The battle for life continues in many states. This has been a major prayer topic for IFA MA and, certainly, other pro-life groups in the state. On August 10th, 2026, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed legislation allowing abortion up to nine months. Even after this recent move by the governor, intercessors have been relentless in seeking God on behalf of those in the womb. Recently, they found a beacon of hope that needs your action and intercession. IFA’s Massachusetts State Leader, Suzie Mackaskill, shared an answer to prayer regarding Chapter 188. 

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“When Massachusetts brought in that legislation, many of our state senators refused to vote, so it got through. That was disappointing. But we held our IFA national prayer call where intercessors from other states joined us to pray about it. There has been a huge outcry across the nation.  

We have been blessed by the outpouring of prayer support from people standing in the gap for Massachusetts. We spent time individually and, on our prayer call, praying for the Lord to move in some way and repenting for what happened. We then found out that several pro-life organizations have joined forces against this legislation. They are trying to get a set number of signatures so the bill can be repealed.” Suzie said. 

Myrna Flynn, President of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, launched the initiative that seeks to suspend and repeal Chapter 188. She is joined by Sam Miele, Director of Massachusetts Family Action; together, they launched the Compassionate Care Coalition, a ballot committee effort. Democrats for Life of America has also joined the coalition. 

“It is a bipartisan effort, and although we have disagreements on abortion before nine months, the Compassionate Care Coalition was formed to fight late-trimester abortion, and we can agree on that. So, we are taking our wins,” Sam said. 

“What we’re doing is called a petition referendum, meaning after a law is signed. Maura Healey signed Chapter 188 into law on August 10th. In Massachusetts, the law has a 90-day waiting period before it takes effect. So, it goes into effect on November 8th. Within that 90-day window, Massachusetts citizens can gather signatures if they want to. There’s a threshold for the number of signatures that you have to gather.

 We now have until November 8th to gather 49,716 certified signatures from registered Massachusetts voters.  It’s an oddly specific number. But if we gather the signatures, it will keep it from going into effect on November 8th. It will suspend the law for two years and put it on the ballot in 2028, our next statewide election. It will appear as a ballot question for the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts to vote on. After that, voters will decide whether the law goes into effect. This is what a petition referendum does, and this is what we are pursuing. 

We have rounded up to 50,000 signatures, but we need those 50,000 certified signatures. Generally, in a referendum, around 20 to 30% of signatures will get thrown out for various reasons. They get very technical. Even a dot on the page can get the entire sheet thrown out. We want to gather 80 to 100,000 signatures; that’s our goal: 100,000 raw signatures. Another group in the state did this two years ago. They gathered 100,000 signatures in five weeks, so this is very doable.” 

The Compassionate Care Coalition is leading the effort with the petition referendum to suspend and repeal this law. The website is Repeal188.com, and they encourage anyone who wants to sign up to help gather signatures. Go to the website, fill out the volunteer form, and a team member will reach out. Sam said they need signing locations, whether that’s a church, parish, or business, that want to ally with what they are doing. So far, over 300 people have signed up to gather signatures, and they already have over 2 dozen signing locations. “The momentum is incredibly strong. And I truly believe we’re going to get this done. We are going to suspend and repeal this evil law that completely removes oversight from these doctors, Sam said.”

For those who do not understand what Chapter 188 is, Sam explained what makes this law so horrific. “The law itself allows abortions to be legally performed up to the moment of birth for any reason whatsoever. There is no oversight for physicians. It’s all up to the doctor’s judgment and, in their case, saying it’s what’s best for the mother, which is just a complete mischaracterization of what’s actually happening.”

The reality of this abortion is that a physician- a man or a woman, just a regular doctor could perform an abortion on a woman who is nine months pregnant, about to give birth tomorrow. It doesn’t have to be in a hospital or a sanitized location; it can be literally anywhere- rip apart a 9-month-pregnant woman in a back-alley clinic somewhere, and that is considered good and encouraged and legal by our state and current governor, and that is despicable. 

We’re working across the aisle and emphasizing that this is not compassionate to the mother. It causes tremendous mental anguish. Many women have regretted having abortions afterward. The proponents of this law are saying that sometimes there are fatal fetal anomalies that will develop after 24 weeks, and women don’t have access to abortions after 24 weeks in Massachusetts. They’re going to be forced to carry the baby to term, and it could kill the mother. 

Now I disagree with the premise that many of these fatal fetal anomalies will actually present a viable threat to the mother’s life, but let’s take that hypothetical. Let’s take their word for it, just for the sake of argument, and say they’re right. Before this lobbying, the current law in Massachusetts, abortion was legal through 24 weeks. Actually, it was already legal beyond 24 weeks up to the moment of birth for very specific health criteria or medical anomalies. 

Those were already addressed, but Chapter 188 removed all of the restrictions. Now, instead of saying there have to be fatal fetal anomalies detected in the child after 24 weeks, you can have an abortion for any reason. That was their argument for needing this law, but the current law already covered it. 

Even when we’re successful at suspending and repealing this law, abortion will still be legal through 24 weeks, and through birth, if certain fatal fetal anomalies can be proven. All we’re fighting for is to say babies should have a right to life in all this. We are fighting to remove this current law that says the babies can be aborted for any reason after 24 weeks. That’s the current battle.

We’re not having those more Partisan fights that divide Republicans and Democrats. We’re just saying, hey, should babies be allowed to live? When we’re talking to somebody who wants to sign the signature, what I’ll say is, do you believe that babies should be aborted the day before they’re born for any justifiable reason? We’re not debating conception or other hot-button abortion issues. We’re just saying, do you think that 9-month babies who are totally healthy should be born? 

That’s all we’re saying, and if, for some reason, again, taking their argument, if the life of the mother is truly in jeopardy, a Cesarean section can be performed. It is the most commonly performed surgery in America that would save both the child and the mother. If we take their argument at face value, an abortion would never, medically, be necessary,” Sam Said.

In just a few short months, the Compassionate Care Coalition will need 50,000 signatures but is reaching for 100,00 to repeal Chapter 188. Here is how Sam and Suzie have requested prayers. Will you join us?

• Pray that churches and businesses will open their doors, encourage people to sign the petition, and pray for protection over the churches that do (Joshua 1:9).

• Pray for extra help: runners, church or parish coordinators, and more volunteers (Psalm 121:1-2).  

• Pray for unity among the churches. Christians and Catholics make up a large percentage of the population. Together, they have the numbers to bring about change in the fight for life (Psalm 133:1).

• Pray for protection over Sam Miele and his team, as well as Myrna and others, from demonic forces that would seek to hinder and halt the momentum to repeal Chapter 188 (Psalm 23:4-5).

• Pray for favor and success over the Compassionate Care Coalition. Favor for more than 100,000 signatures. Favor with volunteers and help. Favor with churches. Favor on November 8th to stop this atrocious bill from being signed into law (Psalm 90:17). 

• Pray for a government and leaders that honor life in Massachusetts (Proverbs 28:16 AMP).

Will you pray with us?

Father, we come before You and lift this joint effort to repeal Chapter 188. We pray for protection over Sam, Mryna, and the team. Surround them with angelic guards and assistance according to Your word in Psalm 91:11-12. Protect every church, parish, and business that agrees to open its doors as a place to sign the petition from evil and any targeted attacks. Protect every volunteer; cover them on every side. Lord, we pray for unity among the churches, particularly Christians and Catholics. Open their eyes to see that they are fighting the same enemy right now. We pray for favor in gathering signatures in agreement with their goal of 100,000. We come against any plans to interfere and stop the momentum. Finish the good work you have begun here in Massachusetts, in Jesus’ name, amen. 

How are you praying about this issue? Share your scriptures and prayers in the comments below.

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: doidam10/Canva Pro.