“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”
Isaiah 61:1 (KJV)
One unusually beautiful Sabbath afternoon in February, our prayer ministry group drove more than two hours to get to a prison. Upon our arrival, we were informed we would not be able to give the concert or even enter the prison. Several employees had called in sick, and prison authorities couldn't guarantee adequate security for an event such as this. Despite our pleas, they insisted that we leave, saying they could have no exceptions to prison policy.
Convinced it was God's will that we give this concert, we formed a circle, joined hands, and prayerfully put the matter in His hands. Minutes later, one of the guards came back and said, "I can't believe this, but the supervisor changed his mind. You can come on in."
The warden in charge said our concert had been moved from a small room accommodating 40 to the large courtyard that served four wings, but only one at a time. Until today. Guards escorted us as we set up our sound equipment and then watched approximately 400 men from two wings file into the courtyard. A few guards were shaking their heads in amazement at this time of events.
As I stood up to sing before 50 courageous onlookers, I felt an evil presence, a choking sensation around my throat, and a sense that our efforts would be in vain. Lord, I prayed, I can't do this without you. In faith, I stepped forward and began to sing. My initially weak voice gained strength with each note; I felt a tremendous sense of peace. In just moments, the other 350 inmates, standing on opposite sides of the enclosure, began to move towards us. After the music, someone shared about God's love and forgiveness. By the close of the meeting, we handed out literature and enrolled more than 100 inmates in our correspondence Bible study school!
Call to Action
That day, we experienced many miraculous events; lives were changed because we believed in God's power to intervene. I want to encourage and challenge you, my friend, when life's circumstances feel like they are holding you prisoner. Step aside and, in faith, let God open your prison doors and set you free!
Will you let Him do that for you right now?
