Why would anyone stand on the sidewalk praying near Planned Parenthood’s Westside Health Center in Colorado Springs and be subjected to curse words, blasphemy and the one-finger salute from cars driving by?

Because they also get honks of support, words of encouragement and indications that their presence is not in vain, said some of the 50 demonstrators at Thursday’s “40 Days for Life” rally opposing abortion.

“It’s important to be on the sidewalk because it is an answer to women’s prayers; it steers them in the direction they want to go,” said Stephanie Christian, who pulled her two children to the demonstration in a stroller wagon. “It’s important we be visible to show the heart of God.”

Participants have signed up to pray near the Planned Parenthood clinic, one of nine that offers abortion services in Colorado, round-the-clock during the 40-day period of prayer, fasting and daily vigils that began Feb. 18 and will end March 29.

Why did Gracey Wike bring  her nine kids with her to hold signs that read, “Pray for an End to Abortion?”

“To support life,” she said, bouncing 6-month-old Rita on her hip. “Every life deserves a chance to live, and if you have an abortion, you may never know who might not be here.

“There’s a lot of people that probably feel stress every time there’s an unplanned pregnancy, and when economic times are hard, it becomes hard for a woman to say maybe I have another choice. But she does.”

Anti-abortion activists are still riding the wave of victory in toppling Roe v. Wade with the June 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned federal authority on abortion and reverted regulation to individual states.

Earlier this week, Wyoming passed an abortion ban after six weeks of gestation. Fourteen other states have imposed similar limitations and at least six other states have tightened restrictions on gestational times.

But abortions have continued to rise nationwide since 2017, hitting 1,126,970 in 2024, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which tracks abortion services at clinics and telehealth appointments.

Ramona Treviño, outreach director for the worldwide 40 Days for Life campaign, which is being held in the weeks leading up to Easter in 663 communities, points to the growing popularity and availability of chemical abortions available online through medications as increasing the numbers.

“I see it as a national response of rebellion —  ‘Now we want to show we can get this done,’” she said after speaking at the rally. “It takes a while for the mentality to shift. We continue to try to bring awareness so we can help change the culture. It really comes back to changing hearts and minds.”

Treviño has worked on both sides of the issue. She managed a Planned Parenthood health center in Texas for several years before she said God resolved her inner conflict and led her to quit the job nearly 15 years ago. Now, she travels the world motivating prayer vigil attendees.

“We’re tempted to wonder is anything I’m doing out here making a difference,” she said in addressing the local group. “We know the demons we’re dealing with are heavyweight doors. Despite the persecution, despite the ridicule, we stand out here and pray. We think about saving a baby, saving a mother, and we don’t know how God is using us to bring healing.”

Colorado has some of the most lax abortion laws in the nation, and the state’s Democratically controlled General Assembly continues to counter the Trump administration’s funding cuts to Medicaid to pay for abortions and for Planned Parenthood operations.

As of Jan. 1, state lawmakers have made abortion services in Colorado fully covered by Medicaid with no out-of-pocket expenses to enrollees. Whether the funding will survive future state budget cuts remains to be seen.

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains provided abortion services for about 8,600 patients in Colorado last year, according to an email from a spokesperson who did not provide a name.

Colorado recorded a total of 14,154 abortions overall in 2022, from Planned Parenthood and other providers, the highest number since 1985 and a 22% increase over 2021, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

About 17% of last year’s clients in 2025 were from out of state, primarily Texas, Wyoming and Nebraska, the Planned Parenthood spokesperson said. But that’s expected to increase with Wyoming’s new ban.

“So, we are prepared to see more patients forced to travel from Wyoming to Northern Colorado to access abortion care,” the email said.

As families in Colorado and across the country grapple with financial strain from high housing and food costs, “attempts to push time-sensitive, essential health care even further out of reach is impossibly cruel,” the Planned Parenthood spokesperson said.

“The consequences of abortion bans are no longer hypothetical; they are documented and devastating. People living in states with abortion bans are nearly two times as likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth.”

The U.S. maternal and infant mortality rates decreased overall nationwide in 2023 and 2024, but for some sub groups, such as Black women and women over 40, the rates remained high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Planned Parenthood spokesperson said the new laws have resulted in women suffering “life-altering complications and, in some cases, have died because hospitals are afraid to provide necessary, life-saving care.”

Sidewalk prayer regular Michele Mason addresses her main message to women who have had abortions.

“I want to let them know we’re here for them, and there’s healing,” she said.

Mason has heard many stories of women who said they suffered for years with guilt and pain from having an abortion.

“They can be renewed and have joy again,” Mason said. “We’re never out here pointing the finger or blaming. We’re out here to help people and show them the love of Christ.”

Wike’s 13-year-old son, Warren, admitted he was a little nervous about going to Thursday’s demonstration because he said some passersby aren’t nice.

“Some people may not like us being here, but we’re doing this for a good cause,” he said. “I’m glad I’m here.”