My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I appreciate all the congratulations and prayers for my daughter’s wedding this past weekend. It was an absolutely beautiful weekend – God blessed us with incredible weather for her outdoor ceremony in a beautiful setting along the tree-lined Conestoga River in Lancaster. Perfect temperatures, gentle breeze, and sun shining through the trees with birds chirping made a wonderful backdrop for a very God-honoring wedding ceremony. My wife and I had our hearts overflowing with how my Daughter and new Son-in-law invited Christ into the middle of their marriage right from the start. It was apparent to every person at the ceremony how big a part God plays in the life of my family.
I believe the same holds true for the ministry teams that conduct Monday night services each week – it should be apparent to every person we interact with throughout the evening how God’s love, forgiveness, and our thankfulness for His promise of salvation drive what we do. We pray in thanksgiving for each of you as you support us in this ministry with prayer and other means. May our Lord bless you richly this week as you join us in lifting up the prayer request below.
Grace and Peace,
Rick
Prayer Requests from last Thursday (12:00 Service, plus Inmate sessions):
- Eric– My Mom’s Mom is very sick and close to dying, she may be on hospice. My mom is completely stressed and trying to be strong for me – she kept it from me but my sister told me. I’m trying to be strong for her too. I’m headed to state prison in 2 weeks- pray for my family and especially my kids to understand, give them strength one day at a time. I want to understand and apply what I hear in church, I am energized by hearing and learning God’s Word and His will for my life.
- Kenneth– pray for comfort for my family and for Eric’s family too. Asking God to prepare me for what lies ahead – I’m stuck looking at my situation and what I wanted and expected to happen, and focused on what went wrong. God help me see what went right and to stay focused on your will for me.
- José– forgiveness, my family and my kids.
- Javier– my wife recently passed away, strength for my daughter to move forward.
- Kenny– finally was able to get a haircut- feel like a new person. The maintenance job I’m hoping for should be coming any day now, then I can stop with the crazy cafeteria shifts. Getting along with my Muslim cellmate – we share about our faiths. My blood pressure meds are working, almost no headaches anymore. Please pray for my family, my girlfriend, and my friends.
- Keith– [released 2 weeks ago] Pray for Keith, his girl Anita with addiction issues, his family, and his weekly request that God would keep working in his life.
- José– [released several weeks ago] Pray he’s engaged in a good church and a Bible study with solid brothers and sisters in the faith.
Prayer Requests from Medium Security (7:00pm Monday service):
- John– that God would return us all to our families soon.
- Joe– for my uncle (Steven) and my friend – health issues – I don’t know what’s going on with either of them.
- Drake– my (Catholic) baptism ceremony is in the prison chapel on Oct 31 at 1:15pm. Also prayer for building/developing community and support systems. Praying for access to more seminary courses.
- Ron– to get back home to Waymart, where things make sense.
- Josh– I’m struggling with the question of has God forgiven me? I need strength.
[Note: several volunteers did ensure him of God’s forgiveness for those who believe]
- Dan T– for my brother-in-law to accept Christ.
- Rick C– thankful for a wonderful weekend for weddings – Phil’s son Kyle married his fiancé Hannah, and my Daughter Ali married her fiancé Aaron. We pray God will walk each step of the journey these two couples have started with each other.
- Phil T– for Chaplain Heinrich’s heart tests to come back normal and no additional treatment needed. Also praises for his 2 sons getting their green cards after 11 years of waiting. Please also pray for the salvation of my son-in-law Chris, and bless our granddaughters under his supervision.
Prayer Requests from Minimum Security (8:30pm Monday service)
- Mike– thankful for volunteers, for my children (Michael and Everly), for Kim who is working on my sentencing request for the Judge, for my upcoming hearing (no date yet). And praying for all the folks impacted by recent natural disasters.
- Jeremiah– successful surgery for my sister (Tamika), and a quick recovery.
- Troy– for healing and quick recovery of our brother Andy after his surgery. Also for my neighbor (Lou) that the Holy Spirit would draw him into a saving faith.
- Tony– for the comfort of my wife and my kids while I’m not there.
- Matt R– my mother-in-law (Cheryl) got home Sunday after knee replacement surgery – pray for healing, wisdom to take it slow, and a better outcome than last knee replacement that got complicated after she fell and it opened up. For my Father-in-law (Gerald) to have patience, strength, and endurance as her caregiver.
- Jose G– for the salvation of everyone in this facility, for families impacted by the recent hurricanes devastating the southern US, and travelling mercies for my wife Ruby and I as we travel to southern India to visit parents.
- Rob– for the mess over there in Israel, for my children, and for my girlfriend (Wendy).
Prayers from Onesimus Prison Ministries
- Andy’s healing and quick recovery from hernia surgery, and reduced pain in the process.
- Praying we can sell the remaining 38 seats for Prison Ministry Benefit Dinner at Green Street Grill on Oct 25 (see www.onesimusministries.org).
- God’s blessing upon our Prison Chaplains- Jack, Rhonda, and Heinrich.
- Quick resolution to prison staffing issues (shortage and high turnover) which impacts routine operations and religious programming at the prison.
- We pray for all prison staff members and their families, the female inmates and their families, the male inmates and their families, and the youth at the juvenile detention facility and their families.
- We pray for all the recently released inmates and those transitioning to state prison – may they discover God’s plan for them and experience true spiritual freedom.
- We lift up the Aftercare ministries across Chester county, that God would bless them with ample staffing and resources to effectively minister to everyone who comes to them seeking help.
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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