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Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Last week was hard. Really hard. My wife and I had to follow through with the difficult decision to put our dog Benny to sleep. Having a pet pass away in your arms is brutal. I know it’s not the same as losing a family member, but it’s close. We are still heartbroken. On the drive home from the vet’s office, through the tears, I said we need to live what we preach. I often remind the men in prison of the lesson Job learned. He and his friends reasoned for 29 chapters trying to explain why Job lost everything. Asking WHY is not the right question; God calls us to trust Him. The right questions to ask in adversity are “Lord, what are you trying to show me?” and “Lord, what is the lesson you’re trying to teach me?”
In the depth of our sadness, I asked God those questions. What was the purpose of experiencing such heartache? I sensed one response was that He was giving us a small taste of His heart for the lost, and where their choice would ultimately lead. I’ve prayed many times for God to break my heart with what breaks His. This was an answer to that prayer.
My mind later recalled 2 Cor 1:3-4, which says “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” Another ministry volunteer was facing a similar situation with a beloved pet whose body was failing, and I was able to share some information and insight that I found very helpful, and hopefully his family did too.
God is constantly on the move and looking out for us, we just need to open our spiritual eyes and ask Him to help us see what He’s doing. And I thank you for joining us as we all seek (and hopefully see) what God is doing through the volunteers and chaplains in this prison ministry. God’s support is essential, and your support is pretty darn important too. May God our Father bless your time in prayer for prisoners, staff, and everyone connected with ministry at Chester County Prison.
Grace and Peace,
Rick
Prayer Requests from last Thursday (12:00 Chapel Service, plus Inmate 1-1 sessions):
- Eugene– my granddaughter (Journei) is sick with the flu.
- Roland– doctor appointments, pray all is well and good test results.
- Kenneth– for myself, to keep seeking the Lord. Also for Charlie and his Mom.
- Manuel– my daughter.
- Javier– my family.
- Andy D– for Rick and his wife putting their dog down later today.
- Kenny– excited to only have 9 weeks left to go! Pray that family and friends continue to do well, my time continues to go smooth and fast, pray for Rick and wife and the hard day in front of them, and pray for everyone to get a second chance through Jesus.
Prayer Requests from Medium Security (7:00pm Monday service):
- John– God bring us home to our families, and give us strength while we’re here.
- Andy L– my brother-in-law (Alan) had heart surgery, pray for his recovery, and he’s got really high anxiety, pray he would have peace.
- Phil T– my 11 year old granddaughter (Scarlet) had questions and I shared the Gospel with her, pray that she places her faith in Jesus and shares it with her sister. Also pray for Drake and others who may have been released recently, that they will stay in God’s Word and not return to a place like this.
- Jon– for Dan’s recovery, fight off the sickness, for all of our children and families, that we may be reunited with them soon. For God to renew our minds, especially when we’re out of this place, give us wisdom. For world peace, the hungry, and the homeless. Thanks God for your glory and your grace.
- Jim M– for everyone in here with spouses and family members that don’t know Jesus, may they have opportunity to share the Gospel and our family members get saved. I pray for the salvation of everyone in this prison system.
- Deron– for experiencing God’s love- doesn’t get any better – and for our families and friends still on the street. Pray for more love and support from friends and family.
- Tim– my sister (Gina) is in the hospital with stage 2 bladder cancer.
- Jon– for John and his fiancé with a baby on the way- pray for a good pregnancy. Also pray for my girlfriend (Nicole) who is hurt. God please take her pain away and let her be able to walk again.
- Jose G– for persecuted Christians around the world, especially those with lives being actively threatened, and in Syria where whole families have been slaughtered for their faith, God please protect our brothers and sisters in the faith. Also lift up all the victims of the many wars raging across the globe.
Prayer Requests from Minimum Security (8:30pm Monday service)
- Robert– my sister (Kaylie) is pregnant, pray all goes well.
- Elizer– for the volunteers that come out, for all of us in here, for family, for me going through the process, and for my friend Pablo to go home as planned tomorrow, and his family.
- Luis– thank you for Jesus in my heart, I pray to reconcile with Him and be forgiven [Note: I reminded him he is forgiven by the blood of Jesus], for my family, and especially my Father (Antonio).
- Javier– my wife, my son, my family, and for me.
- Alberto– for me, my wife, our 5 kids, everyone in here, and all my friends.
- Jeremiah– for the volunteers, my sister (Tameka) with cancer, and my 4 children to all be doing good.
- Kevin– my Mom (Lolita), and for my son, and that I can get full privileges restored. Also pray I can get time served.
- Donny– my family, neighbors, church friends, and healing for my Aunt Janice with stage 4 lung cancer.
- José– my sister, my grandma, my Mom, my court date, and everyone here.
Prayer Requests from Onesimus Ministries
- Heinrich at a Chaplain’s conference this week.
- God’s protection over the recently expanded volunteer schedule – guard the hearts and minds of all new and returning volunteers against attacks from the evil one as the prison ministry grows.
- A spirit of cooperation and helpfulness in organizing a prison ministry benefit concert in May.
- Our dedicated prison Chaplains – Rhonda, Heinrich, Jack – and their families.
- All volunteers – past, present, and future – serving inside prison or behind the scenes.
- Prison leadership and other staff, and their families.
- Prison staffing issues to be resolved.
- All the female and male inmates and their families who are also “doing time”.
- Aftercare ministries and other support organizations across Chester County that minister to those recently released from prison.
If you’d like to find out more about mentoring and discipling a man or woman coming out of prison, drop us a note at outreach@onesimusministries.org.
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