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Prison Ministry Prison Ministry Begins The question most often asked of me, is, “How did you get started in Prison Ministry?” Well, it is such a long story to share with all of you, but I’ll give you the nutshell version. I can say with all truthfulness the greatest
desire of my heart was to share the hurt of my life and the great recovery
that is available to all (just for the asking) to all that may have gone through
the same things that I have or may still be mired in that pit of despair. The Lord heard my prayers and saw the compassion of my heart for all the hurting everywhere. Never, never would I have believed for a moment that one of my beloved family members would be sent off to prison. Later, I learned that I had not one but several family members (distant relatives) incarcerated. The families told me that it was drug and or alcohol related crimes. What a terrible scourge upon our land? One of those
“babies” that I occasionally rocked and sang “Jesus loves you this I know for the Bible
tells me so” would later spend a long time incarcerated. Can you imagine for a
moment what it was like to see a darling little boy that you had rocked and sang
little “Jesus” songs to, grow up and be led away in chains by armed guards?
That was painful. But, what must
have it been to be the parent of that precious one to hear a gavel slammed down
and heard the words, “guilty as charged?”
It was heart rendering and gut wrenching as I saw that father silently
weeping _ pain that would never go away __tears that would never dry. I took it upon myself to go to the prisons and find out what was available along the lines of spiritual things. There was such a tremendous need in the institutions that I enquired of. It was there that I applied for information and set out to do what I had to do in order to get into the prisons and share God’s undying mercy, goodness, and unconditional love for them from “a mom’s heart.” It was from this experience, that prisons around the world were opened to me. What a special blessing to me. God is so good. Later I joined with many other volunteers from across this land to take this awesome message of love and forgiveness to the incarcerated from cell to cell, with the Mike Barber Ministries. It was for the most part a heart changing experience for me and I know for the inmates also. They made this clear to me and were forever grateful to the volunteers that took time to share a message of hope for them. Many of the incarcerated never had even heard the message of Jesus and His saving power until they went to prison. Prison Without Bars For many years I was in my own prison. Yes, I put on the happiest face I had in my closet of masks and lived a lonely, painful life, just like some of you. How I longed to be free of this insanity called life. Then one day, I met the Lord Jesus in a brand new way. He brought healing and deliverance to my mind, tortured by the evil acts of Satan through people who should have loved me the most. Over a period of time, the Lord brought inner healing to me. It involved forgiving those whom had been my offenders. It wasn’t easy but it is worth letting go of the past and being free again. If you have loved ones in prison somewhere, just know that God truly loves them and sees your hurting heart. He loves you too. My prayer is: Dear Jesus, please be with all those in prison and all who have loved ones in prison. Let them know somehow they are not forgotten. Let them remember that, you, “Jesus” will never leave them nor forsake them, never, never, never leave them alone. Amen! Every day the incarcerated and their families are covered in my prayers. Janie T. |
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