Intercessors, your prayers are so vital. Last week, IFA shared an article about the fight for life in Texas. Many intercessors across the nation linked their prayer shields with IFA Texas, and God answered. We are celebrating life in Texas, and you are a part of that celebration. It was not an easy battle. But God is faithful to His Word in James 5:16: “The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous avails much.” I pray this encourages you. Never give up and never stop praying, God is hearing you.

Let the IFA community know how to pray for you.

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On July 24, 2025, Texas held a special session covering eighteen legislative items, later expanded to nineteen. These covered disaster preparedness, tax and economic policies, public safety and justice, and educational policy. In those policies was a bill, HB 7, that would make the distribution of abortion pills illegal in Texas, which was at the heart of many intercessors. Though Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022 and Texas banned abortion, 19,000 abortion pills were still being sold to Texans through shield laws, and preborn lives were still lost. 

Before the special sessions began, IFA State Leader Donna Phillips was hearing from God to hold an extended time of prayer. She proposed in her heart a 714 prayer call, where IFA Texas and anyone who had a heart to intercede for the legislation could join. The prayer calls are based on the famous verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. We knew that we should approach the Lord, seeking His face humbly in prayer, entirely dependent on Him to do what only He could.

Jon Schober, a lifelong Texan and pastor’s son, has been very connected to our governmental leaders, having once run for state representative in 2020. Although he didn’t win, the Lord impressed on his heart to stay engaged and go to the Capitol to pray during the legislative sessions for godly governance and the revelation of truth. He connected with My God Votes, which has a desire to see worship in every state capitol across America. He also forged relationships with many state Representatives over the years. It was on a Tuesday night of prayer at the Capitol in February that Jon met Donna Phillips, and she told him about IFA Texas. 

Every day at 7:14 p.m. With Donna leading our time of prayer, Jon would join our calls, almost daily, providing us with up-to-date information on the legislation and the spiritual atmosphere of the sessions. We would pray over each bill, often praying for each legislator by name, interceding as the Lord led us. He would let us know which bills had passed and which hadn’t—even sharing specific prayer requests from our legislators. He said, “Once a week, I made it known to them that they had intercessors who were praying during the sessions and for them by name daily. They were always so appreciative when I told them.”

Jon said, “I shared the number, and I’m aware that some representatives did get on the call anonymously.” On Friday, August 29th, we were humbled and delighted to have Representative Briscoe Cain join our time of prayer. He specifically requested prayer for HB 7, “The Women and Child Protection Act.” He also asked for prayers of strength and protection over the lawmakers defending HB7. He spoke of spiritual warfare surrounding this bill and thanked us for our prayers. 

Donna and I were thoroughly updated on this bill by Ashley Leenerts, the legislative director, who works alongside John Seago, the President of Texas Right to Life. Donna connected with Ashley when she went to the Capitol to pray, and she connected with John at IFA’s Policy and Prayer in Austin. Ashley was thankful to IFA for all the prayers and favor that surrounded them during the sessions. Prior bills banning abortion pills were killed in the Senate before ever making it to the House for a vote. 

On September 3rd, we were nearly wrapping up our 714 prayer call when we received a text from Ashley. “HB7 has finally passed the Texas Legislature and now moves to Governor Abbott to become law and save Texas babies and moms from abortion pills.” This bill provides a template to other states that have banned abortion and have yet to stop it due to shield laws. It will hold abortion activists accountable. That was a prayer point from the very beginning, that God would take what the enemy meant for evil (shield laws) and use it for good (justice and life). 

That was our last prayer call as the special sessions ended that night. Intercessors ended it by giving high praises to God. Out of nineteen bills in the special session, thirteen passed.

As we recounted and praised how God answered, I realized that from July 24th, when the sessions began, to September 3rd, when HB7 passed, was 40 days. 

Biblically, the number forty represents a period of testing and trial. Think about the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Jesus’ temptation lasted forty days in the wilderness, yet he succeeded. God gave Ninevah forty days to repent or they would face judgment, and they did. Although forty represents testing, trial, and judgment, it also represents transition and transformation. Our prayer, looking forward, is that God bring a transformation leading to reformation in Texas. We believe that God is doing something greater in Texas.

This is intercession. We are wives, mothers, husbands, grandparents, workers, basically just ordinary people with a heart to stand in the gap and see God do the extraordinary. It is a call available to every believer who will say yes to God. If you wonder what you are saying yes to, it’s being awakened from your sleep with a burden to pray. Yes to doing what God is impressing on your heart. In this case, Donna was impressed to hold a daily prayer call over the special sessions. We had no idea it would last 40 days consecutively. However, faithful intercessors showed up to pray. It didn’t matter if you showed up late or tired, as long as you showed up. We showed up, but in the end, God showed off. He gets all the glory for every victory in Texas. We are only grateful that He will let us partner with Him through our intercession. 

With the passage of HB7, Texas declared that life wins. This victory is just the beginning of what God will do across America; it will impart to us a strong sense of hope and expectation. Will you continue to hope in God and intercede with expectation?

Father, we thank You for hearing our prayers for life. We praise You for doing what only You can do.  You said that we are to intercede for those who are in authority over us, and we choose to be obedient. You said to do it with thanksgiving, and we are incredibly grateful for every legislator who has boldly continued to fight for the lives of preborn children. We celebrate this victory for life, but we know there is still work to be done in Texas.

We stand in the gap and intercede for our elected officials who do not know you, to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We pray for our officials who profess to know You, but oppose righteous legislation and biblical values. Lord, we pray for a revelation of truth. Turn their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

We pray for other states that have been unable to stop abortions due to pills to implement a bill that will close the loopholes used by shield laws. We prophesy life over Texas and over America. Let the winds of heaven blow, bring an awakening, in Jesus’ name, amen. 

How are you praying for your state?

IFA contributing writer Gloria Robles is a passionate intercessor with a prophetic voice for today. For more from Gloria, go to Spotify or Anchor and listen to her podcast, Something To Share. Photo Credit: Bo Zaunders/Getty Images.