Fifth District Prayer Requests

[Rev. D]

Praise Reports of April 12, 2010

Praise Report No. 1

Saints, we have been praying for the Aunt of Rev. Debra Watson. Aunt Nettie Mack was in a very bad automobile accident at the age of 88. Our AWESOME God heard our cries as we stood in the gap and prayed. She is now home from the hospital! Hallelujah!

Praise Report No. 2

LOOK AT GOD!!! Cynthia Jones who had heart surgery is now home. Last week we reported that she came through the surgery exceptionally well says the doctors! Now our God has raised her off of her hospital bed and she is now mending at home! Psalm 118:17 comes to mind! "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord."

Praise Report No. 3

On Good Friday, our beloved Gloria Horton had surgery. God saw fit to raise her off of her sick bed and she is now at home! Another Psalm comes to mind found in Psalm 91:14, "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has know My name. (15) He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him [her]; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. (16) With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation." (NKJV)

Praise Report No. 4

On yesterday God blessed the Youth Church with a custom made altar made by one of Bethel Memorial's faithful and devoted members, Brother Aldridge. What an awesome blessing and praise report as the continuation of Youth Church successfully was held for a second time. God is doing a "NEW THING!" (Isaiah 43:18, 19)

Saints, let us continue to pray for our youth and young adults all over this land and country. The below Scripture comes to mind found in Deuteronomy 6:2, 6-9.

"(2) that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all of His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged....(6) And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. (7) You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ( 8 ) You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, an they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. (9) You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and your gates."


Praise Report No. 5 - ****KAIROS***

Saints, below is a more in depth praise report of KAIROS from Yard Pastor, Roger Ziegler for whom we prayed and his efforts as well as our own Denise Miller's efforts as they served four four days at R.J. Donovan State Prison. Listen to what God did! His mercy endureth forever! Thanks for your fervent prayers. God heard us! And His mercy endureth ever!

In some ways Kairos 82 was like every other Kairos, but in other ways it was the best one we’ve had. It was sometime on Friday while sitting and observing the incredible outpouring of God’s love through the Holy Spirit that I thought, “Jesus, what if we just build three tabernacles, one for the candidates, one for the inside team, and one for the outside team?” When you experience a Kairos you just never want it to end.

It’s no wonder that the success of these Kairos weekends is due to the prayers of the saints which begins weeks if not months prior to the four day weekend. As our Chaplain Bill Brown always says, “Little prayer little power, more prayer more power, much prayer much power.”

On Thursday morning the candidates enter the chapel. They are nervous, apprehensive, curious and often suspicious. Some of these men have avoided the chapel and everything associated with it like the plague. But when told that they will be able to eat all of the home baked cookies they want for four days, they eagerly reply, “Sign me up.” These 36 candidates will experience a four day course in basic Christianity. We also have 14 men (Former Kairos graduates) who have been selected to serve as the inside team. These men will be serving the candidates. And we usually have about 40 volunteers from the outside who are ready to be used as vessels of God’s love.

Our primary goal is to share the love of Christ with these men for the next four days. The Kairos program consists of several talks by lay men and clergy. We have worship and table discussions after each talk. Besides eating hundreds of cookies, the men draw posters which reflect their thoughts on the various talks. The candidates are seated at large round tables with 6 candidates per table and 3 volunteers. The discussions at the tables usually start slowly but as the men begin to relax they soon realize that we are not there to force them to convert or believe like we do. But if they are interested in changing and want to draw near to God we are there to assist them in anyway we can.

The power of God’s love is so amazing as we see His love begin to tear down walls that have taken, in some cases, decades to build. They have built their walls with stones of anger, bitterness, addictions, and hostility. They themselves are amazed as we share with them our fears, hurts, failures, and disappointments. They soon realize that we, from the outside, are really just like them. Usually by Friday there will be several candidates who ask to speak to one of the clergy that are present. These private moments result in the unloading of painful baggage in the form of guilt and shame. Many of them weep tears that have not flowed for 15 to 20 years. Hardened and rebellious hearts respond to the tenderness of God’s love. Rom. 2:4, reminds us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.

On Saturday, the candidates receive their Personal Agape, a paper bag colorfully decorated by children with the candidates name scribbled on the outside. Inside are anywhere from 100-120 handwritten letters from loving and caring Christians. Once the letters are delivered to the candidates the entire inside and outside team with the exception of the clergy and the Kairos leader leave the chapel. And for the next 40 minutes there is a strange silence but Holy presence as the men begin to open their letters. If there has been any resistance to God’s love these letters blow the doors of their hearts wide open. The tears flow freely as expressions of God’s love are received through the pages of these letters. Many of these men are doing life without parole and some have not received mail for a very long time. These love letters from Jesus are like missiles that pierce the most hardened inmate.

The weekend progressed with more cookies, joyful worship, laughter, and home cooked meals prepared by caring people from the outside. And of course a greater sense of God’s presence that was felt by all. We could visibly see the transformation of the candidates from closed, withdrawn, seemingly inattentive doubters to open, receptive men responding to the love of Christ as shown to them by the men from the outside team.

On Sunday as we brought the program to a close we asked the candidates to answer 3 questions which they would later share during the closing ceremony.

What was your spiritual condition when you arrived at Kairos on Thursday? Their answers were: Lost, in spiritual darkness, dead, uncertainty, anger, bitterness, hatred, numb, and no hope.
What did you find at Kairos? They replied: unconditional love, acceptance, dignity, caring Christians, fellowship, grace and forgiveness.
What are you taking with you from Kairos? Faith, fellowship, friends, Jesus, purpose and meaning in life, peace & joy, a family, hope.
Two of the candidates were former Satanist, one for over 30 years. He shared with everyone during the closing ceremony that he had given his life to Christ and then commented, “Satan, you can go to hell!”
Another candidate with tears in his eyes said, “Pastor I’m tired of living like this. I wake up everyday wanting to hurt people.” This individual has a reputation on the yard as being a bully and one who hurts and controls the younger inmates. During the cross ceremony Sunday morning the men come forward in front of everyone to receive a wooden cross and announce that they wish to follow Christ. This inmate came up and told me that he wasn’t ready to receive the cross. I told him that was fine and I gave him a big hug and a blessing. A few minutes later he came forward again this time with two volunteers one on each side of him. He said before I receive the cross I want you to pray with me to receive Christ. All four of us cried like little boys as I led him in the sinners prayer. It was a powerful and touching moment.

Please keep all of the candidates in your prayers as they move forward in their journey with The Lord.

After coming down from this mountain top experience the real challenge lies ahead. We must get these new converts plugged into bible studies, discipleship classes and other available programs so that they may get rooted and grounded in God’s word.

Please understand that it is because of your prayers and monthly financial support that makes it possible for me to carry out this most needed work. I want to personally thank you for your sacrificially giving thus far. The harvest has been great. Praise God!

Your fellow Servant,

Roger Ziegler,
Yard Pastor, RJ Donovan
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Rev. dorisalene Y. Hughes (Rev. D)
PRAY-ER WARRIOR
CO-Director of Fifth District Prayer