Jonnie was a fellow inmate who seemed to struggle with life's challenges. He was serving a life sentence and had been incarcerated for 25 years. Johnnie was 40- years-old and had serious doubts about God and committing to any religion. For Him, putting his faith in Christ meant he would have to follow rules and live a certain way in the eyes of others, I had to admit to him, "When you take up the cross, just know, it's a hard road. But, keep your trust in God, even if you are scared. One day, after having served 25 years, Johnnie was preparing for a parole hearing. He expressed serious doubts about a positive outcome. So he asked, "Antwann, what do you think I should do or say at the hearing?" Instead of telling him to pray, I prayed with him. I led the prayer, and it went something like this...
Heavenly father, we first and foremost want to give you thanks for everything. We want to bring before you this prayer and petition for Johnnie. God only you know the hearts of those who would be judging hm. So, we ask for your mercy and grace to see through their eyes, hear with their ears, speak with their tongue and soften their hearts. In Christ Jesus name - Amen.
Johnnie thanked me and carried on with his usual activities. A week or so later I heard that Johnnie went to the whole (administrative Segregation- a wing in the prison with cells for inmates who broke the institutions conduct code and we deemed necessary to be temporarily removed from the general population). Instead of scolding him, I said "No one is perfect; we all make mistakes. So how did the parole hearing go?" He stated, "I got my answer in the mail a week later, so I knew they denied me so there was no point in reading it." "You don't know what it said and you gave up." I responded. After he got settled in, I asked him if I could please at least, read the response.
When I opened that envelope and read the letter a tear fell from my eye. Johnnie reaction to this was, "I told you they don't care about us." I looked Johnnie straight in the eyes and said, "No I told you there's power in prayer. You go home in five months." Johnnie snatched the letter from my hands in disbelief. For the first time I honestly witnessed a sense of hope in Johnnie. What I realized in that moment was how we have so little faith in prayer. The power of prayer helps us gain comfort in the things unseen, God and his infinite wisdom are far beyond out finite comprehension.
Just like Johnnie, there will come a time when you're faced with a situation or uncertainty. Trust in Matthew 11:28, when God spoke through Jesus and said, "Come to me…..and I will give you rest." At some point every head shall bow. 1 Thessalonians 5: 17 says, "Pray without ceasing," because
THERE'S POWER IN PRAYER!
God Bless,
Antwann
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