My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We see some new faces in the prison staff each week, and that’s been one of our prayers – the prison is still experiencing a staff shortage (we’ve also heard turnover is high). Please continue to pray for God’s provision in resolving these staffing challenges which impact volunteer-based programs like chapel services.
Since it was my turn to give the message, other volunteers covered the prayer time. Phil encouraged the men in first service to covenant with God using Psalm 101 as marching orders for a godly man:
I will sing of your love and justice, Lord.
I will praise you with songs.
I will be careful to live a blameless life—
when will you come to help me?
I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.
I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.
I hate all who deal crookedly;
I will have nothing to do with them.
I will reject perverse ideas
and stay away from every evil.
I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.
I will not endure conceit and pride.
I will search for faithful people
to be my companions.
Only those who are above reproach
will be allowed to serve me.
I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house,
and liars will not stay in my presence.
My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked
and free the city of the Lord from their grip.(Psalm 101)
“More than a feeling” was my message for both services, attempting to better understand Love. Our culture has polluted and corrupted love’s true meaning, already made difficult with only a single word in English. New Testament authors chose the universal language of that time – Greek – which has 8 words for different types of love. We studied the 4 most common (3 are used in NT): Eros (sensual love), Philos (brotherly love), Storge (family love), and Agape (sacrificial love). Categories made it a bit clearer, but God’s definition is needed to truly get it. We read 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, then walked through it slowly substituting “God” for the word “love”, with supporting scriptures, to understand both love and God’s attributes since as 1 John 4:8 tells us, “God is love“.
The major point of my message was that love is not a feeling, it’s a decision (and resulting action) to put someone or something before yourself. Loving a person means their interests come first, love of country means the good of everyone comes first, and love of God means His will before my own. We ended with several scriptures demonstrating God’s love for us (Jn 3.16, Jn 15.13, Rom 5.8), and how we should respond by loving God and neighbors (Mk 12:30-31), love one another (Jn 13.34-35), and even love your enemies (Mt 5.44). I closed with a challenge to “tell your story” to everyone on the cell blocks, per the great commission in Mark 16 and Matthew 28.
We can all show the love of God in many ways. Thank you all for how you show His love through your prayers and support for prison ministry. I can assure you the men in prison do feel your love, as the volunteers always try our best to demonstrate it, and the men are usually very thankful for us being there, and knowing that many others are praying for them. Have a blessed week!
Grace and Peace,
Rick
Prayer Requests from last Thursday (Inmate sessions):
- Keith– didn’t have court today, still expecting court date on 7/29, pray all goes well with that. The love of my life (Anita) is caught up with alcohol and tough times – she’s in the hospital and I prayed with her. She’s not feeling good and is a mess with financial problems because of her running wild. Also pray for her daughter and their relationship. Pray for my son who just bought a boat, and how I miss the water and riding motorcycle, thankful my son could move my bike inside a building. Finally, pray for my peace as I was moved to a very noisy block.
- Kenny– for my family and my co-workers at Good Will, for Frances and Jimmy Potter to be doing well, to better myself each day, and to understand God’s word as I read the Bible. [Note: Kenny told me he accepted the Lord after chapel service on 6/24, he went back to his cell and prayed and cried a lot. When he woke up the next day, he felt like a whole new person – Praise God! And please pray for his spiritual protection]
- José– [Note: did not get to meet today since he is in court – pray that it went well]
- Eugene (volunteer) seeks prayer for final week of the “Me-We-City” movement sponsored by Coatesville pastors to transform the community by transforming minds, spirits, and bodies across the city- family by family, and neighborhood by neighborhood. This final week’s prayer focus is Salvation/Revival.
Prayer Requests from Medium Security (7:00pm Monday service):
- John– for my daughter to know how much I love her.
- Eric– I leave on the 24th, pray for a smooth transition, a well-paying job once I’m out, and for a beautiful girlfriend (who meets his very specific criteria). For health and stability for me, my family, and all of us in here, for deliverance from the evil one for all of us.
- Matt– my brain is fried from drugs, I need to find a way to support myself in life and not still rely on my parents. For my children to know the truth that my addiction is why I left, not because I don’t love them. For everyone in here to be forgiven and all made right, and thanks that I’m still alive.
- Jim M– my son Jacob is living in darkness, may he find the light of Jesus.
- Miguel– safety for family travelling from Puerto Rico and some traveling to Dallas.
- Drake– for guidance, to get into a faith-based rehab program and not just regular one, and for protection from terrorists.
- Jose G– safely back from Netherlands, for salvation of everyone in this prison, and for the upcoming election.
- Andy L– peace and righteousness in my neighborhood, and for each man here to find a good church to attend when they get out.
- John– peace for our nation.
- Jason– my daughter Mia (4) has a birthday at the end of the week.
- Deron– all the unspoken prayers.
- Matt– deliver us from temptation.
- Dan T– God saved my life since I am once again cancer-free, and for my brother-in-law to overcome whatever obstacle is holding him back from accepting Christ.
- Phil T– for safety of volunteer Andy on vacation in Canada.
Prayer Requests from Minimum Security (8:30pm Monday service)
- Derrick– thanks for volunteers, for my relationship with God, continued knowledge and wisdom, and for God to use me with the Bible study back on the block.
- Clarence– prayers for the volunteers who bless us, for the guys on the block that couldn’t make it out to church- stir their hearts, for my family, my children, and relationships, for closure on my case and my court date next month.
- John– thanks for the volunteers, pray I can link back up with the “shall never thirst” ministry when out of here – they helped me a lot – and for my girl.
- Rob– court date on 31st, pray for leniency and mercy, I think they’re really gonna give it to me this time.
- Jeron– thankful for volunteers, for patience, strength, courage, faith, help me let go and let God. And for my kids.
- Kevin– my girlfriend to have a healthy pregnancy, kids, court date on Wednesday, and thanks for volunteers.
- Jeremiah– for strength – been in here 44 months with no answers, for endurance, a light to shine on my case, a favorable outcome, and to not get discouraged.
Prayers from Onesimus Prison Ministries
- Our prison chaplains – Jack, Heinrich, and Rhonda.
- Prison leadership, prison staff, and all of their families
- For expansion of the chapel schedule and use of more volunteers.
- Resolve staff shortages which impact families and prison programs.
- For recently released men and women to find safe haven and continue their faith journey.
- For all the Aftercare ministries out there taking care of inmate transition back into society.
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/
If this email was forwarded to you and you’d like to subscribe, click HERE.
