God Provides Hope Through Prayer
by Robert Dorrough, Jr., Executive Director

“Call unto Me, and I will answer you …” - Jeremiah 33:3

Greetings to all of you!

I love this quote from Abraham Lincoln: “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.   My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.”

As a Christian for many years, with countless testimonies of answered prayer, I am persuaded that God provides hope through prayer.

Prayer has been defined as “communication of thoughts, feelings, or requests to God.   Authentic Christian prayer is intimate communication with God, through Christ, in the Spirit, in accord with God’s will.”   The other side of prayer is sitting quietly in the presence of God allowing Him to speak.   The beauty of prayer is that it is relational!

What I personally love about prayer is that it is an outpouring of the heart to God, which I believe is essential for living with hope.   I consider my earthly father to be a true man of prayer.   I have often heard Dad say, “I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t pray.”

Throughout the Bible we see men and women praying and crying out to God.   One example of this is found in Psalm 61 where David says, “Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”   David obviously believed there was hope through prayer.

Just in case you need further encouragement, Jesus also taught us how to live with hope in Luke 18:1, “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”

Are you enjoying a life filled with hope?   If not, I encourage you to examine your prayer life.   Whether you are in prison or out of prison, facing the trials and temptations that are common to mankind, or just in need of experiencing a fresh sense of the presence and power of Jesus Christ, remember that God provides hope through prayer!

Unceasing Prayer Initiative
by Patrick Ball, Dorm 14A Coordinator, and Linda Dueker, Women's Director

“I felt the community of prayer.   This was beyond me, beyond this dorm.   We were focused and in concert with other people and churches praying on the outside.   We were with a community of praying believers beyond just ourselves,” said Timothy, an inmate at Travis State Jail.   Twelve male inmates at the Travis State Jail and twelve female inmates at the Lockhart State Prison prayed for 24 hours as they joined the “Unceasing Prayer Initiative” sponsored by the Austin House of Prayer.   The Initiative has a vision of the Austin area being covered in unceasing prayer (1 Thes. 5:17).

“I felt connected with prayer.   I had the chance to pick up the baton and join with hundreds of other men and women praying in Austin,” Timothy continued.

“It was amazing!” declared Marian.   “I do pray, but never that long before.   After I woke up the next morning, I was so peaceful.   I thought, 'I’ve done something special.'   I was afraid that I wouldn’t wake up to pray at 2:00 a.m. but I woke up three minutes before 2:00!”   Another inmate, Stephanie, was directed by the Holy Spirit the entire time and He taught her how to rely on Him in prayer.   Darlene was touched that her Bunkie was so respectful of her time in prayer.

Inmate Raul added, “I have never prayed for that long.  Soon I was crying because it was a new experience.   I had a reason to pray—not just about my personal needs, but for the homeless, the orphans, the churches in Austin, the survivors in Haiti.”   Another inmate, Bo, found himself on his knees in a corner of the faith-based dorm.  He prayed from 11 am to noon on February 24th, the day assigned to the inmates.   “It was the fastest hour ever,” Bo remarked.   “I spent fifteen minutes on praise and thanksgiving, and then I started thanking God for putting certain people into my life.   It wasn’t a ‘hurry-up’ prayer.  I really took time to pray for others.”

The Unceasing Prayer Initiative was started in late 2009 and has now has 43 Austin churches adopting one day a month in prayer.   “Austin has been covered in Unceasing Prayer 24-7-365,” says Trey Kent, Pastor of Northwest Fellowship and coordinator of the Unceasing Prayer effort in Austin.   The God of Hope Ministries Executive Director Robert Dorrough took the concept into the Travis and Lockhart Units this year knowing that the men at the Travis Unit and ladies in Lockhart would also be unceasing prayer warriors.

“I sometimes struggle with prayer,” said Travis Unit inmate Samuel who prayed from 10 am to 11 am.  “But the initiative gave me a structure to follow in my prayer, guidelines for making specific prayers for entire nations and particular people.”   Each inmate received printed instructions breaking the hour into time slots.   “There were five minutes for our dorm, five minutes for personal needs, five minutes for unconfessed sin and repentance, and five minutes for breaking the strongholds in my life,” said Samuel.

Melanie felt the Lord’s presence.   “It broke me.   I want to sign up every month.   It showed me to be more grateful for things in my life.   I wept.   I felt a burden lifted because I prayed for others.   The Lord used praying for others to show me things about myself.”

For Joyce, it seemed like everything in life fell into place after her time in prayer.   “I can’t pray for long, but before I knew it, the hour went.   I’ve been on cloud nine ever since!   I feel totally different.  I’ve even been able to handle well a death in my family since the prayer time.”

“I thought prayer was suppose to be about me,” Raul continued, “but God knows my needs and this was about putting others in front of me.   People say ‘pray,’ and it can be hard to put those words together.   I spent time planning and writing down notes before, and then the hour of prayer was easy.   It was a learning process, a whole new experience for me.”   Larry, also an inmate at the Travis Unit added, “My building blocks are answered prayer and I cannot imagine ever walking away without those blocks.”

The result of Denise’s time in prayer was other-focused, as well.   “I began by singing songs and committed to confess, everyday, that He is Lord of my life.   As a result of the prayer hour I made a diagram of the tables in the day-room and of everyone at each table and I pray for each woman everyday.”

“I even ran over my time by several minutes,” said Bo.   “I feel my pray life has become stronger, I know my prayers are longer.   I now expect God’s blessings.”

For more information on the Austin Unceasing Prayer Initiative go to www.austinprays.org.

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Prayer is Changing Women's Lives
by Maggie Pearson, Volunteer at Lockhart Prison

The Lord is moving in the women’s dorm in Lockhart, and He is moving out with the women as they leave, as well.   From His call of them to join the ministry to His sovereignty over when and where He will take them, prayers are being answered.   A little dose of humility goes a long way when we give it over to the King of Kings!

Isn’t it wonderful to see first hand how His strength is made perfect in our weakness? These women have been forced to yield to worldly authority and now, through prayer and giving hearts over to God, they are being set free through the cross of Christ!   Three spontaneous groups of women have been gathering regularly at different times of the day to petition the Lord on behalf of their sisters.   At least two sets of roommates have resolved tense relationships through joining together in prayer over their friction.

The Holy Spirit is moving daily through the power of prayer.   Prayers to get in the dorm, prayers for family members, prayers for relationships.   (Can you imagine living with 49 other women twenty-four hours a day?   Now that’s emotion running wild!)   Prayers for physical provision, prayers for faith in times of trial.   Prayers to believe what we can’t see.   Prayers for healing: physically, spiritually, and emotionally.  Prayers for peace that passes all understanding.   Prayers of hope, not just for eternal life but in the land of the living!   Prayers for God's provision for the future in a world of accusation, blame, and unforgiveness.   These women are seeing God move through prayer in life-changing ways, daily.   God is strengthening our faith, belief, hope, love, and confidence in Him.   God is moving in dorm 3E.   When we are weak, HE is strong.   To God be the Glory!

Pray, Love, and Just Show Up …
by Travis Gray, Training Director

My two favorite prayers in the Bible are Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah chapter 1 and Jesus’ prayer in John chapter 17.   Although almost 500 years apart, both prayers have a common pattern we can apply in our own prayer life today as well as three principles we can take with us in prison ministry.

1) We should PRAY for the inmates, just as Jesus and Nehemiah prayed for God’s people.

The name Nehemiah means “comfort of the Lord.”   Nehemiah was a man of prayer.   He prayed passionately for his people.   His zealous intercession for God’s people foreshadows our great Intercessor, Jesus Christ, who also prayed fervently for His people as recorded in His high-priestly prayer in John 17.   Both Nehemiah and Jesus had a burning love for God’s people, which they poured out in prayer to God, interceding for them before the throne.

2) The emphasis is on God’s LOVE as we pray.

Nehemiah begins his prayer with love, “O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands.”  And Jesus ends His prayer with love, “I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” - Jn 17:26.   It is a love that requires obedience.   God does not want us only to love people from afar, but rather to take action, visit with prisoners, and express to each God’s deepest love for them.   In that love there is no condemnation or judgment.   Let every step taken in prison ministry be guided by God’s love.

As you read these prayers you cannot deny the love Jesus has for all people, that the actions Jesus and Nehemiah took throughout their ministries were driven by love.   In this Godly love, Nehemiah asked God to grant him the opportunity to rebuild the walls to protect God’s people.

3) Prayers should lead to ACTION in the restoration and protection of lives of others.

Nehemiah did not just pray for the walls of Jerusalem to be rebuilt—he participated directly as the walls were rebuilt, and he often commented that God was with him.   He prayed throughout his work and as he faced opposition.   Our prayers must be seconded with our serious actions in love.   Note that Nehemiah was not just about building walls, but he was participating in the restoration of the temple.   The walls in his day were walls for protection and security within God’s holy city.

Not only do we have new life through Jesus but He brings us protection from the evil one. "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one." - Jn 17:15.  What great comfort it brings me to know that Jesus prayed to the Father for protection from evil.

Keeping it that simple makes it easy on all.   Pray, love, and just show up and allow the hand of God to guide you as you serve.

Goals for 2010
by Don Collis, Chair, Board of Directors

The God of Hope Ministries exists for the sole purpose of glorifying God by sharing His love and truth, which bring hope and freedom to those in prison.   As we have worked alongside inmates at the Travis and Lockhart units, we have witnessed Christ become a bridge of hope from prison to new life, releasing the hope of Christ across the prisons of Texas.   Our mission is to teach and model Christ’s love through an intense, focused exposure to His truth, creating an environment where both inmates and volunteers are growing in Christ and living with hope.   Christ is the bridge to transformed lives, bringing hope where there is no hope.

The opportunities we see immediately in front of us have led us to set certain goals and objectives for 2010, which are summarized here under the five focus areas of the ministry.

INMATES - One of our top goals is to systematically access all inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), placing all who are interested and qualified into an intensive discipleship program where they can experience biblical hope, become established in their faith, and become equipped to share that faith and hope with others.   Following their departure from the dorm, we want to continue discipling each graduate until they have successfully established a new life on the outside.   This year we will work specifically to broaden our access to Texas inmates, and we will formalize teams to enhance our curricula and to systematically follow up with our graduates as they move into other dorms or leave the prison system altogether.   We will also be working on a system that will help us assess our effectiveness in serving inmates.

VOLUNTEERS - Another key goal is to place as many qualified volunteers as possible into positions where they can grow in maturity as they use their spiritual gifts as messengers of hope to those in prison.   This year we have people engaged in projects to broaden, deepen and improve volunteer recruiting, training and retention.

MINISTRY PARTNERS - Our goal regarding ministry partners is to build close, long-term relationships with local churches, service providers (para-church ministries) and financial donors who will take ownership roles in transforming the lives of inmates.   We serve donors and local churches by providing an opportunity to engage in high impact local outreach, and we serve local ministries who already provide some aspect of inmates’ needs by coordinating our programs with theirs, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire body of Christ.   We have project teams whose assignment this year is to formalize our partner recruiting process and add a number of churches and para-church organizations to our active partnership program.

TDCJ - The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has been a key partner from the beginning.   Our goal is to continue to strengthen this relationship by graduating inmates who are messengers of peace and hope, rather than sources of disciplinary issues.   As we do this, we believe we will be given the opportunity to open as many dorms and programs as our volunteer base can serve.   We will pursue this goal in the current year by working with TDCJ officials to identify data we can collect that will measure our effectiveness in serving TDCJ.

OPERATIONS - Regarding internal operations, our goal is to maintain the funding support and financial strength to sustain our activities without interruption, and to run an efficient and effective organization.   This year, we will launch a team to raise $150,000 to meet opportunities through 2011, and we will recruit a team to implement an enhanced database program for the ministry.

Was It Worth It?
by Shawn MacLeod, Graduate of Men's Faith-Based Dorm 14A1

Lately I have been wondering why God has me at my job—a job I'm not really cut out to do.  My training is in electronics engineering.  Why does God have me at a job as a machine operator using none of my skills?   Why for two years?   And why was I brought back after being laid off a year ago?  Well, now I know.

My boss came up to me last week and starting talking to me about some of life's really tough problems—the kind you just can't overcome alone.  He said he trusted me and had seen me overcome a lot in the time he had known me.  I told him an abbreviated version of my testimony.  My boss has witnessed all of the stuff that has happened since my release from prison. 

I told him I was unable to handle life's problems on my own.  I explained that what he saw was Christ's power—not mine—living in me and overcoming obstacles.  All I was capable of doing do was losing my family, my career, and my freedom.   I told him that the same power to overcome is available to him.   The Bible says if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.   My boss said the sinner's prayer right there, with tears streaming down his face.  What a blessing and privilege it is to be used by God!   That makes all my loss worth it.   Definitely worth it !