Last week we were given the opportunity to join our hosts for prison ministry. I had no expectations or really any idea what that would look like. The closest I’ve ever been to a prison is what I’ve seen in tv shows and movies. None of that could have prepared me for what I was about to see and experience.
We walked in and to my left was a massive cage. We were told that there were roughly 80 men living in the cage. When I say cage I mean literally metal cage walls, maybe 100ft by 50ft with a tin roof and concrete floor. The inmates clothes were hanging from the walls and they were all along the border to see who was coming in. It was like a zoo when the animals come to the edge and stick their hands out to the people outside. I don’t know how else to describe it.
To my right was the inside area. The cage was for people with good behavior. They get air and access to sunlight. The cells on my right were lit by one light. There were probably 35 men in one cement cell. It was dark and damp but hot and smelled of sweat and cigarettes. There was one cell for the women.
Our team was relatively large so we split up into groups. One began a women’s study. One went into each of the cells inside and one entered different parts of the cage. There was a group of us interceding and praying over everything while the others were ministering.
Before we arrived I was PUMPED to go pray for some people. However, the minute I stepped inside, I was fearful. You could feel the darkness in entering the prison. I immediately felt like I wanted to stay away from the prisoners and pray from afar. In hind sight, that’s probably why I volunteered to be in the prayer group even though I didn’t realize it at the time. My prayers began with myself and changing my heart towards the prisoners. They are people who the Lord wants to see redeemed. The Lord gave me His eyes to see the prisoners and as I continued to pray the Spirit was totally there!
It was POWERFUL. As I prayed I kept getting new things to pray about and new topics to address in my prayers that I know were not from me. Each time the Holy Spirit nudged me with a chill. I walked around the courtyard numerous times praying over the hearts of the guards, inmates, their families. I honestly can’t remember most of what I prayed for because it was just flowing out.
At one point I decided to wander into the inside area and pray there. You could probably imagine my confusion as Spanish songs I’ve learned over the last 3 months in Central American churches began to erupt from the cell. As I stood there praying, looking into the eyes of inmates who were looking out of their cells, the worship I heard was INCREDIBLE. I’ve never experienced anything like it. It was unbelievable. A group had gone into this cell and they had shared their testimonies and then they started to worship. The inmates. They were SHOUTING praises to God. The ground underneath me was shaking, they were jumping around and all I could do was stand there and worship with them. It was beautiful. These men who were in jail for anything from theft to murder to who knows what else, many wrongfully incarcerated by the flawed justice system, were offering all they had to the Lord, their worship.
There really are no more words to describe the joy I felt in hearing these men cry out to the Lord.
They continued after our team exited their cell. We were all getting ready to leave and their worship was still thundering from that cell.
I carefully considered omitting this last paragraph to make sure I got across the how awesome this morning was, and I mean, to end with the thundering worship of prisoners… What could be better? But I think this an important part of the story.
Experiencing all that, the enemy was waiting there just waiting to steal my joy. When I saw people exiting the cell I had the fleeting thought that I wished I could’ve been IN there. Even though the Lord had done SO MUCH cool stuff in my heart during that time and he totally met me that morning, the devil tried to plant that seed of jealousy. It was an important reminder for me to always be on guard and checking my thoughts, taking them captive. I’d encourage you to be aware and do the same!
I love jail ministry, it was incredible, 10/10 would recommend.
Dad, I know this one probably stresses you out but it was really cool (:
