Sue’s Journal for Arizona, Florida and New Mexico

What a great trip we had! The Lord was awesome, faithful, and miraculous during this time of sharing the Prayer Seminar with more than 180 women in four prisons. Follow along on our journey.

Jan. 23rd – after arriving safely in Arizona, I discovered that the Lord’s hand was at work in my arrival. I had landed one day after the Phoenix airport had been closed due to high winds. Also, the torrential rains that had caused road closings had ceased. This, I thought, is one of the many reasons our team of intercessors begins to pray in advance of our trips. I was thankful that God had heard and moved the weather pattern. The gracious people at Prison Fellowship picked me up and we went to Perryville, located outside of Phoenix. That day we had a group of women who came into the room ready to jump into everything the Lord had for them. It was exciting to see! As we went through the principles of prayer, the hurt, brokenness, and loneliness of some of the women began to come out and get released. Many tears were shed during our time together. I was struck by the women who came for private prayer afterward and it was precious as we quietly prayed with the women. It was a great beginning to the trip.

Jan. 24th – Today we went to a different unit at Perryville, a prison that houses over 3500 women. As I was reading my morning devotional, it was on pleasing the Lord by staying in touch with Him. How appropriate! These trips are always a reminder of God’s control over things – and my lack of control! He controlled the weather – we did our part by praying, He did His by moving the weather out of the way and making sure the airport was re-opened. The winds quieted down and we were able to travel safely. That’s how good God is! I noticed one of this morning’s verses was also very fitting, from Jeremiah 6:16: “This is what the Lord says, Stand at the crossroads and look; look for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” That is what we all need to do and I couldn’t help but think of the women we share with in prison.

It was another visitation day at the facility, which always makes it a challenge to predict how many people will attend the program. We had a standing-room only group – every seat was taken and women were standing along the walls. The group had lots of questions and it was wonderful to hear the women commenting on the materials being “good stuff” and “so helpful” in their prayer lives. One woman said she became a prayer warrior that day! Praise the Lord! I asked the women to pray for the remainder of our trip and they eagerly agreed to do so. We also had many women who wanted the correspondence Bible Study. After our seminar, I had lunch with Prison Fellowship folks and we had a great time of fellowship. As I prepared to leave Arizona, I asked the Lord for a possible return to the facility, if it was His will.

Jan. 27th – After a day of travel to Florida and a meeting with One Hope, Debbie Walsh and I began our Florida visits. Debbie, who is with Child Evangelism Fellowship, is a delight to be with and great to work with in prison. We headed to Broward Correctional and once we entered the facility, headed toward the chapel. I am very partial to chapels in general, and especially in prison. I am struck by the beauty of these chapels and the powerful presence of God. It was no different when we walked into the spacious chapel at Broward. It was filled with sun light, open and airy, just beautiful. A woman put some music on and I thought to myself, we might have church today. As Debbie and I were praying for God to bring the women He wanted, the door opened and women began filing in! We hadn’t even finished praying before He was answering. The women told us they had been talking about the seminar for two weeks and hoped we brought a lot of material, as we could expect quite a few women. More than 50 women came and we did, in fact, have church. Again, the Holy Spirit moved in a distinct way. We had the women write down 3 things they were thankful for and then opened the floor for them to stand up and thank God for one of them. It was something to see – so powerful, so moving and from the heart. One woman shared that a medical condition had been discovered, but that she trusted the Lord for healing. When it came time to share on what it meant to stand in the gap, we invited the woman to come up and then anyone who wanted to stand in the gap for her healing to come forward. It was a full house! The Holy Spirit took over and the prayers that went up from the women were remarkable. I just kept stepping back and giving them more room. They were proclaiming, stomping, weeping. Then, another wave came over the women and some began thanking God for what He was going to do. What a time we had in the Lord!

Jan. 28th – Our next stop in Florida is at Hillsborough. As we arrive at the facility, the chaplain kindly waits for us and escorts us to another chapel – another beautiful chapel. After a brief visit with the chaplain, we prepare for the seminar. A group of women, praying women, come in and take their seats. They are ready. They do not need time to warm up – they are ready to go. We shared quite a bit about breaking strongholds and plowing up the fallow ground, as well as knowing the power and authority we have been given in Christ. We prayed to the God who can use all things for good and women stood up and came forward to pray. We began asking God to turn things – to turn tragedy into victory, to turn illness into health, to turn over the rubble in Haiti to find people still alive. We stood in the gap for Haiti and prayed our hearts out for the people there. We prayed louder and bolder and stronger. The women would not sit down – they remain fixed right in their places. It was intense and deep, very deep prayer. It touched a place in the women there and touched me. What an honor to pray with the women!

Jan. 30th – Yesterday I flew to Albuquerque, NM and stayed with Ann Edenfield Sweet of WINGS Ministry. Today we went to Grants, NM and visited the women’s prison, where two Prayer Seminars were scheduled. The morning group came and once again, jumped quickly into the material and teaching. At one point I looked out at the women and they are all crying. Every woman is sobbing. The Holy Spirit moved in such a releasing way. We invited the Lord to speak to the women, applying Jeremiah 33:3. It was marvelous, freeing, confirming. The women were like sponges, absorbing everything the Lord had for them.
In the afternoon we had our second seminar. This group of women had different needs, different problems and the approach was very different than the morning. I sensed God was getting through and capturing women’s attention. The women sat quietly, taking in what was being shared. They were thankful and appreciative of the time together. When we left, I felt overjoyed, blessed, and honored to have met the women and heard their stories, their testimonies, and their prayers. On the ride back, Ann told me that if I had come a day earlier, the roads to the prison would have been closed because of the weather. I just smiled, thinking of Jehovah-Weather and how detailed and intimate He is with our lives.