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Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Prison chapel services can become rather routine, then there are nights like last night, making me wonder if it was a full moon or something. The men in both services seemed much more verbally interactive than normal. We volunteers must be ready for almost anything, like someone standing up and professing the similarities between Muslim and Christian religions, how we all worship the same God, and there are many paths to God. Yikes! What would you do?
It’s a real balancing act – we don’t want to call out or humiliate an inmate in front of peers, but we also can’t let heresy or untrue statements remain unopposed (silence is consent). How about another inmate claiming the devil was inside him that morning. Hmm. We don’t want to confront any inmate over their perception, but rather encourage them with the Truth of God’s word, which of course addresses any situation we can think of (we just need to find it!).
How often in our interactions with others or in groups do we hear something we simply know is not true? Are we called to correct others in their thinking? I think it depends on what we know about them. Taking a huge clue from how Jesus treated people, He exhorted and sometimes rebuked Jewish leaders who studied God’s Law and should know the truth, yet He took the time to teach, gently correct, and encourage those who didn’t know any better. The important thing is that we say something – God does not need us to defend Him or His Word, but in love we should want others to know the Truth.
I pray our great God gives all of us the words and the boldness to speak up when we find ourself in such situations, and bring to mind 1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”. THANK YOU for all the great words you lift each week to our Heavenly Father on behalf of the inmates, chaplains, volunteers, and staff at Chester County Prison. God bless your week!
Grace and Peace,
Rick
Prayer Requests from last Thursday (12:00 Chapel Service, plus Inmate 1-1 sessions):
- Cotton– pray I can get home to be with my daughter on her birthday (Sep 2).
- Manuel– family.
- Javier– family.
- Gerald– I’m feeling stuck, need the Lord to get through, asking the Lord to help me see what’s holding me back, and that I can move on, and for peace.
- Kenneth– my son is having a hard time the last few weeks because I’m not there, pray for his comfort and peace.
- Roland– praise that more guys came out to chapel service this week.
- Andy D– for unforgiveness – show us Lord if we have it in our hearts and help us to forgive.
- Kenny– thinking a lot about what’s next when I’m released. My grandfather asks my Dad every day how I’m doing and is almost more excited than I am to get out. Can’t wait to see everyone. Pray that they are all doing well, and my friends all doing OK, that my time continues to go smooth and fast, and that everyone realizes the 2nd chance they can get through Jesus. [NOTE: I also pray for other inmates to leave Kenny alone – I’ve heard of inmates getting so jealous of those nearing release that they incite violence with them to cause release date to be pushed back.]
Prayer Requests from Medium Security (7:00pm Monday service):
- John– God get us all home.
- Marcus– grateful for God, pray for mental health of staff and inmates- this place affects everyone. I was raised Baptist and converted to Muslim and now see how similar the religions are and there is more than one path to God. [NOTE: I addressed Marcus with John 14:6 where Jesus himself said no one comes to the Father but through Him, and he agreed.]
- Ross– 19 days left before I max out, need big prayer to be accepted into a place to live – Elwynd did not accept me. Pray for those who went home today, for the court dates of all these guys, and for everything to work out for us.
- Travis– I had the devil in me this morning, pray for him to never come back [NOTE: I reminded Travis in my prayer that if we have the Holy Spirit, light and darkness can’t occupy the same place at the same time, reference 2 Cor 6:14]
- Jon– love, peace, family, children, girlfriends, wives, thankful for the volunteers coming in each week, and thanks for our congregation in this service. Pray for every Christian to put on the full armor of God to stand up to spiritual battles.
- Joseph– court date Wed, pray for release and get back to work so I can praise God and thank the Lord.
- Pablo– family, my boys, everyone in here.
- Phil T– my daughter-in-law (Hannah) is pregnant- pray all goes well with that, and pray for Hannah’s brother struggling with his future.
- Jose– for all those struggling with addiction, and pray for salvation of all those in Chester County Prison.
- Dan T– I began to witness to my brother-in-law, pray that he accepts Christ.
Prayer Requests from Minimum Security (8:30pm Monday service)
- Jacob– for my wife to get through hardship without me, to love and forgive, our kids, and loved ones.
- Jeremiah– for broken relationships.
- Pat– for the best outcome of my situation- get a county sentence, for family.
- Aaron– get through this time and get home to family.
- Steven– my mother (Frances), children, girlfriend Melissa, and me.
- Matt– my girlfriend, family and friends, my callous heart. Help me to keep smiling, deal with life, and push forward.
- Javier– wife, son, family, all of us here.
- Elizer– thankful for the volunteers, pray for everyone in here, my family, and a faster process towards release.
- Matt R– 2 guys in my life in the throes of addiction (Dan and Aaron)- pray they find the help they need.
- Donny– family, my son in here- pray good outcome of his court case, will see doctors soon about my heart issues.
- Mark– good outcome for my court case on 22nd, and for family.
- Jais– all of us in this room, my Mom is on life support, and that we can all make it on the outside.
Prayer Requests from Onesimus Ministries
- Godly collaboration towards planning and organizing our first prison ministry benefit concert on May 16 at Grace Covenant Church in Exton.
- Our wonderful prison Chaplains – Rhonda, Heinrich, Jack – and their families.
- All the dedicated volunteers, serving in the prison and behind the scenes.
- Prison Staff and Leadership, especially those new to the job or in new positions, and their families.
- Resolution to lingering staffing issues (hiring, turnover) at Chester County Prison.
- Every inmate and their family, who are also “doing time”.
- Blessings upon Aftercare ministries and post-prison support organizations in Chester county ministering to inmates after they are released.
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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