Faith Seeds Travels to Tennessee

Faith Seeds Prison Ministry Trip

May 8th – It is travel day. On the ride to the airport, I am filled with thankfulness and awe at all God has done. I keep repeating, “God is great and gracious. He is greatly to be praised.” I thank Him for the influx of intercessors for this trip, the largest mission we have undertaken since beginning prison ministry in 2005.

He has been faithful to produce the “battalion” that He promised me back in December. I recall His words, “There is a battalion awaiting you. You will not have to recruit it; it is out there and waiting.” Since the winter, which has felt like the long winter of my soul, people have come forward from different places to ask about prison ministry, come with us on prison ministry Bible Studies, ask if they could pray for events, and joined our Prayer Force intercessory team. We have three churches who are praying for the various events that will occur during this trip, as well as our growing team of prayer warriors. My spirit lifts and soars as I sense the intercessors praying and our spirits being united. It is a wonderful thing.

I know that God is active and working in the prisons. I reflect on all that has happened since we began this journey in 2005 and the opportunities He has opened up to share the gospel, to be the gospel through a word of encouragement, a handshake, a greeting, or through simply listening. I am eager to see what the Lord has planned for this trip and my prayer is for a clean spirit, sensitive to His Spirit and its promptings. But for now, as I wait, I rest in His joy.

May 9th and 10th– We travel to the Tennessee Prison for Women, Annex and Main Compound, over this Mother’s Day weekend. It was a great weekend with the women. We worked with four local volunteers who were a great help over the two days. One woman asked if she could use our Prayer Seminar materials in a local men’s prison, to which I immediately responded yes! This was a divine connection, as the ministry team has been praying for such doors to open so God’s word could be shared in other facilities. I was so thankful. Another volunteer shared that after hearing the Prayer Seminar on Saturday, she knew it was confirmation as to her role in the local church as an intercessor. It was a Peter moment, as I perceived God was acting without partiality; it didn’t matter if one was a prisoner, volunteer, officer, and passer-by. He was going to do what He wanted to do! God is marvelous at what He does and how He does it.

Sunday was Mother’s Day. As we arrived at the Main Compound, we saw a long line of visitors out the door and waiting to get to their loved ones. I had thoughts of wondering how many women would come to the Prayer Seminar, as it was in the middle of the visiting hours. Such thoughts had to be surrendered to the Lord as He would determine who would come. Who was I to want a woman to choose between a visit on Mother’s Day and attending the event? That had to be left in God’s hands. We were cleared through and brought to the prison chapel, a bright room with a wonderful peace in it. A church service was ending and we were met by a woman who gave us a place to sit, while they prepared the room for us. Movement was called and we waited for the women. They began to come. First a few came, then some more, and more after that. The room was nearly full as we began. I thought back to my morning prayer time when I sensed that this room was going to be a refuge for some women who received no visitors on Mother’s Day.
We were their company, their visitors, and their sisters.

Over the course of both days there were lots of questions from the women and a clear desire for more of God. Many women signed up for the correspondence study on prayer and intercession. Some women held off on enrolling, as they were due to be released soon and wanted to wait to see where they would be living. My prayer is that they would sign up for the study if God desired it. The volunteers were fantastic, sitting with the women and as time allowed, praying with them and letting them know the women were cared for. There was a sweet time of prayer at the Annex, as women had the chance to engage in a prayer exercise where they could “stand in the gap” between two volunteers and pray what had been on their heart for another person. I watched the women earnestly pray and the agreement of the volunteers with their prayers.

One woman who attended had some difficulty walking and sat close to the door. She very quickly began to cry and an alert volunteer sat right next to her, ministering comfort. This woman’s son had passed away many years ago, and Mother’s Day always brought back that memory. Also among the group were clearly some strong intercessors. They were nodding their heads in agreement and sharing how they prayed for others at the facility. At the end of our time together, one woman asked when we would be back and another woman said she wanted us to return. My answer to them was the same: we go where God opens up the door. We were thankful for the opportunity to be with the women and to share the word and God’s love for His precious daughters. If He wanted us to return, He would make a way.

One of the four volunteers asked about using the prayer materials with a woman she was mentoring and once again, I was so thankful to God for His multiplication. We divided up the materials that were left among the volunteers, giving away all that was left.

May 11th – This was another travel day. I left Nashville at 9AM and arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, then connected to Greensboro. My friend picked me up and she and her husband graciously opened their home to me during the week. Debbie, who works for Child Evangelism Fellowship, was ministering with me during the various prison ministry visits. Our work together and friendship went back to 2005, when we met in Massachusetts. Since then, we’ve been to many prisons. We were both looking forward to the time together. We picked up our materials for the four prison events and prepared for a busy day on Tuesday.
May 12th – We are off to Southern Correctional this morning. This marks my fourth visit to the facility. I had done two previous discipleship seminars and had attended a One Day with God Camp. We were starting at 8:30AM and teaching on God’s Restoration Plan. My heart smiles as we pull up to the facility and I recognize the officer with the pleasant disposition and good humor as we check through. The Chaplain greets us and we go to the meeting room. Upon entering, I recognize some of the women who are setting up chairs and getting things ready. It is so good to see them again.

As we go through the teaching and exercises, the Spirit of healing moves powerfully. Women step forward to engage in an exercise and as they picture Jesus forming them “fearfully and wonderfully” the tears begin to flow. I can see the women understanding and accepting that Jesus loves them and cares so much about them. They let Jesus love them, hold them, comfort them. It is so freeing, so tender, so loving. Years of rejection just break off some women. False labels just drop off them. They are set free. Later, there is another exercise as women write down a negative thought or word and they come forward with their papers and their Bibles. They let those negative words on the paper fall to the floor and hold up their Bibles in their right hands, entering into agreement with what God says about them in His word. As pieces of paper fall one by one, the power of that quiet sound speaks with a powerful voice. It is as if each piece of paper, each accusation, slander, negative thought, and foul word has lost its hold on these women. As I look up, I see more women being drawn by the Holy Spirit to come forward. Nearly every woman there has come to the front! The power in letting things go is remarkable and we can all feel it. The tears of pain from holding onto such destructive things turn into tears of joy from surrendering them. At one point I am so undone, my voice cracks and I am uncertain about being able to continue. After a long pause, the women return to their seats and we finish. At the end, 3⁄4 of the women stand up to signify they have received some type of healing from the day.

Debbie invites the women to enroll their children in Bible Study and then it is time to say good-bye. As the women file out, it is hard for me. They are so appreciative of our coming and being with them. I am so appreciative of them being with us. We leave and head immediately over to North Piedmont Correctional, where we have an afternoon seminar on prayer. It turns out to be a small group and we pull up chairs around a table, sitting and discussing together the materials. It is a sweet time that we can have with small groups. Women share their prayer concerns and we have a productive conversation. Once we are finished, we drive back and it has been a long, good day. I am looking forward to some time off tomorrow. During the course of the day we had received a phone call from the prison in South Carolina. All the prisons had been closed to visitors, as a precautionary measure because of the swine flu. They were not sure if the program on Friday would be cancelled. We got the word out to the intercessors to begin storming heaven! If God wanted us to go Friday, He would open the door up for us and make a way, even when the prison told us it was doubtful. That night, I woke up quite often. Each time, I prayed. I knew in my spirit many people were praying.

May 13th – We had today off and I was oddly enough, restless in my rest. During the day, I struggled because though I was relaxed and resting, part of me thought I should be locked away in a room, praying for Friday. Yet I didn’t feel the burden to do so and whenever Friday came into my mind, I just gave it to the Lord. By late afternoon, a phone call had come in and we found out that the ban had been lifted for Friday. The event was on! I sent an e-mail to let the Prayer Team know the fruit of their labor.

May 14th – This morning we have a two and a half hour drive to the Mary Frances Center. This facility looks nothing like a prison and a lot like a retreat center. We drive up the beautiful grounds and past a pond where animals are meandering. Inside, we are greeted and see no gates, no cells. The rooms are warm and inviting. The facility houses 105 women in total, and focuses on treatment of alcohol and drug abuse. I am impressed by the high attendance: 84 women are there for the seminar called, You are God’s Yes. The Director, Social Worker, Chaplain, and other staff are also present. The women grasp hold of the Scriptures that speak to their true identity in Christ. They share some of the promises of the Lord that have been given to them over time. As we go through various verses from the Bible, we ask the Holy Spirit to speak to the women. It is a great time. The women are excited to state their agreement with God about whom they really are and how God truly feels about them.

We are then taken for a tour of the facility and I am amazed by the artwork of the women. The drawings, painted masks and images speak volumes. The Director invites us back to her office and we spend nearly an hour talking. She shares her heart about the vision God has given her for the facility and asks if we will pray for a chapel to be built. I tell her we will be happy to do that.

May 15th – It is exciting to know that we have the chance to go to Columbia, South Carolina today. It is a three hour drive to Camille Griffin Graham Correctional, and it is along the Broad River complex of correctional facilities. We are helped by the Assistance Warden, who makes sure we have everything and later stops in for some of the Prayer Seminar. The women arrive and we begin the program. I can see many are hungry for more of the word. Many women are taking lots of notes and asking questions. At some point it feels like we are having church service. We sing songs, clap our hands and just have a great time. The women are smiling and one shared that the teaching confirmed everything that they learned in a morning Bible Study! I love it when God does that for people! We are told that many women have been praying for a chapel to be built there and I take note.

By the time the last women leave, I am tired. I marvel at how many times this week I’ve led the women in singing – and I can’t hold a note! Yet it felt acceptable to do so, and I pray, pleasing to God. The prayers, the looks, the thank you, all speak to my heart.

I realize how much is ahead as I return home with 150 requests for the correspondence Bible Study and 170 prayer requests. God has been faithful to answer many prayers on this trip. The joy in my heart is full. Each time I visit prison, it is a gift God gives to me. I am thrilled to share it with the growing “battalion” rising up to join hands, hearts, and prayers for the captives – that they may be set free and kept free in the great name of Jesus Christ, our Victorious Lord!