Visiting in the Jail
Last week I had a unique opportunity presented to me. I went to the jail to visit a man connected to our church family. He was glad to see me, and we had a good visit about the Lord and spiritual things. Before the end of the visit, he told me that several other men in his cell block wanted to talk with me, too. That is the first time I have had such a request. I have preached in prisons in Georgia and in Texas. I have visited several people with whom I had some relationship in prisons, but I have never had the opportunity to visit men who I do not know. I could not help but wonder why these men wanted to see me. Was it money? Was it just to talk? I prayed about it, and I felt the leadership of the Lord to go see them.
I went to see the first two of the men whom I do not know today. It was a good time of ministry in both cases. The first man needed help finding a drug rehab program to enter when he gets out of the jail. I will try to help in with that. He also needed some spiritual help for some past experiences for which he is having trouble forgiving people. I shared the Word of God with him, and we prayed for him to be able to forgive. Then, the second man was concerned about his girlfriend, but we started talking about the Lord, too. I asked him about his relationship with the Lord, and he confessed that he did not have a relationship with Jesus like some people seem to have. I shared the gospel with him, and I asked him, if he wanted to pray and ask Jesus to be Lord of his life. He said yes, and we dropped to our knees there at the table on the concrete floor. He prayed a very simple but sincere prayer of repentance, and he asked Jesus to be the Lord of his life. I believe God heard his prayer. Would you join me in praying for these two men and the other man I went to visit first? They all need the power of God in their lives to have a new start. I pray they will get it, because I know how wonderful it is to know Christ and to walk closely with Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 30-31 and Luke 13:23-35.
I went to see the first two of the men whom I do not know today. It was a good time of ministry in both cases. The first man needed help finding a drug rehab program to enter when he gets out of the jail. I will try to help in with that. He also needed some spiritual help for some past experiences for which he is having trouble forgiving people. I shared the Word of God with him, and we prayed for him to be able to forgive. Then, the second man was concerned about his girlfriend, but we started talking about the Lord, too. I asked him about his relationship with the Lord, and he confessed that he did not have a relationship with Jesus like some people seem to have. I shared the gospel with him, and I asked him, if he wanted to pray and ask Jesus to be Lord of his life. He said yes, and we dropped to our knees there at the table on the concrete floor. He prayed a very simple but sincere prayer of repentance, and he asked Jesus to be the Lord of his life. I believe God heard his prayer. Would you join me in praying for these two men and the other man I went to visit first? They all need the power of God in their lives to have a new start. I pray they will get it, because I know how wonderful it is to know Christ and to walk closely with Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 30-31 and Luke 13:23-35.