Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
A new year is often seen as a chance to start fresh or incorporate some new habits. Prisoners see little change in their daily routine just because the calendar turned over. It’s into this gloom and monotony that we speak Hope – and a reminder that as Christians, Hope is something we have, not something we do. Prayer time during last night’s services began with a reminder of God’s promise of protection, love, and faithfulness.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until this violent storm is past.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
rescuing me from those who are out to get me.
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
(Psalm 57:1-3)
Andy’s message drew from John 5:1-15 where Jesus healed a man who was lame for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda. A curious passage illustrating many in despair seeking healing, yet the man Jesus restored did not recognize Him, worship Him, nor even thank Him. In stark contrast to Jesus’ other healings, this man walked away only to be challenged by Jewish leaders for carrying his mat on the Sabbath. Jesus wants us to quit focusing on our own little world and problems to see a bigger picture of who He is and what He’s doing.
And the ultimate question for all of us on this planet who need spiritual, emotional, relational, and/or physical healing (which is all of us) is what do we do about Jesus? Accept Him as Lord and Savior? Pursue a relationship with Him that He desires of us? Or dismiss Him as this healed man did and return to our own narrow understanding of religion? We challenge the men each week to look beyond their present circumstances, gain a more eternal perspective, and for some to make a decision of ultimate consequence.
As we begin 2024, let us pray for many more souls to join the family of God this year, both inside the prisons and beyond. Thank you for your offerings of prayer each week for these men and their families, the prayer requests below, and for our Chaplains and prison ministry team going into the prison. God bless you!
Grace and peace,
Rick
Inmate Prayer Requests from Medium Security (7:00pm service):
- Dave– for everyone in here dealing with hard times, for my children and my significant other who is such a great source of support. I pray to be released soon.
- Steven– all glory , honor, and praise be to God, and thanks for volunteers coming in each week. Pray for my family and for answered prayer.
- Angel– for my family, and my fiancé who is in recovery now for her addiction, for world peace especially in Israel and for the Japan earthquake. I pray for the new DA and that good things would happen now, like with my court date coming up at the end of the month, that I would get released on time served. And for all of our families and friends.
- John– for peace in the world and for all of our families. For our faith in God to be strong, and I’m still waiting on a decision around release – I pray it would happen soon so I can get surgery on my eye.
- Dave– thanks for answered prayer – I kept asking God for a sign and I got a new lawyer assigned and might be out as early as next week.
Inmate/volunteer Prayer Requests from Minimum Security (8:30pm service)
- Craig– thankful for the volunteers, for my wife Kay in Georgia with my kids (Brianna and Brielle), for my family at large, and for the whole world.
- Harry– for al of us in here and our families, for all upcoming court dates, and for my wife’s daughter in the hospital – they are not sure what’s going on with her.
- Donovan– for God to strengthen my relationships with my family, and for God to pour out His anointing on my wife that she could know Him in a personal way.
- Jeremiah– for family, and my four kids having a hard time right now asking lots of questions about where is Dad and why he’s not at home. Wisdom for how to answer these questions.
- Devan– also dealing with family questions about when I’m coming home, and for God to make a way for that to be soon.
- Andy L– that my wife and I can be encouraging light in our community, particularly with a young lady abandoned by her husband – grant her wisdom to make good decisions.
- Holland– for my Mom who is sick, and for her to find God. For us to see more of God and what he’s doing.
- Logan– for my wife and my kids, hear our prayers, and thanks for answers in accordance with Your will.
Prayers from Onesimus Ministries
- We lift our brother Phil Taylor before the throne of grace to ask the Great Physician and Author of Life to heal his back, relieve his suffering, and restore his ability to walk.
- Our thankfulness to the Lord overflows for His providing five volunteers to augment the prison team on Monday nights. God is good, all the time. And all the time, God is good.
- Ongoing prayers of gratitude for our two wonderful chaplains – Rhonda and Heinrich. It’s encouraging to see how God uses these two willing servants each and every week to reach inmates, staff members, and families with the love of Jesus Christ. May our God continue to bless them with all they need and more.
- We continue to petition our Heavenly Father for healing and restoration of Pastor Jack Crans, as he continues to labor for the Lord in many capacities despite a dire cancer prognosis.
- Please keep in prayer the aftercare ministries helping recently released inmates to return to society while solidly standing on the firm foundation of Christ. Pray for God’s provision to meet and exceed all their material and resource needs that they might serve Him efficiently and effectively in this mission field. And lift up their clients to become the men and women of God that he 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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