August 2006 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain’s
Corner – August 25, 2006
Rev. Rich Hines
More On How To Pray, From Paul’s Prison Prayers
This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as
their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain in a jail, prison
or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.
All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the
Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a
text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs ().
These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages,
or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s
culture.
ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make
a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.
Last month I began a two-part message on teaching inmates how to pray from how
the Apostle Paul prayed when he was in custody. Before we move on with part two
of that message, let me reiterate, the first lesson on prayer to give any
general inmate audience is evangelistic. The true God will not hear and answer
the prayers of those who are not seeking Him through His revealed and ultimate
truth in Christ Jesus.
Scripture makes this very clear. “For there is one God and ONE Mediator BETWEEN
GOD AND MEN, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, (1
Timothy 2:5,6). Jesus said: “I am the way the truth
and the life, no one comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME.” (John 14:6).
Lovingly yet unashamedly, tell inmates they first need to be “in Christ” for
their prayers to truly be acceptable to God. Give them the biblical gospel of
Christ that commands them to repent and follow Him in a faith commitment.
Once an inmate has truly been united with Christ, they can and should begin to
have a regular prayer life. Last month, we learned that Chaplains should teach
believing inmates and residents –
1. To worship and trust God in their prayers, in spite of
harsh surroundings.
2. To be more concerned about others than self in prayer.
3. To pray for the spiritual well being of others.
4. To thank God in prayer for what He’s doing in making others believers.
5. To pray that other believers would engage their
minds with Scriptural truths about all that their salvation includes.
6. To pray that other believers would grow more in the love of Christ and live
it out – even in prison.
7. To constantly THANK God in their prayers for everything and rejoice in Him.
Now in part two of this message, let’s see more on how to teach inmates to pray
from the examples of Paul’s prison prayers.
At the beginning of Colossians Chapter 2, (written during his first Roman
imprisonment) Paul revealed his heart’s concern for the believers at Colosse and the neighboring town of
1 For I want you to know what a great conflict (literally, ‘agony’) I have for
you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the
flesh,
2 that their hearts may BE ENCOURAGED, being KNIT TOGETHER IN LOVE, and
ATTAINING TO all riches of the FULL assurance of UNDERSTANDING, to the
KNOWLEDGE of the mystery of God, BOTH OF the Father and of Christ,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Though there are echoes of three of the things we saw last month in verses 2
and 3, there are also some new aspects of prayer here to teach inmates.
Echoed here are lessons that our prayers should be concerned about the
SPIRITUAL WELLFARE OF OTHERS, that OTHER BELIEVERS WOULD ENGAGE THEIR MINDS
WITH SCRIPTURAL TRUTHS, and that our prayers should ASK GOD FOR GROWTH IN LOVE.
But even in these areas we see other aspects of prayer. Namely:
1. That other believer’s HEARTS might be ENCOURAGED. This is spiritually good
for believers, specifically in the area of strengthening them for spiritual
battle. In the ancient Greek language the word for “encouraged” in verse 2, was
a military term used to fire up a dispirited band of soldiers, making them
again fit for heroic action in battle.
Certainly, being a true Christian in the inmate population and culture is a
spiritual battle. Sometimes true believers just want to quit struggling against
the pervading evil in the jail or prison. So, this kind of prayer applied to
that situation would be that the Lord would embolden their thinking and their
emotions to fit themselves for the spiritual struggle against the pervasive
darkness all around them.
2. In terms of praying for others to ENGAGE THEIR MINDS IN THE STUDY OF
SCRIPTURE, verse 2 speaks about attaining the riches of FULL UNDERSTANDING
specifically OF GOD, THE FATHER AND OF GOD, THE SON.
It’s hard for me to think of a population in our country that is more in need
of this than Christian inmates. Especially in the light of the theological
errors and spiritual attacks from Islam that Christian inmates face every day.
3. As far as praying that other believers would GROW IN Christ-like LOVE; note
that verse 2 speaks of praying for the KNITTING TOGETHER OF BELIEVERS HEARTS.
The ancient Hebrews and Greeks used the word “heart” primarily to refer to the
seat of the thought life. This is not silly, sloppy sentimentality. Believers
need to think the same as one another. The more they do, the more they will be
“knit together.”
As they focus more on Christ and His life lived out in sacrificial love for
others, they will be bound together in a supernatural unity that the unsaved
cannot experience, no matter how hard they try. As other inmates see Christian
inmates true union in Christ’s love, they will both take notice of it and ask
questions.
Places of incarceration are places of division and hatred. In the midst of all
that dissention and disunity a Christian community of unity in true love can
and ought to exist. Pray for it and teach your believing inmates to do the
same!
The Apostle Paul then taught Christians on prayer in Colossians 4:2 – he said:
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
“Earnestly” can be translated as “WITH COMPLETE DEVOTION.” The Holy Spirit
through Paul taught Christians to be absolutely committed to prayer, to be
devoted to PERSISTENT PRAYER.
This verse also teaches believers to be ALERT or “vigilant” in prayer. This not
only means that they should keep awake during prayer, but also that they should
be CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR THINGS TO PRAY ABOUT.
Lastly, Colossians 4:2 states the fact that prayers should always include
GRATITUDE AND THANKS TO GOD. This reiterates what we saw last month from Paul’s
prayers in Acts, Ephesians and Philippians. Stress these things about prayer as
you teach and disciple Christian inmates.
Next, we see a prayer request from Paul during his incarceration in Colossians
4:3,4:
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word,
to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
What’s so interesting here - and DIFFERENT FROM MOST INMATE PRAYERS - is his
prayer request asks the believers (the ones free on the outside) to pray for
him in his incarceration, THAT HE WOULD NOT FLINCH in his Christian
responsibility to give out the gospel. That very thing had gotten him in
trouble - even into the current imprisonment he was suffering in
My point is that the threats and political power of men didn’t ever cause Paul
to pull back and quit aggravating the world with the truth of the gospel. The
majority of inmates are mostly concerned with their current safety and release.
Paul on the other hand, was bold for the presentation of the gospel, even if it
meant further incarceration and trouble. Have your inmates in Bible class spend
some time thinking about that!
The bigger issue is that when an inmate claims Christ as their Savior and Lord,
it should mean THEY’RE MORE CONCERNED WITH His program, HIS KINGDOM, THAN WITH
PERSONAL THINGS like what might get them out sooner, or make things go easier while
incarcerated.
Next, look with me at the prayer of Paul from prison in Philemon verses 4-6.
4 I thank my God, making mention of you (Philemon) always in my prayers,
5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and
toward all the saints,
6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of
every good thing which is in you (or in earlier manuscripts “us”) in Christ
Jesus.
Here, this Christian inmate (Paul) thanked God for a SPECIFIC BELIEVER’S faith
and love made manifest to other believers. Sometimes we only think of praying
for those who are struggling and not doing so well with their Christian
testimony. We ought to learn to PRAY CONSTANTLY FOR THOSE THAT ARE DOING WELL
IN THEIR CHRISTIAN LIFE AND MINISTRY, like Paul did for Philemon. So again,
teach inmates to pray for others, even for those that seem to be doing so well
they “Don’t need to be prayed for.”
Further, verse 6 shows us that Paul prayed for the effectiveness and ultimate
future results of Philemon’s ministry to others. The word in verse 6 for
“effective,” is literally, “powerful.” What makes any believer’s life of faith
powerful to others, whether those others are saved or unsaved, is the testimony
the Holy Spirit brings to them through the life of the one they are watching.
Some watchers will be convicted of personal sin and seek Christ. Others,
already in Christ, will be strongly encouraged to do the right thing when they
face situations similar to those they have seen in the life of the one that is
truly abiding in Christ.
During his second and final Roman imprisonment, Paul prayed:
In 2 Timothy 1:3-5:
3 I THANK God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, AS
WITHOUT CEASING I REMEMBER YOU in my prayers night and day,
4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be
filled with joy,
5 when I call to remembrance THE GENUINE FAITH THAT IS IN YOU, which dwelt
first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in
you also.
This is in stark contrast to Paul’s prayers for Philemon. Timothy was a
Christian leader that WAS NOT DOING WELL. Timothy’s “tears” mentioned in verse
4, we not tears of joy. Rather they reflected his feelings of DISCOURAGEMENT
AND FEAR. He prayed that he might see Timothy again so that he might strengthen
and encourage him. We know these things from what follows in verses 6-12.
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the
laying on of my hands.
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of
power and of love and of a sound mind.
8 Therefore DO NOT BE ASHAMED of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His
prisoner, (this shame was based on fear of what others would do to him) but
share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,
9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in
Christ Jesus before time began,
10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who
has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel,
11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the
Gentiles.
12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I AM NOT ASHAMED,
for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I
have committed to Him until that Day.
Tell the believing inmates they too need to pray for the spiritual
encouragement of believers that are discouraged and afraid of being Christ’s
witness in the facility.
The last prayer of Paul in the Bible, possibly just a few days before his
execution, is in 2 Timothy 4:22 -
22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be
with you. Amen.
Even when according to 2 Timothy 4:6, he knew his execution was coming very
soon Paul still prayed for the spiritual welfare of others, more than for himself. Let that fact speak loudly to the inmates!
Rich Hines –