lives, and it means your life. You may struggle with feelings of worthlessness, as I find so many women do. “The world would be better off if I weren’t here.” So many women feel that way.

Human life is precious to God. That means yours. There may be more extreme issues that you are dealing with, issues of cutting, eating disorders, thoughts of suicide. Can I just remind you that God created you. God created you. You are precious to Him. He created you for a purpose. He ordained every single day that is planned for your life, from your first breath to your final breath. He has a purpose for your life. So don’t despise what God prizes so highly.

Dannah: That’s the host of Revive Our Hearts, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, speaking about the value of human life.

Jannique, what are your thoughts about the fact that God has purpose for every life?

Jannique: You know, words actually can’t describe just how true that really is. I think sometimes we can easily say, “Oh yes, I believe that.” No, do we really believe that God has a plan for every single human being? But with that said, if we go back to the beginning of Scripture, everything comes back to the beginning. Everything comes back to Genesis. In Genesis 1, when we actually think about the pro-life position, what does it mean to be pro-life? Why? Why are people advocating for this choice? Because it does go back to Genesis, where God said in Genesis 1 that He made us in His image, in His likeness He made us male and female. That was His grand, divine design. But, being made in His image, that imago Dei, Dannah, that is what’s critically important, because that is what changes the whole conversation about abortion.

Dannah: Okay, tell me how.

Jannique: To be made in His image means that we have intrinsic value and worth. That means as image-bearers of God, every single one of us equally bears His image, and it’s because we bear the image of the Most High God that it’s wrong to intentionally harm or kill another human being.

You see, as pro-lifers, the pro-life position (in case someone has never heard it), it’s very clear, number one, that it’s wrong to intentionally kill an innocent human being. Abortion does just that; therefore, we can logically and morally conclude that abortion is wrong.

We see throughout Scripture how we are to treat one another. Exodus 20 gives us the Ten Commandments. One of the commandments—we all know—is that we’re not to intentionally kill. That is exactly what abortion does.

But we’re also reminded of a greater picture, not just that we’re not supposed to kill. Jesus tells us in the story of the Good Samaritan from Luke how we’re to treat one another. Remember that? There was a teacher of the law who said, “How can I inherit eternal life?” That’s when Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.

As He’s telling that story, remember when the teacher of the law, the attorney, he says, “Well, who is my neighbor?” That’s when He actually tells the story of the Good Samaritan.

That question, Dannah, “Who is my neighbor?” is critically important. You see, at first it just seems like, “Oh, okay, that’s just a normal question, ‘Who is my neighbor?’” But it isn’t. He’s asking, “Who is my neighbor, and who isn’t my neighbor?” In other words, who counts as one of us, and who doesn’t count? What he’s essentially asking is, “Who am I to care for and love and who do I not have to care for?” 

Our nation, our world is asking that same question: “Who counts as one of us?” Who is my neighbor? Is it the person that perhaps is pro-choice? Yes, that’s our neighbor. Is it the person, maybe, who’s had multiple abortions? Yes, that’s also our neighbor. Is it the abortion doctor, Dannah? Yes, that’s also our neighbor.

Our neighbor is not just people that look like us and believe the same way; our neighbor is all of them. But my friends, you know who else is our neighbor? It’s the unborn. You see, essentially what many of us have been asking is, “Is the unborn our neighbor? Because they don’t really look the way we do. They can’t really do some of the same things that you and I can do.” That’s where you hear people say things like, “Well, the unborn might be human, but that doesn’t make them a person.” 

My friends, any time we have a category of human beings that are persons but then we have a separate category of human beings that are not persons, it always leads to savage inequality. The Roe v. Wade essentially said, “The unborn might be human, but they’re not persons,” and that’s why it’s been legal for almost fifty years to slaughter the unborn through abortion. As a result of that, Dannah, it’s sixty-two million—in fact, it’s over sixty-two million—babies that have been killed because we might have acknowledged they’re human, but we don’t want to call them persons.

Dannah: It can even be specific types of babies, or babies with specific . . . I’m thinking of Down syndrome right now, because there was concern that my grandbaby had Down syndrome just a few weeks ago. My son-in-law and daughter opted not to test because the doctor said it wasn’t really going to change their readiness at the hospital. But they said, “We’re going to love this baby no matter how she comes to us. God chose this baby, God formed this baby.” But prenatal testing has cut the number of babies born with Down syndrome in half. People are just deciding if they have Down syndrome they don’t have the same value. What a travesty! We’re missing the beauty of these little ones in our lives.

I have a Down syndrome little toddler in our church that just brings so much joy to her family and so much joy to our little congregation.

We are not God, and we should not play God.

Jannique: Absolutely not. You know, I’m actually glad that you mentioned that, because in 2017 Iceland was bragging that they had cured their country of Down syndrome.

Dannah: Yes, I read about that.

Jannique: Dannah, they did not cure their country; you know what they did? They aborted approximately 99.2 percent of their babies with Down syndrome.

Now, of course the United States looked on and said, “Oh, that’s awful,” but according to some of the Alan Guttmacher Institute, which is one of the research arms for Planned Parenthood, in 2017 the United States was aborting anywhere between 68 to around 72 percent of babies with Down syndrome. Since then, those numbers have increased even more. 

The question that we all need to be asking is again, “Who counts as one of us?” When we say that human beings bear the image of God, do we believe that extends to someone with a disability? Do we believe that extends to someone that might actually have a syndrome? I hope that answer is yes for every single person that’s listening, because oftentimes when I’m speaking at schools to young people, they’re the ones, Dannah, especially the younger generation, they’ll actually say, “Well, if they might have Down syndrome, we think that that’s morally acceptable to abort that baby.”

We all should be speaking up to say, “Wait a minute. Every human being—if you’re human, then you bear the image of God.”

Going back to that parable of the Good Samaritan . . . remember, Jesus is telling the story of this gentleman who is coming, and he is attacked, he’s beaten, he’s left. We see those who were of the faith pass by—a Levite, a priest. But it was the Samaritan that actually took pity. He intervened.

Let’s be honest, Dannah. It probably was not convenient for him. It wasn’t, which is why I think many people will walk on the other side of the road, just like the Levite. It’s very easy to say, “I can’t believe they did that when they saw him.” But I think many of us today want to walk on the other side, because you know what, sometimes it’s messy. We have to think of what it means to have messy grace. Sometimes messy grace requires us to roll up our sleeves, to be involved, perhaps to speak to someone, to go out of our way to assist a young lady who is in an unplanned pregnancy. But you see, that’s what the Samaritan did. He intervened. He didn’t just say, “Well, I’ll just pray for you. Let me give you two verses and call me in the morning.” No, he intervened. He had compassion.

That’s what Jesus said. “Who was it that had compassion?” The attorney said, “The one who showed mercy,” or “The one who showed compassion.”

Then Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”

That is what it means to love our neighbor. Even Jesus—He didn’t say to like your neighbor, Dannah. He didn’t say tolerate your neighbor. He said to love your neighbor, just as He says to love our enemies.

For us to love our neighbor includes all of them, regardless of their size, level of development, environment, regardless of their dependency upon us, because they might have a disability. Regardless of even the circumstances behind their conception, that’s an image-bearer of the Most High God, and we’re to love them.

Dannah: That’s costly. It costs time, it costs money, it costs reputation. I think especially right now, as we make decisions to invest in the lives of our neighbors. In fact, let’s go ahead and talk about some of those neighbors, because they’re on my heart, and they’re on my mind right now. I’m thinking of our neighbor who’s listening in, a woman, hearing some of these statistics and facts that we’re talking about, and she’s remembering back to an abortion she had. Maybe it’s long ago in the past and the pain of that is resurfacing because of the headlines right now, or maybe it was just a few weeks ago. What would you say to her right now? Speak to her heart. What does she do? Does her life have value?

Jannique: Oh, absolutely. Thank you. I think this is important. We know according to a lot of the data that one in three women in the church have been through an abortion. That’s from CareNet and even Lifeway polls. They do suggest that one in three women, which also probably means one in three men, have been through an abortion.

What’s first and critically important for us to remember: this is why the gospel is needed. This is why the gospel is beautiful, because we’re all on a level playing field. There is not one person that is without sin. I’m reminded of John 8 and the woman that was caught in adultery. Remember when Jesus said essentially, “Is there anyone here who has not sinned?” Every single one of us has sinned! Now, we might not have had an abortion, but we’re all equal sinners in front of a loving, gracious God. That is why we need the gospel. That is why we need Jesus. 

He tells us in 1 John 1:9 that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us . . . and to cleanse us” of our sins. I want for anyone who’s listening—because sometimes when they hear that we’re going to talk about this issue, it’s easy to put a wall up. It’s easy to think that “my sin is not going to be covered by the grace or the blood of Jesus Christ,” but it is. There is no one that is too far outside of the grace of Jesus Christ, that His blood does not cover equally.

I am also reminded of Micah. In Micah 7:18–20, it talks about how Jesus takes our sin and He hurls it to the deepest part of the sea. Why? Why the deepest part of the sea? I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a cruise, but that is some deep water.

Sometimes I think, is it possible “to hurl it to the deepest part of the sea”? Is it so that it’s not going to wash up to the shore and be thrown in your face? You see, sometimes as humans we like to do that. We like to take people’s sin and hurt them with it. But when Jesus died on the cross, He paid for all sin—not just some sin, not “acceptable sins” (there’s no such thing as acceptable sins in a culture that wants to pretend there is). That includes the sin of abortion. It doesn’t matter how many she’s had. We know that the finished work on the cross was enough.

I think that’s important in light of this conversation for women that have been through an abortion, or a man that’s been through an abortion, for them to understand that there is forgiveness. That means if you have someone in your family who has been through an abortion, please don’t let them think that our lives, because we haven’t been through an abortion, that we’re too perfect, that we would not possibly understand. 

There are so many women that suffer in silence because they think we who have never been through an abortion just possibly couldn’t understand or that we’re going to condemn them. In fact, we do know that according to even CareNet and many of the resources such as pregnancy resource clinics, they actually have data on this for post-abortive women. Approximately 60 percent of them, especially if they’re believers, often suffer not only from depression but shame, because they feel that those in the church are going to look down upon them. Well, you see, that should never be said of us. If we’re to love our neighbor, that also means loving our post-abortive neighbor.

I think that we can never underestimate and underscore just how important it is to have these conversations about forgiveness. That’s why it is essential that moving forward post-Roe every single church should be having these conversations, not just once a year at Sanctity of Life Sunday, but on a regular basis.

We know there are studies, such as Forgiven and Set Free or Surrender the Secret, that minister to women and men who have been through an abortion. We don’t need to be having these in the basement somewhere. This should be a normal part of conversation, because the blood of Christ covers all sin, and it doesn’t show favoritism.

Dannah: That’s right. If you’re listening and you have had an abortion, I want you to know that I think you’re really brave for still listening at this point, because this hasn’t been an easy conversation to hear. But I want to pass on to you a beautiful sentence that my son spoke to me when he was about eighteen years old, and old enough that because of my public ministry to those who have known the pain and shame of sexual sin, I needed to tell him my story. As he listened, my sweet, beautiful boy took it all in, and I said, “Robby, I need to know what you’re thinking. You’re not saying anything. I need to hear what’s going on in your head.” 

He said, “Mom, I’m thinking one thing.” 

I said, “What is that?” 

He said, “That is why Jesus died for you.”

Jannique: Amen.

Dannah: I want you to hear that. I want you to hear that to the core of your heart, to the marrow of your being, that that’s why Jesus died for you.

Maybe the abortion that’s in your past (or maybe not so far in your past) is where the blood of Jesus is most going to cleanse your heart. I want to encourage you to do something that was really helpful for me in my early time of healing from sexual sin, and that is, tell someone. As long as it’s a secret, Satan can beat you up with it.

I’ll just admit, there have been some graceless places in the church, and I’m so sorry if you’ve seen that or experienced that. But I also know that there are places that are deep reservoirs of God’s forgiveness and God’s grace, and your healing, your freedom, depends on you finding those places. So tell someone who you know loves Jesus and who you believe is a great reservoir of grace, but find the love and the encouragement you need.

You know, there’s another neighbor I want to talk about, Jannique, and that is—you mentioned them—our neighbors who are the abortion clinic doctors or the pro-abortion advocates that are picketing; our coworkers who are devastated by this decision; our family members and friends. How do we talk with grace and truth during these difficult after-days? These first few days, when everybody’s so angry?

Jannique: Sure. I think the first thing we can do, before we even say anything, Dannah, is pray that God will give us wisdom and discernment to know when to speak and when not to speak.

Dannah: You should just say that again. Say that again, please. I think we need to hear it.

Jannique: We really do need to pray and ask the Lord, “You show me when I should say something and when not to say something.” Because sometimes we kind of feel like, in our victories, because we might be on the right side, because we know we’re on the right side of history, we know we’re on the right side biblically. But you know what? Not everyone’s heart is ready to receive. That is why that discernment is critically important and prayer. We cannot underestimate the power of prayer, for the Holy Spirit to say, “No, not now. Just keep it zipped.” Then there will be a time to speak.

I also believe that we see that principle in Ecclesiastes, that there is a time to speak and there’s also a time to be silent.

Now, with that said, once we do feel like maybe the Holy Spirit has opened that door, then maybe it is very gently saying, “You know, do you mind if we have this conversation? I understand that you’re upset; what is it that upsets you?” I do believe that we actually can find common ground.

Here’s an example of finding common ground. According to data, approximately 60 percent of people do feel that even those that said, “We don’t think that Roe should have been overturned,” most of them, 60 percent (actually it’s closer to 65 percent of them), do believe that there should have been some restrictions during pregnancy when it comes to abortion. As an example, many of them don’t necessarily believe in late-term abortion, which is during that third trimester. Well, that means both of you have that same concern and both of you agree that late term abortion should not be legal. So that is one thing that you definitely have in common.

I also believe that it’s important to bring up, “Let me ask you this question: Do you believe that it’s okay to discriminate against people with disabilities?” Some people will say yes, but most of the time they’ll say no. Say, “You know what? I’m actually really glad, but as you can see, we actually have a lot more in common than we do that divides us. You and I both agree that late-term should not be allowed, and you and I both agree that we probably should not be discriminating against those with disabilities. Therefore, you and I both agree that we should not be aborting a baby simply because they might be blind or because they might have Down syndrome.”

Then, you can say, “Let me ask you this question: Have you ever considered that when we’re looking at that ultrasound, it’s not a potential human being, it is an actual human being?”

Most of the time, people will generally refer to one of four differences between the born and the unborn, but as you’re going to see, philosophically, there is no morally relevant difference that would justify killing at that earlier stage and not now. There’s not one person that is more human than another. Therefore, we have a moral obligation and responsibility to remember that because we’re all equally human that means we all have the same right to life, because we bear the image of our Maker.

Dannah: Amen.

Am I allowed to show you a picture of my grandbaby?

Jannique: Yes, please do!

Dannah: Look at her . . .

Jannique: Oh my goodness, she’s beautiful! How old is she now?

Dannah: Almost twenty-four hours. I think she might be twenty-five since we started.

As we’ve celebrated her life, I recognize that one of our neighbors (collectively, that is) is the woman who’s pregnant and doesn’t have that support, the woman who’s pregnant and the timing is alarming and surprising. Maybe she has a lot of mouths to feed and for whatever reason she’s a single mom. Maybe she’s a teenager and she’s afraid to tell even her parents that she’s pregnant. Maybe she’s that woman who would, if she had the legal right in the state that she’s in right now as she’s listening to this, and the means and the ends, she would find a way to end the life of this precious baby, because it’s just so frightening and scary for her to consider.

That’s a real thing. Those fears, those circumstances are real things, and that’s why we have to rise up as the Good Samaritans in those stories to provide practically for these needs. How do we do that right now? Why is it important in this moment, this week, this month, with this new decision, for every believer to consider, “Lord, how can You use me for my neighbors who are in these unplanned pregnancies?”

Jannique: Absolutely. Before anything becomes political, it’s always first moral. Sometimes the reason things have to become political is because the church did not rise up when they had the opportunity to do so. That means our finest hour is upon us, and this is the hour where we are called to rise up. No more can we complain and say, “Well, you know, we can’t really . . .” No. Now the Supreme Court has spoken, and because now it’s going back to each state, we the church have a moral obligation and a duty to rise up. If our churches are not already involved with pregnancy clinics, this is your opportunity to reach out to clinics.

I used to be the director of a pregnancy clinic down in Boca Raton, south Florida, with First Care Women’s Clinics. Let me tell you, there were many times where churches would adopt a clinic. If there is someone listening there and you’re part of a church and you’re wondering, What can we do? You can adopt a clinic.

We also saw several of the churches—Dannah, this is wonderful—they would adopt a single mom in their church. You can adopt a single mom in your church, where they would help them—whether it’s with bills; they would actually provide clothing for them. They would help them with scholarships. In fact, that’s something that a lot of times women feel that “there’s no way I can continue my education.” A lot of churches now are saying, “We’re actually going to help with single mom scholarships.” Women that are in unplanned pregnancies, that’s one of their fears. “How am I going to go to school or get an education?” Sometimes it’s, “How am I going to pay my bills?” That’s why having an adopt-a-mom type of a program. It is really essential so that they know, “You know what? The church has my back.”

Never again should we be hearing of women that feel that the church was not a safe place. According to CareNet and Lifeway, there actually was a statistic that reflected that women and men who found themselves in an unplanned pregnancy, when they were asked to rate, “Where does the church rank of where you would go for support?” in some instances, the church was all the way down at number nine or ten. We should be up there at number one—or, family should be first, and we should be second.

Dannah: Yes.

Jannique: We should be that safe place, so I think we need to reverse that statistic.

Another statistic that I think is very concerning is for women who find themselves in that unplanned pregnancy. Forty percent of the time, they felt that not only were they alone, but the person that had the greatest impact on whether they had that abortion was the male. Forty percent of the time, it was the male. They said, “He is the one who helped me make that decision.”

When they asked that man why he didn’t do anything or why he was silent or complicit, 63 percent of the time, his response was, “I felt it was her decision. I felt that it was not my place to get involved.” Then, when you ask the man where he ranked the church in its involvement, it was all the way down at number twenty. That means he didn’t feel that the church was a safe space, either.

Dannah: What you’re saying is we need to roll up our sleeves, we need to get in the . . . I mean, grace is messy. If we are going to say we’re pro-life, then we need to put our actions where our mouths have been for a really long time, right? It’s time for us now to roll up our sleeves. Maybe the Lord’s calling you to adopt or to be in foster care. Maybe He’s calling you to give your resources to help these single moms. There has to be something.

What we’re asking you to do today is pray and say, “Lord, what do You want me to do? What do You need me to do? Who is my neighbor? Let me not walk by them, let me not pass them by, but let me stop—whatever it costs in terms of time or money. I want to be obedient to You, Lord, because You have invited me to see this person's need and to meet it.” That’s what we’re inviting you to do today.

Jannique: You know, Proverbs 31 reminds us that we’re to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. James 1 tells us that pure and undefiled religion is what? Taking care of the widows and the orphans in their time of need. The modern-day orphan is absolutely what society refers to as the “unwanted child.” I’m cautious with that term, because you and I both know there’s no such thing as an unwanted child.

To be honest with you, as a speaker, when I’m going to all these different schools, Dannah, my world was shaken when I encountered a young lady. I said, “Every single one of you, you are enjoying the gift of life because your mom chose life. Even if she had initially maybe wanted to abort you, she chose life.”

A young lady walked up to me, and she was limping. I remember she had her hand behind her back. She walks all the way up to me, and she says, “Can I talk to you?” 

I said, “Sure!”

She said, “Miss, you made a mistake when you were speaking.”

I said, “Oh, what do you mean?” I said, “Was it a statistic?”

She said, “No, you said that every single person here is enjoying the gift of life because their mom wanted them.” She said, “That’s not true.”

I said, “What do you mean?”

She said, “Miss, I was aborted.”

I said, “What? What do you mean?”

She said, “My mom actually tried to abort me. I survived that abortion; my twin sister did not.”

My eyes got really big, because I’m a twin. I have a twin brother. When she said that, she said, “Look.” She took off her shoe—remember I told you she was limping? Part of her foot was gone through that abortion! I thought what she had was her arm behind her back. Dannah, she has no arm from the shoulder down because that’s what was removed during that abortion.

She said, “Stop saying that everyone’s mom chose life. There are many of us today whose moms chose death, but by the grace of God they either survived that abortion or they were placed for adoption.”

You know, that number is actually much bigger than we realize of people that survived their abortions. We’re hearing story after story after story of people that survived their abortions.

You see, God has a greater plan for all of us, and even for the people right now that are listening. Maybe they have a family member who has been through an abortion, or maybe it’s someone listening right now who’s going to encounter someone in the coming weeks who finds herself in an unplanned pregnancy. It could be you yourself listening, or maybe it’s going to be a friend, maybe it’s a sister. Maybe it’s a daughter or a granddaughter. How we talk about this matters. 

There are many people that, especially when they think about rape or they think about—maybe it’s a teenager. “There’s no way that teenager is capable of rising up.” The reality is, Dannah, if that life is there, God has allowed that for such a time as this. God has a plan for that child. He has a plan for that child, and He has a plan for that woman and that man. That’s when you and I can come alongside, as that Samaritan, to help them see that that child’s life is worthy. They’re deserving of life.

The circumstance behind our conception does not diminish our value, our worth, one bit, because every single one of us was equally made in the image of God, even if we were conceived in violence. But you see, there are people listening right now who were conceived in violence, and it’s important that people know that they have value. You have value, regardless of the circumstances behind your conception.

Dannah: You’re listening to a special episode of Revive Our Hearts that we’ve crafted just for this very unique time in history. We hope you’ve been encouraged today. Our guest has been Jannique Stewart. She is a pro-life speaker and educator; she speaks to nearly 100,000 teens and adults every year.

As we’ve been inviting you to step up and step into this conversation with gentleness, with love, I want to pray for you. I want to pray for Jannique as she stays on the front lines. Jannique, may I pray over you?

Jannique: Yes, thank you.

Dannah: Father, we just thank You so much for the work of Jannique, the work of every clinic director, clinic volunteer in clinics across the United States that have been a sanctuary for life. Right now, Lord, the floodgates of need are being opened, and we need to march into those places. We need to stop on the roadside with our time, with our money, with our compassion, and we need to be there for those women and men who are experiencing unexpected pregnancies.

Father, help us to do that well. Help us to do it with grace, and let everyone listening to my voice right now get on their knees and ask You, Father, how? “How do You want me to be a part of the solution?” In the mighty name of Jesus we thank You that You are ruling, that Heaven rules, even over the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Lord, at this time when our nation is in a lot of chaos, there’s a lot of unforgiveness and a lot of bitterness, I pray that our words would be seasoned, so that they would be soft but full of truth, and that we would win hearts that feel very, very lost. In the name of Jesus, I ask this, amen.

Jannique: Amen.

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