"I have never felt the Holy Spirit before I came in here," confessed one of the ladies in the Bible study. I was in my block and I actually felt Him there.
"Which block were you in?" I wanted to know.
"Four."
I was not surprised when she told me this. It was the very block I had asked for prayer a few weeks before. A group of intercessory pray-ers told me that they would pray for the women, and specifically for block four because that is where we had been having so many problems.
Some people believe that prayer is wishful thinking. We want it to be so, so it is. I had never told the inmates that I was asking for specific prayers for them. I had never mentioned a certain number block.
Some people think that prayer is a useless exercise. After all, the argument goes, why does God need us to pray. Doesn't He already know what's going to happen?
I have wondered that myself. Many "experts" of prayer have weighed in on the subject, and one of my favorites is E. M Bounds.
He says,
"Prayer is no little thing, no selfish and small matter. It does not concern the petty interests of one person. the littlest prayer broadens out by the will of God till it touches all words, conserves all interests, and enhances man's greatest wealth, and God's greatest good. God is so concerned that men pray that he has promised to answer prayer. He has not promised to do something general, if we pray, but He has promised to do the very thing for which we pray."
I don't know why we must pray, but we must pray. It is required of us, believers -- and it is a privelege and a delight.
I am thankful that there are people who pray for those in jail and those caught up in addictions.
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Prayer for the Addicted
She is on the streets again and not taking my calls. How quickly from "I Surrender All" to "Where can I get another ...." -- fill in the blank with whatever the addiction requires to be satisfied: drink, hit, snort, sexual encounter, brawl, new purchase -- whatever it is that makes me feel whole and complete...
How those addictions control us; how they sap us from the energy that could be turned to better uses --
Inside jail, people are determined to stay in the word, stay on their knees, surrender their lives to Christ...but once they get a taste of the old drug on the outside, that resolve is weakened.
It just doesn't seem as important anymore when there are so many more, better ways to feel good.
In fact, following Christ often does not feel good. It exposes all the wounded parts that the alcohol and drugs have been good at disguising. It takes guts. It takes resolve. It takes grace and power and faith to be willing to subject yourself to the Holy Spirit scanner.
But oh, the result! The result of surrendering yourself to God is so sweet -- and that's the part that few get to...the peace, the joy, the abundance -- not material abundance, but the meaty substantial abundance of life that comes with oneness with the Vine. There is no drug that compares.
Who knows that? Every ex-addicted, Christ-follower I have talked to. Many of us have experienced a whole range of substances that took the place of God in our lives, and each one will attest to the fact that in this universe there is no drug of choice that supplants the delicious
experience of walking in unity with God.
Here is a prayer from one of those ex-addicts, who now ministers to the wounded of the streets., Pastor Marvin Pedigo:
Father in the name of Jesus I lift these people to you. Some in name and others that you know without naming. We thank you for sending your ministering angels into each and every one of the camps of these named and un-named people. Let them minister hope to the weary and tired souls. Let your Spirit become evident even in the midst of the darkness. Send them to us, Lord you are preparing us to be there for them. Let the deception of substances or whatever the addiction, be revealed as what it really is. Instill a hunger into the void that has been filled with less than the truth. Let the truth touch the void and remind all that there is only one that really will fit and stay in place if allowed. Thank you for protecting all that operate on the front lines in this ministry. Thank you for the finances that sustain us all. IN Jesus Name, AMEN
How those addictions control us; how they sap us from the energy that could be turned to better uses --
Inside jail, people are determined to stay in the word, stay on their knees, surrender their lives to Christ...but once they get a taste of the old drug on the outside, that resolve is weakened.
It just doesn't seem as important anymore when there are so many more, better ways to feel good.
In fact, following Christ often does not feel good. It exposes all the wounded parts that the alcohol and drugs have been good at disguising. It takes guts. It takes resolve. It takes grace and power and faith to be willing to subject yourself to the Holy Spirit scanner.
But oh, the result! The result of surrendering yourself to God is so sweet -- and that's the part that few get to...the peace, the joy, the abundance -- not material abundance, but the meaty substantial abundance of life that comes with oneness with the Vine. There is no drug that compares.
Who knows that? Every ex-addicted, Christ-follower I have talked to. Many of us have experienced a whole range of substances that took the place of God in our lives, and each one will attest to the fact that in this universe there is no drug of choice that supplants the delicious
experience of walking in unity with God.
Here is a prayer from one of those ex-addicts, who now ministers to the wounded of the streets., Pastor Marvin Pedigo:
Father in the name of Jesus I lift these people to you. Some in name and others that you know without naming. We thank you for sending your ministering angels into each and every one of the camps of these named and un-named people. Let them minister hope to the weary and tired souls. Let your Spirit become evident even in the midst of the darkness. Send them to us, Lord you are preparing us to be there for them. Let the deception of substances or whatever the addiction, be revealed as what it really is. Instill a hunger into the void that has been filled with less than the truth. Let the truth touch the void and remind all that there is only one that really will fit and stay in place if allowed. Thank you for protecting all that operate on the front lines in this ministry. Thank you for the finances that sustain us all. IN Jesus Name, AMEN
Friday, January 9, 2009
The Way We Talk
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice and be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God, in Christ, forgave you.
We remind each other of these verses before we begin our meetings. In Ephesians, we get a whole great list of things to remember, in or out of jail, about how to talk with others.
"But we're in JAIL..." there's no way that this is going to happen.
Granted, it's a difficult situation. It's loud and full of emotion, some women are even sleeping on the floor. Funding is low and the place is inadequately staffed. It's dirty and crazy and full of profane language, but Paul and Silas sang in prison, and I told them they could too.
Yeah, what do you understand? I know that's what they want to say to me...
We begin to pray and the power of God's Spirit falls on us all. Prayers for children, prayers for lovers, family, grieving parents on the outside...and then the prayers of strength.
"Help me to stand up for You, Lord."
"Give me the words to say, Lord,"
"Put your armor on me, God."
"Enable me to do this for You..."
There is hope in their words. Suddenly they perceive what they are saying, and the prayers get bolder,
"I will stand for you, Lord,"
"No matter what it takes,"
"No matter what they do..."
To be persecuted for doing what is right -- for doing God's work in the jail -- that's what these men and women are up against.
Pray for them right now, right here with me. Every man and woman behind bars who has come to understand who You are, God. Enable them. Defend them. Protect them.
Amen.
We remind each other of these verses before we begin our meetings. In Ephesians, we get a whole great list of things to remember, in or out of jail, about how to talk with others.
"But we're in JAIL..." there's no way that this is going to happen.
Granted, it's a difficult situation. It's loud and full of emotion, some women are even sleeping on the floor. Funding is low and the place is inadequately staffed. It's dirty and crazy and full of profane language, but Paul and Silas sang in prison, and I told them they could too.
Yeah, what do you understand? I know that's what they want to say to me...
We begin to pray and the power of God's Spirit falls on us all. Prayers for children, prayers for lovers, family, grieving parents on the outside...and then the prayers of strength.
"Help me to stand up for You, Lord."
"Give me the words to say, Lord,"
"Put your armor on me, God."
"Enable me to do this for You..."
There is hope in their words. Suddenly they perceive what they are saying, and the prayers get bolder,
"I will stand for you, Lord,"
"No matter what it takes,"
"No matter what they do..."
To be persecuted for doing what is right -- for doing God's work in the jail -- that's what these men and women are up against.
Pray for them right now, right here with me. Every man and woman behind bars who has come to understand who You are, God. Enable them. Defend them. Protect them.
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)