I went on a prison ministry event this weekend and they are nearly always full of unpleasant obstacles, which I generally attribute largely to satanic attack, but not always. Friday was a doozy and when over 90 volunteers including me were denied entrance to a correctional facility because of some administrative error in their paperwork it was an example to be remembered.
So in an instant all the careful plans and assignments for 90 some odd people for the day were swept out the door. And instantaneously all were wondering what to do for the day. Our ministry was conducting events in several different prisons all over the area, so we decided to give them a hand and departed for them with different groups of people going in different directions.
Some of the people were beginning to get very frustrated because our careful plans were now a shambles and leaders were making it up as they went. It was controlled chaos. I listened to it for a few minutes and then addressed it by asking if they might consider that just maybe God wanted us somewhere else that day, and this was all part of His master plan to get us there.
My first prison was a tough one. When I arrived the coordinator wanted me to at least give some of my testimony, but several other speakers were scheduled there. I normally speak for 20-30 minutes I spoke for five minutes. The others spoke and it finished extremely well with nearly every inmate in the yard gathering around counselors to hear how they might receive Christ.
One man was alone and I went to talk to him. I was standing by him and immediately noticed the tattoos all over his face. Above his left eyebrow the word “Ruthless” appeared and he had 3 tears tattooed under his right eye signifying he had killed 3 people. He had other tattoos on his face and body and he looked like a gang banger.
As I talked to him I discovered that he was just 19 and had spent most of his life (10 years) incarcerated. It began with juvenile institutions and graduated to this hard prison where he was doing 6 years. I asked him if he would like to change his life and he said yes but no one would ever hire him with tattoos all over his face. And I told him they could be removed. We kept talking about Jesus and the peace he could know through Him and how much Christ loved him and then he started dabbing tears from his eyes as he began crying. He received Jesus as his Savior.
I went to the next prison and as soon as I walked in two guys were pointing at me and the counselor asked to take my photograph with an inmate. So I said sure and afterwards walked to the other said and sat down to listen to the program already in progress. In a minute here came this guy wanting me to autograph my book for him. So I did and I was thinking that I didn’t want to be doing this while the program was going on and was kind of steamed about it. I spoke about 10 minutes at that event and then I was through for the day.
Later that night I went to our banquet and I ran into the counselor that had been with that inmate. He told me prior to my arrival that the inmate had told him he hoped I would be there because he had read my book and wanted to meet me. The counselor told him well why don’t we pray and I’m sure he will show up. So they prayed and when finished they saw a guy come walking in but it wasn’t me. So the counselor told him to just keep the faith and go get his book because he was SURE that I would come. (Keep in mind I was not even scheduled to be in that prison all weekend). The inmate returned with the book and just as he did at that precise moment I came walking in.
Wow! I thought about me telling the others earlier that morning that I supposed God wanted us to be somewhere else after we were denied entrance to our assigned facility. I now know I had a divine appointment with the guy with the facial tattoos and the guy who had read my book, (and I’m sure the others that heard me speak and offer them hope using my own real life example).
So if things don’t go exactly as we had planned today or with our life in general, maybe instead of griping about it we should just chill out and look for what God has in store for us. As for me I’m thrilled that He used me to encourage these men.
Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
February 29, 2016 – Click here to listen