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Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
How many of us actually took time to express what we’re thankful for at our Thanksgiving gathering? I’ll admit with our family reunion-style Thanksgiving (41 people, and 8 were missing!) it was tough because we were so spread out, so I failed to speak my thankfulness in that setting. But I did tell my wife that morning how I’m thankful for her putting up with me for 34 years (and counting)! What a difference it can make to others around us if we maintain an attitude of gratitude.
As fallen and sinful human beings, I think our default attitude is one of selfishness – Me first! It takes effort to be thankful, but the more we do it, the easier it gets. How do we want to be remembered? As a loving, giving, helpful person? Or something else? It’s funny how we celebrated Thanksgiving last Thursday, followed quickly by Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. And now today we land on Giving Tuesday – I like how it comes back around to sharing what we’re thankful to God for giving us in the first place.
I’m thankful for each one of you, and how you give your time each week to pray for the inmates, their requests, the chaplains, and the volunteers that go into Chester County Prison each week. As we pray through the inmate requests below, let’s also pray that God will show each of us how we can be even more thoughtful, thankful, and giving in our everyday lives. May god bless you, and bless others through you this week.
Grace and Peace,
Rick
Female Inmate Prayer Requests from Chaplain Rhonda
- MP: “Please pray for my cellmate/friend, J. V., that she can find peace from her past traumas and use them to affect positive changes and growth for her bright future. And have God pour His grace and blessings upon her! She truly is God’s angel and a bright light in my day. Thank you!”
- AP: “To keep custody of my daughter and to not lose my faith. Open my eyes to what the Lord wants from me. I feel abandoned and need Him so bad right now.”
Prayer Requests from last Thursday (12:00 Chapel Service):
- Sean – has court in 2 weeks, hopes to get probation. For his children.
- Manuel – family – wife and daughter. For those of us in the Ministry.
- Robert – everyone.
- John – grateful for today’s message, and that he would get time served so he can be released to a rehab and ultimately get home.
Prayer Requests from Medium Security (7:00pm Monday service):
- Alics– for everyone serving time in this prison, and for all of our brothers both inside and outside Chester County Prison system- may we experience a speedy outcome and the process be better.
- Andrew– for my Mother (Kathleen), my Father (James), and my sister (Kyra).
- John– for my trial next week and for my family.
- Jose G– for Anna (14) who struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts.
- Andy L– for my pregnant neighbor whose doctor says the baby won’t live more than about 5 days after birth.
- Phil T– for Joy’s 4-week-old twins (Josie and Ellie) that are still gaining weight and progressing. Josie needs to gain much more weight after the heart surgery, but praise God most or all of the tubes have been removed and she’s getting stronger.
- Mike– for my wife (Robin) and 3 children- that they would forgive me.
- Dan T– for the right opportunity to witness to my Brother-in-law (he keeps dodging me), and that he might finally accept Jesus into his heart.
- Phil T– praise God that Jim is back after his knee surgery, and Jose is back after his injury, may both men experience continued healing and restoration. And for Daeron who should be out of prison now- hope he made it home for Thanksgiving, and we pray for him and many other inmates re-entering society to NOT return to their old habits, and NOT come back to prison.
- Rick C– for my wife’s nephew Cole, his wife Rachel, and their young children who couldn’t come to Thanksgiving because they have covid – may they all be healed and restored quickly.
Prayer Requests from Minimum Security (8:30pm Monday service)
- Rick C– for my wife (Robin) who’s had a chest cough for a month – healing.
- Armand– for people questioning belief, that they will find the Lord. Also, pray that I find favor in court on the 16th.
- Casey– praying to hear good news that I’ll be released this week to Colonial House in York (rehab facility), and for my Dad with stage 4 cancer.
- Jason– that people can find their way to Jesus.
- Tyreek– for guidance.
- Tyrua– to be transferred over to the work release center tomorrow – I’m on the list – and for everyone in this room, and for my family and my kids.
- Rondel– that my court case goes well.
- William– [very thick accent- couldn’t make out what he said, but God knows his prayer request]
- Isaiah– my court date.
- Danny– [very thick accent- couldn’t make out what he said, but God knows his prayer request]
- Josh– for people to have understanding and to have wisdom.
- Gus– for everybody in the room, that we all make it home.
- Steve– my Father-in-law (Robert), it was his birthday today, and healing for his prostate cancer. Also for my wife (Robin), that our marriage would work out, for my kids, and my court date this week to go well.
- Teron– for family, for myself, for health, for all of us in here- that this coming year would be a better year.
- Matt R– my Father-in-law (Gerald) had pacemaker surgery this week- for quick recovery- and for unsaved family members.
Prayer Requests from Onesimus Ministries
- Chaplain Heinrich, and all the male inmates and staff within his mission field.
- Chaplain Rhonda, and all the female inmates and staff within her mission field.
- Chaplain Jack Crans, and the chaplaincy program at Chester County Prison, and the prison leadership within his mission field. Also personal strength and healing from his cancer.
- For the Onesimus Ministries board of directors, and the future of the board.
- All the volunteers ministering to male and female inmates at Chester County Prison.
- The families supporting each inmate, staff member, chaplain, and volunteer.
- Aftercare ministries and post-prison support organizations throughout Chester County ministering to recently released men and women.
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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