God seeks to set prisoners
free, not only from their physical prison, but certainly from their imprisonment
by sin, ignorance, rebellion and foolish choices. Jesus identified Himself as
the source of this freedom.
The Causes of Crime:
- Genesis 3 - The fall of man (The replacement of the life of God with the sin nature).
- Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
- John 10:10 – “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
PRAYER FOR PRISONERS
Luke
19:10
“For
the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Father we thank you for the provision of salvation through the cross -
the death of Jesus on the cross and the provision of His shed blood.
Father, we pray Your love and mercy for those who are in prison, that Your
love might reach them through whatever means You choose to use. We can’t
imagine the dark, sorrowful, desperate paths that they have led up to this
period of their lives, yet we know that even darkness is not dark to You (Psalm 139:12).
Lord, You are able to save to the uttermost. Deliver them from this
uttermost pit and bring them to sit with the righteous.
Father,
we know that deep healing needs to take place in their lives for the scars they
bear from:
A life
that wasn’t kind or fair;
A
mental disease that wasn’t manageable or treated properly;
A
temper that never knew the bounds of discipline;
An
addiction that never let go before it consumed them;
A group
of friends who were willing companions on the path to destruction. (Proverbs1:10-19);
A loved
one who was abusive and violent and filled with hatred;
A life situation that led
to desperation to acquire wealth;
A heart
so callous that it could no longer see others with respect;
And the
innocent who was in the wrong place at the wrong time;
All
these are the products of the flesh.
When we
look at the history of people in prison, we sometimes feel overwhelmed by their
challenges and the barriers to their inner freedom. Yet, You are the one
who says, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32.)
So, we boldly pray that Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life
will be given access to their imprisoned heart, soul and mind. (John 14:6).
Lord, we pray for the prisoners that Your word will gain entrance into
their lives. We commit to You, the vessels You use to minister to them that
they will preach the complete gospel that is able to set them free.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
“But if our gospel
be hid, it is hid to them that are lost 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who
is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Father, open
the eyes of their understanding that they may know the truth that will set them
free from the sin nature (rebellious nature).
Isaiah 42:3
“A bent reed he
will not break off.”
O Lord, You did not come to condemn those
who already feel rightly condemned, but rather you came that they might have
life and have it more abundantly. (John
3:17, John 10). You are our loving Saviour, who on the cross and in mortal pain
yourself, said to the dying thief being executed justly for his many sins, “I
tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43).
All the thief had to do was to look with
pained eyes toward you, the suffering saviour, and ask with faith that defied
the utterly impossible circumstances: “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your
kingdom.” (Luke 23:42).
Lord,
we pray for the prisoners, that the mercy that found this thief will locate
them as well.
Psalm 107:10-16
“Some sat in darkness and
the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains for they had rebelled
against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. So he
subjected them to bitter labour; they stumbled, and there was no one to
help. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them
from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest
gloom and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his
unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for me, for he breaks down gates of
bronze and cuts through bars of iron.”
These prisoners are literally behind bars
of iron, but they are also behind bars of inner bondage to the things that have
brought them to commit crimes against others. We pray concerning the
forces of evil that seek to continue to hold and eventually destroy them be
destroyed:
Lord, release them from
the prison of Satan and make them the prisoners of Christ. (Ephesians 3:1). We
break the stronghold of darkness over their lives in the name of Jesus.
PRAYER FOR PRISON MINISTRIES
Prison Ministries are the
ones that come into contact with prisoners to tell them about Jesus. Examples
are:
NEW LIFE MINISTRY
KAIROS PRISON MINISTRY
CPR MINISTRY
PRISON FELLOWSHIP
DAYLIGHT CHRISTIAN PRISON
TRUST
ALPHA FOR PRISON
Lord, make them also partakers of the true
gospel of Christ.
Give them the boldness to preach the
complete gospel.
Lord, please cause an open door for discipleship
in the prisons in UK.
Raise disciples from among them and cause them
to multiply.
All the resources required, Lord, please
provide to further these ministries.
Holy Spirit, breath upon these ministries in
Jesus’ name – Amen.
