Sue’s Journal
OSL Southern California Campaign

The reflections and notes in my journal below are from the April 9-13th Southern California Operation Starting Line campaign, where I was stationed as an intercessor, along with the more than 65 other men and women in six states (including two correctional facilities) who make up the Faith Seeds Prison Ministry Prayer Force. I am not sure that there are adequate words to describe the honor that it is to pray. It has been a joyous work to travel on these campaigns and intercede for organizations, prisons, volunteers, correctional staff, and yes – the prisoners. In many ways I have had to go to prison to be set free.

To the faithful intercessors, thank you for your time and energy to pray for those you have not met but who touch God’s heart. Surely you shall be blessed for your labor of love. To those at Operation Starting Line – you are the best, for you have intentionally kept Jesus Christ as the focal point of the ministry. Thank you to all who make up Faith Seeds Ministries – may captives continue to be set free in the name of Jesus Christ. Father God, thank You, for Your endless mercy and grace. We love You.

April 8th, 2007 I flew all day to arrive at Palm Springs, California. It was Easter Sunday and also my mom’s birthday, marking the first birthday since she passed away last year. Perhaps it was good to be up so high, confined so tight, and alone with my thoughts and emotions. He truly is the “God of all comfort and Father of all consolation.”

Even before leaving on this trip, I sensed it would be my last one; that in many ways I was going to say good-bye. That would be very difficult for me, as I had opened up my heart to many people in the ministry. Christ-centered relationships had been formed and I kept reminding myself that what is born of the Spirit is eternal.

It was evening by the time we arrived in Blythe, California. The team was wrapping up its meetings and preparing for the first day of events the following morning. After we prayed, I went to my room to find an Easter card and lamb sitting on my bed. Yes, it was going to be hard to say good-bye.

April 9th – Prayer Room Father, melt hearts with Your love today. You are a God of absolute love. You are Jehovah-Nissi and we call upon You today. From Exodus 17:8-16, there was a strong sense to pray accordingly: “Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand,’ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, amd he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of his sword.

Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.’ And Moses built an altar and called its name, The LORD Is My Banner; for he said, ‘Because the LORD has sworn, the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Later that morning while in prayer, I sensed the following: “I am creating something. You do not know what it is I am creating. I am creating a coat of many colors and fabrics. Even if you remove some of the fabric, I will replace it. Even if you change some of the colors, I will change it back.” I began to consider Joseph and his coat. Even when Joseph lost his coat, he didn’t lose God’s favor on his life. In a pit, Joseph didn’t lose God’s favor. In a foreign country, Joseph didn’t lose favor. He could recognize that what was meant for evil, God used for good. For the better part of the day, I just prayed into that. God, use things for good!

April 10th – Chuckawalla Romans 6:22-23 seemed to be the word for the day: “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” For reasons known to God, that word holiness just seemed to resonate throughout the day. This began at 4AM, during morning prayers. As we rode out to the prison, I thought about holiness and prayed for a demonstration of God’s holiness. It was a long ride through the desert – where there was absolutely nothing around. Eventually, we saw a cluster of palm trees that seemed to mark the destination point. I saw two prisons next to each other out in the desert. Each facility housed 5000 inmates. I thought to myself, more people live out here than in my hometown.

We arrived and prepared for the two events that would be done that afternoon and evening. I recall greeting a man who told me, “No one ever comes. Thank you so much for coming.” Another man just wanted to talk – and share about his different experiences in different prisons across the state. We shook lots of hands, greeted many men, and prayed. Though there are many sights, sounds, and images from that day – truly there is one that stands out. Interestingly enough, it is all about holiness….

A TRUMPET SOUNDS IN THE DESERT
A man picks up a trumpet and begins to play, as he leads into a worship song about the Father’s love for us. As I listen, there is a note – a beautiful single note that comes from that trumpet and that note hits heaven. That sound of worship is SO VERY HOLY that I straighten up in my seat and tears begin to form in my eyes. It is SO VERY HOLY – I can recognize it; and as it reaches heaven it pierces the very heart of God. It seems as if it is in the same moment that the holiness is being directed at God, that He responds back with a demonstration of His Holy Love for His men. Father’s response to worship is instantaneous and the holy love comes down like a blanket upon the men. A holy love was loosed from heaven to earth. A trumpet had been sounded in the desert and God responded as only He can. One note of worship had struck God’s heart and He engulfed a dry land with rivers of living water. It was precious and sweet. Sometimes trumpets were sounded for worship, other times for warning, still other times for war. I was reminded that this was distinctly a trumpet and not a shofar. Only a priest could sound the trumpet among the Israelites. And so it was a holy man, a priest, sounding the trumpet as the call to worship God.

April 11th – Ironwood I have been praying since 4AM again; this morning specifically for healing to come to those on the teams suffering from hip and leg and back and neck pains. I awoke to Ps. 148:6, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand.” There was an emphasis on HIGH praise; today was a day for high praise to be in our mouths and that sword in our hands, for we know that “the word of God is living and active piercing to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intent of the heart”, according to Hebrews 4:12.

Father, establish Your word in the hands of the teams today. Provide a fresh word. Some things are out of joint and so we apply Your word to divide the joints and marrow. Give the teams new flexibility today, in Jesus’ name. Your words runs very swiftly, Father. “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Ps. 119:11.

We travel to the other 5000 unit facility today and set up outside in the yard, directly in the 90 degree hot sun. Officers come out with some covering for the team and provide water. It is something to look out upon the yard of hot sand and watch the faithful men who stay for the event. It is a difficult day, highlighted by an oncoming sandstorm. The winds begin to pick up and soon we all have sand in our hair, our clothes, our mouths, and our eyes. The wind picks up and we finish just in time to get everything moved out and packed up before the sandstorm fully hits. It is a surreal experience: a prison; hot sand; increasing winds; a sandstorm.

April 12th – Prayer Room We have moved to a different location and the teams are heading to different facilities today. I am in the Prayer Room today after discovering I won’t be going into the one facility I was hoping to. Still, by now prayer requests are coming in from some of the facilities and I find there is much to pray about.

“He shall regard the prayer of the destitute; and shall not despise their prayer.” Ps. 102:17. This is followed by Ps. 119:144, “Give me understanding and I shall live.” These seem to be significant verses to pray today. There seem to be so many lost and hurting – and so many who have suffered loss in their lives. Father, regard the prayer of the destitute and the desperate. Incline Your ear to their prayers, God. Hear them and act. Display Your mercy and grace. Today more than any other on this trip, my heart breaks with the loss and the lost. There is much weeping.

Later in the day, I am led to the following Scriptures out of 2 Corinthians. “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.” 2 Cor. 2:4. “ O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.” 2 Cor. 6:11. “Open your hearts to us…for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.” 2 Cor. 7:2-3. The weeping for the lost in the morning turns to weeping for the enormity of God’s love in the afternoon. I get a sense, a glimpse, of His love and I am simply undone by it. That, Father; move that love onto them this day. God keeps showing me the heart of Paul, who wrote these wonderful verses in 2 Corinthians and again in Philippians 1:7, “it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart.”

April 13th – Prayer Room My morning prayers find me at, “Peace, be still,” from Mark 4:39. So I pray it and apply it to the many situations going on and for the day. I am asked if I want to go for a ride out to drop off one of the teams at the facility I won’t be going to. This seems like an odd request that I don’t fully understand, but say yes. After the team is dropped off and the van is headed back to the hotel, God reveals why I wasn’t going into that prison. The van driver asks me very quietly for prayer regarding a situation. I begin to pray and soon we are both crying over heartbreak. As I return to the Prayer Room, all I can do is thank God that once again, He knows what is best and closes the doors He wants closed.
During prayer, I see an image of an officer at the prison who is off to the side, isolated and feeling alone. I begin to intercede for him and pray that the Lord would direct someone to him today. Later on, Hebrews 12:12-14 comes to mind: “Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down, and feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” I pray this for the many people affected by injury and ailment, difficulty in walking during this trip.

The teams come in and the campaign is wrapping up. There are more prayer requests from the prisons. A
few platform ministers stop by and ask for prayer. That night, with everything packed up, another woman and I sit in the Prayer Room and talk for a while. Then we both get on our knees and pray. It seems a fitting way to end the campaign.