Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Last night, the weather outside was frightful, but the Spirit inside delightful. Once again, prison ministry volunteers demonstrated how much they care about inmates by braving dangerous conditions to share the love of Christ with them through worship and testimony. I’ve heard it said there’s no place safer than in God’s will, and I believe that. He kept us all safe and got everyone home without incident after serving the men at Chester County Prison.
The evening began on a somber note as we paid tribute to a fore-runner of today’s prison ministry. Doug Burnett passed away Monday morning. Doug was a tough guy who did many bad things that ultimately landed him in prison. He found Christ in Chester County Prison and it forever changed his life. So much that he cornered his Pastor asking to find a way to go back in and share with the inmates what he found there. God made a way, and Doug returned to prison (as a volunteer) to share Christ with the men. Doug’s following of God’s calling paved the way for what our volunteers do every Monday night. Many continue to be blessed thanks to Doug’s obedience. You can read the full story at https://onesimusministries.org/about-us/history/
We also paid tribute to another obedient servant of God – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr – a true peacemaker who accomplished great things in the civil rights movement through the power of the Holy Spirit. Dan recalled how he grew up in the south and personally witnessed the incredibly harsh treatment of black people, and what a huge difference Dr. King made in our nation’s history.
We then turned our thoughts to God’s great provision of safety and salvation as seen in Psalm 61.
O God, listen to my cry!
Hear my prayer!
From the ends of the earth,
I cry to you for help
for my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
for you are my safe refuge,
a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings!
For you have heard my vows, O God.
You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. (Psalm 61:1-5)
In place of the typical message preached to the men, the volunteers all took turns sharing their personal testimony and how God has moved in their lives. It was an impactful night of sharing, with the men completely engaged in the many different ways God’s Spirit got ahold of each heart that now serves them on Monday nights.
And we thank our great God for how He’s captured each of your hearts, and called upon you to pray faithfully for the men (and women) in prison, their families, and their heart cries listed below. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating – never underestimate the impact and power of your prayers – it is the lifeblood of ministry! Thank you for your faithfulness and may God bless you richly each and every day!
Grace and peace,
Rick
Inmate Prayer Requests from Medium Security (7:00pm service):
- Dave– for my children, for my girl who really supports me, and for my case on Fri- praying to be released since I’ve been here a year.
- Angel– for world peace, all of us in here, my little brother Mike, my brother Louie, and my fiancé Danelle in recovery for addiction – I pray for her and others to be released from addiction. I pray for freedom from here, and for all the sick and suffering.
- Tyrese– for my 5 sisters and my girlfriend.
- Steven– all honor, praise, and glory be to God, and thankful for volunteers each week. I’ll be 69 soon and I want what you guys got. Pray for my family, especially my oldest son Tyrone (49) to grow spiritually, and for Cody back on the block who takes such good care of us.
- John– for peace in the world, especially Ukraine, Israel, and across Africa, for those impacted by disasters, for my family, my 9 kids, and my 3 grandkids. I pray for early parole so I can get eye surgery.
Inmate/volunteer Prayer Requests from Minimum Security (8:30pm service)
- John– for all the incarcerated, our families, and our broken spirits to be lifted.
- Craig– thanks for the volunteers, even when there’s bad weather and an Eagles game they still show up. Thanks for Monday night services, and prayers for my wife Kay in Georgia – it’s her 52nd birthday today. Pray for my children, my family at large, and for the whole world.
- Oscar– for my court date next week, and for my family.
- Martin-a good outcome for all our court dates, for family, and thanks God for keeping them safe on their drive to Florida yesterday. And pray for my successful recovery from addiction.
- Harry– thanks for the volunteers, and prayers for my wife’s daughter (Iana) in the hospital and supposed to come home Thursday. Pray for my relationship with my wife and she is struggling financially.
- Jacob– for my daughter who’s been very sick for a couple weeks now, and her mom going through a lot without me – I feel so helpless. Praying for strength for the family, and health for grandparents. And the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr – that his lessons be learned and not forgotten.
- Tommy– my wife and 2 daughters.
- Andy D– my brother-in-law Ira had a knee replacement scheduled for next week, and during pre-surgical check they discovered he’d had a heart attack.
- Harry– just got working papers, pray for my recovering from a broken leg, and that I can make some money for my wife.
- Logan– God’s mercy on us and our loved ones.
- Alan– more faith in God, and my mom is very sick and close to death- pray for her health and my relationship with her (which hasn’t been good).
- Please pray for John, a Muslim gentleman who gave testimony in the second service that he didn’t choose to come out but he was called to be there with us, and said he was there to be cleansed. He claimed (incorrectly) that Allah is just another name for God – Pray the Holy Spirit would give him wisdom and understanding of what God is doing in his life.
Prayers from Onesimus Ministries
- Please remember the Burnett family as we celebrate the homegoing of Doug and they mourn the loss of his presence.
- We continue to lift up in prayer our brother Phil Taylor still suffering great back pain and inability to walk. Pray for wisdom of the doctors, effectiveness of the treatment(s), and overall healing for our fellow servant who would like nothing better than to get back in with us on Monday nights.
- Thanks Lord for providing more laborers in the field. We asked and you answered. You are so good to us!
- Thanks also for our two wonderful servant chaplains – Rhonda and Heinrich – and how they are your hands and feet ministering to inmates, staff, families, and more. Please continue to bless them to be a blessing to others.
- Continued prayer for Pastor Jack Crans dealing with late stage cancer, yet continuing to serve in multiple capacities as if nothing was wrong. We pray for strength and healing.
- We continue to lift up all the aftercare ministries helping former inmates continue to build upon the foundation of Christ as they return to society. May God continue to provide for all the needs within these ministries, and a special blessing upon the men and women being served there, that they would become all that God calls them to be.
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.
These weekly prayer requests are also posted on our website – https://onesimusministries.org/category/weekly-prayer-requests/
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