Prisoner’s
Reflections:
Meditations for
Prisoners
By Thomas P. Bird
Prisoner’s Reflections:
Meditations for Prisoners
BY THOMAS P. BIRD
Copyright © 2016 The Lutheran—Missouri Synod
1333 S. Kirkwood Road • St. Louis, MO 63122
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Manufactured in the United States of America
2 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
FORWARD
Prisoner’s Reflections: Meditations for Prisoners is a collection of devotions
written by Thomas Bird. Mr. Bird is a Lutheran Christian who was in prison
for many years. As a former inmate, the author reflects on his personal
challenges and struggles as well as the struggles and temptations he has
observed in others. The devotions are practical and are intended to be a
source of hope and comfort for fellow inmates as well as others who want to
gain insight into the day-to-day life of those incarcerated.
Although the devotions are obviously about those in prison, others
can benefit from the wisdom and biblical truth expressed. If the reader
has struggled with temptation, has felt imprisoned by circumstances or
overwhelmed by anxiety, this booklet may prove to be a source of reassurance
and hope as it is soundly based on the Word of God.
As noted by the Rev. Jerry Kosberg in his introductory comments to the
first edition, “We pray that you will hear … the Good News that God’s love
knows no bounds. God’s love cannot be locked out of prison. His unconditional
love reaches past our deepest sorrow, our darkest sins, as well as our bitterest
disappointments, and calls us His own.” In Christ Jesus, healing is always
available! Hope is forever present! Peace that surpasses human understanding
is His gift to be received by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Department of Specialized Pastoral Ministry within the LCMS Office
of National Mission is pleased to make this second edition available at no
expense to the reader. May God receive the glory!
“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart;
I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Winter 2016
Rev. Joel Hempel
Interim Director, Specialized Pastoral Ministry
Office of National Mission
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 3
4 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Introduction
When I entered a correctional institution, I was allowed to bring with me “one
primary religious text.” For me it was the Holy Scriptures: my Bible. In addition,
I was handed an inmate rulebook.
As I heard the gates shut behind me, I knew I was starting life over —
prison life, with rulebook and Bible in hand. I soon found out that in addition to the inmate rulebook, there were more rules posted everywhere that I
was allowed to go: cellblock rules, yard rules, chow hall rules, visiting room
rules. Every location, every moment was controlled by rules. Oh, yes, there
was also the “convict code,” the unwritten rules spoken and enforced by the
inmate population.
While rules governed me, I discovered that I lived by the Word of God
found in that one “primary religious text.” Like a canteen of water in a foxhole
on a bitter battlefield, the Scriptures refreshed me.
Prisoner’s Reflections is a collection of devotions borne out in the battle.
The devotions are intended to encourage you to embrace the Word of God,
and through it, the Lord’s unconditional love. As you confront the everyday
experiences of incarceration, may you find strength and hope from the
promises of God’s love in Jesus Christ.
Whether you are battling guilt from dark deeds or pains from the deepest
disappointments, or even fears from both known and unknown forces, the
Word of the Lord continues to come to you, as it did to me, bringing hope
and renewal at the very cross of Christ. The path of these devotions always
leads us to Christ — His sacrificial death, His glorious resurrection, His free
forgiveness that offers you a full life in what seems to be an empty world
behind steel and concrete.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and sustain you.
Tom Bird
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 5
Serve the time, serve the Lord
“[Jesus ] said to them, ‘Then render to Caesar the things that are
Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’” (LUKE 20:25)
An inmate once asked me, “If I become a Christian, will I get out of Prison?” It
was a tough question from a man who wanted freedom very badly, but one that
many in prison ask as they consider Christ. The question is a trap.
Some religious leaders once asked Jesus if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar.
That question was a trap too. If Jesus said “pay,” people would think that He
supported the terrible oppression of the Roman government. If He said “don’t
pay,” Jesus would be branded as a rebel, subjecting Himself to being ar rested. If
Jesus answered one way or the other, He would be made to look bad.
As to the question of believing in Christ to get out of prison, it’s a trap. If
the answer is “yes,” then everyone in prison will proclaim Christ just to get
released. If the answer is “no,” then Christ’s love and power will be put into
doubt. Jesus’ answer was both/and: render to Caesar and render to God. Be
subject to the government and its law and be subject to God as a higher power
in the most important area of spiritual matters.
So how would Jesus answer? “Give to the state what is the state’s and to
God what is God’s.” If we are guilty of a crime, then time should be served
as sentenced. But we can also serve God for what He has done for us: He
has forgiven us because of Jesus’ death. In our relationship with God and His
Son, we can pursue a different kind of freedom even while serving time. That’s
the freedom to be honest with yourself and others without fear and without
manipulation. So we are subject both to the state as to legal matters and to the
Lord in the highest area of spiritual matters.
Give to Caesar; give to the Lord. Serve your time for what you have done;
serve the Lord for what He has done for you. You will be blessed far beyond the
blessings that come from getting out of prison.
Lord, I want out of jail. But no matter what the state’s
plan is for my prison time, stand with me because
I am Yours in Your Kingdom. Amen.
REFLECTION: It would be a benefit to pray the Lord’s Prayer in the back of
this booklet and concentrate on the words, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven.”
6 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Hey! Home boy!
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are
fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household
of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” (EPH. 2:19-20)
“What’s happenin’, Homes?” “How’s it going, home boy?” “What’s up,
Homey?” It is amazing how, in prison, just because you came out of the same
city as another inmate, you are qualified to be best buddies or running partners.
You may have absolutely nothing in common except that you were in the same
county jail, but that inmate calls you “Homey.”
An inmate may call you “Homes,” expecting that you’ll join him in doing
some crack. Or he thinks you will be loyal to him when he gets into fights. Or
he acts like you will stand by him in open rebellion against the system. You
should ask yourself, who is a real “home boy?”
A person who believes in Christ and His forgiveness is considered a
member of God’s household. Paul says that the person who trusts the fact that
Jesus took on the punishment for the whole world’s sins and wrongdoings has a
home waiting for him in heaven.
So who is your “home boy?” A fellow Christian is your “homey.” With
him you have more in common than a mutual county jail cell. We share
God’s house and we look for a future home in heaven. Most of all, we build
our life on Jesus Christ.
A true “homey” cares about others and doesn’t look to be dragging friends
into trouble. Maybe the next time someone greets you with the familiar “Hey,
Homey!” you can respond, “Heaven is my home; hope it will be yours too.”
Lord, by giving your life, you have made a home
for me in heaven. Please help me to understand
who really is a “homey” in my life. Amen.
REFLECTION: Check out the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this booklet and
think about how this devotion could help you understand “the communion
of saints.”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 7
8 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Unequally chained
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what
partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?” (2 COR. 6:14)
Once I was transferred to another correctional facility. The transport officer
chained me by handcuffs and leg irons to an inmate who stood six foot six.
It was comical to watch, yet painful to experience — the two of us walking
together and attempting to step on and off the prison bus while chained
together. My ankles were gashed and bruised. The other inmate, also in pain,
was angry and irritated at me.
The lesson I learned was simple: try not to be chained to an inmate eight
inches taller than you. We may not always have a choice of whom we are
chained to when being transported, but we do have a choice of whom we are
joined with in our words, beliefs, friendships and actions.
Jesus Christ died an innocent death paying for the sins of the whole world.
Whoever believes in Jesus and His power to forgive becomes a child of God. To
be a child of God while in prison means that we try to live a life that is generous,
caring and lawful. We are not to hang around with inmates who are full of hate
and enjoy causing trouble.
It is even more difficult for a believer in Christ to be unequally yoked to
unbelievers than it is for short and tall inmates to be chained together. Hooking
up with the old, evil “running buddies” will take you where you do not want to
go and it will end up hurting you.
Thanks to Christ’s forgiveness, you are no longer chained to past sins
or troubles.
Lord, thank You for making me Your son. Help me to be
a witness to the unbelieving inmates around me, but
never let me be chained to their evil ways. Amen.
REFLECTION: Try praying the Lord’s Prayer in the back of this booklet, but
stop and dwell on “deliver us from evil” in relation to this devotion.
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 9
Hit the weight pit
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.” (MATT. 11:28)
“Let’s hit the pit.” This is the call to go lift weights at recreation time. The weight
pit is often the center of activity in the prison yard. There we hear the
screeching of strained weight machines, the pounding of dropped weight bars
and the roar of men striving to lift to the limit — all to build the body and to
better their physical conditioning.
There is another weight pit. There is a place to go during those times
when you can no longer lift the weight, that is, the emotional weight of being
in prison. At times the burden is so heavy. Often the loneliness loads you
down. Pounds of depression can bend you over, threatening to break your back.
Jesus invites you to “hit the weight pit.” In this weight pit, your burdens are
the weights and Jesus is the lifter. “Come to Me,” He says, when you are weary
and heavy laden. Long ago, Jesus Christ carried the burden of the sins of the
world on His shoulders when he carried the cross to Calvary hill and there He
died an innocent death on that cross. He rose from the dead and lives now to
be with you when you are having to carry the largest weights of life. Jesus is the
supreme power lifter.
I once ambitiously tried to bench press 250 pounds. But my arms collapsed.
The weight bar would have seriously crushed my chest, but standing above
me was a “spotter.” That was the man who stood ready to grab the weight bar
if I showed any sign of weakness.
Jesus is the spotter who will grab the weights to rescue you when the
burdens of life threaten to crush you. Jesus never fails as your trusted “spotter.”
My burdens weigh me down, Lord. They seem
to crush me. Be my spotter and rescue me
from the heavy burdens of life. Amen.
REFLECTION: In thinking about power lifters in this devotion, what does it
mean to you in saying the Lord’s Prayer in the back of this booklet as you
pray the words, “Thine is the kingdom and THE POWER”?
10 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Drunk tank or think tank
“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ,
he sent word by his disciples and said to [Jesus],
“Are you the one who is to come?” (MATT. 11:2-3A)
In most jails and prisons they have a “drunk tank” or “dry tank,” which is an
absolutely barren cell where a person is dumped so he can sober up without the
possibility of destruction or injury due to being in a drunken or high state.
Prison itself can be a sobering “drunk tank” or it can be a reassuring “think
tank.” Prison can be a time to lay around mindlessly moaning about an empty
and barren life, or it can be a “think tank,” that is, a gathering of individuals
who cast away all distractions and take advantage of being locked up together
to think through some problems. A think tank in prison can be a time to tackle
some very hard personal and spiritual questions.
John the Baptist came declaring a bold message about repentance of sins
and faith in the coming Christ. The earthly king Herod himself was threatened
by John’s blunt but truthful statements. By the king’s order, John was arrested
and thrown into prison.
Prison is a shock to anyone who enters. But John turned the stay into a
spiritual “think tank.” He contemplated his life, his purpose. Some challenging
doubts arose and some hard questions came to mind. But John also went to the
right source for answers — Jesus.
John sent his followers to ask Jesus if He was the Christ, the appointed
Savior. Jesus’ answer was, “Look at the results of the healing I do and the
message I preach.” Jesus confirmed John’s faith so that John could face his
remaining days in prison and even death by execution.
Prison can be your “think tank.” It is a wonderful opportunity to contemplate the deepest spiritual questions of your life. You can go to the Scriptures,
which speak of Jesus’ works, to have solid answers. These answers of who Jesus
really is will certainly help you to face the remainder of your prison days and life.
I have been thinking, Lord, that if I’m going to be
in this prison, I need you to make it a time for reflection,
for growing and for learning. Amen.
REFLECTION: Like John the Baptist above, make prison a think tank and
think deeply about the second article of the Apostles’ Creed in the back:
“I believe in … Jesus Christ …”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 11
Ex-offender
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom
of God? … And such were some of you. But you were washed,
you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 COR. 6:9-11)
Before and after — one of the most widely used and effective commercial
advertisement gimmicks is the “before and after” trick. Especially health and
diet programs use the picture of a person on the left who is fat, plain and ugly.
Then the same person is pictured on the right — slim, trim and healthy after
“thirty days of the weight loss program for only $29.95, satisfaction guaranteed.”
Realistically, by sucking in your gut, raising your slumped shoulders,
tightening up muscles and throwing out your chest, anyone can “look” twenty
pounds lighter.
In prison, inmates try to present that they are changed people.
Whether it is chapel testimony time, custody classification hearings or parole
board appearances, an inmate appears to have changed from “offender” to
“ex-offender.” Many inmates are good at faking a change. To obtain recognition
or dignity or freedom, an inmate puts on the appearance of a “before and
after” type of change.
Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, clearly said, “the wicked will not
inherit” heaven. He went on to say that unrighteous is what some of you were.
He spoke of people who had experienced a true change, that is, they were
unrighteous before and then righteous after. What makes a real before and after
difference is a true change of heart in a man because God has declared that
person completely forgiven of past wrongdoings. Jesus Christ won forgiveness
for us through His death on the cross long ago.
Parole boards do not know your heart, whether you are just taking a break
between crimes or not. But God knows whether you are an offender who is
faking a change or if you are truly a forgiven ex-offender.
Thank you, Lord, for making a real change in my life.
Before I was unrighteous; now, by Your forgiving power,
I am justified. I am an ex-offender. Amen.
REFLECTION: Stop for a minute and think about the words of Luther’s
Morning Prayer, “For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and
soul, and all things.” How are these words really words from an ex-offender?
12 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
More than remembered
“And [the criminal on the cross] said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you
come into your kingdom.’ And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.’” (LUKE 23:42-43)
At the phones, shoulders slump as inmates’ collect phone calls don’t get
accepted. Heads lift in anticipation when the intercom holds mail call, but
deep sighs follow when their names are not called. In some form or fashion
these inmates are all saying, “Somebody remember me.”
Being forgotten is one of the most severe pains of punishment. It feels as if
society has flushed the judicial toilet and we’ve been sent down the drain. We
find identity by being remembered. We long to be in someone’s thoughts.
The drama of the crucifixion of Jesus includes one of the most hopeful
episodes in all of history. A criminal was convicted and brought to execution
for capital crimes. He knew what he deserved: death. Yet all he asked of Jesus
was, “Remember me!”
Jesus more than remembered the dying offender. Jesus said, “Today you
will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus did not come merely to dish out a little
compassion, to teach, to die, and then to go to His kingdom to merely
“remember” people. Jesus came to die for the sins of the entire world — even
of the worst offender — so that we may live with Him forever in His Paradise.
It was no accident that Jesus said these words to a convict. Everybody, even
the “good” people outside prisons, are “convicts” who are guilty of sin and
deserve death. But — Jesus more than remembers them with His forgiving love
and promises and gives them eternal life.
Thank You, Lord, for remembering me. Thank You
so much for being with me now. I look forward
to being with You in Paradise. Amen.
REFLECTION: Imagine you are the convict on the cross next to Jesus, and
imagine the full meaning of the part of the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this
booklet when it says: “I believe in Jesus Christ … who was crucified.”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 13
14 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Tomb of the unknown sinner
“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
(1 PETER 2:10)
From my prison cell window I can see the old state prison cemetery. Graves of
inmates who died in prison are located there. Their families or friends failed to
claim their remains at death. No one was there to mourn the passing of these
outlaws. In their lonely hours, did Jesus enter any of these men’s lives or did they
remain nobodies with no mercy?
I call these many unmarked graves “the tombs of the unknown sinners,”
who lie forgotten with no honor guard posted. As I look at the odd array of
crosses in the cemetery, I wonder if any of these men came to know Christ as
their Savior.
Jesus died on the very symbol that marks their resting place: the cross.
But on Easter day, He rose from the tomb surrounded by the guards of His
former prison. An angel was there to announce, “He is not here, for he has
risen” (Matt. 28:6a).
On the day of the final resurrection of the dead, the devil will come to
claim the bodies of these “unknown sinners” in the prison cemetery as if to
claim them for his family. Wouldn’t it be a real joy if an angel of the Lord
would be at their graves to point down at the empty hole and say to Satan,
“This convict is not here, he has arisen in Christ!”?
Satan does not automatically have claim on all convicts. You might think
you are a nobody, but you are somebody. Christ gives you His mercy. You have
identity in life and in death when Jesus knows you as His follower. When you
believe in Jesus, He claims your heart, mind, soul and body now, and He keeps
you forever. You are somebody. You are part of God’s people.
When the last day comes, Lord, may I be known by
You as part of the people of God. When that time comes,
let me be found serving You or resting in a grave
under Your cross. Amen.
REFLECTION: As you finish this devotion, tie the thought of the tomb of the
unknown sinner in with these words of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in …
the resurrection of the body … ”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 15
Prison grapevine
“For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any
and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing
plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” (PHIL. 4:11-12)
Some say that there are no secrets in prison. The prison grapevine is notorious.
Prison discontent is even more notorious. Yet there is a secret that hasn’t made
it through the grapevine yet: the secret of contentment, even in prison.
Paul, who wrote to the Philippians from prison, knows the secret. The
secret of contentment doesn’t lie in the power to change circumstances, but in
the power to change your thinking, perspective and response to circumstances.
The first part of the secret is to accept that life changes as quickly as winter
weather. There is no stability in life outside of Jesus Christ, especially not in
prison. Like Paul, we need to adjust, meet head-on, endure and find purpose in
all situations.
Second, contentment’s secret is discovered in the acceptance of the
extremes of life. Sometimes Paul was well fed; sometimes he went hungry. Life
carries extremes.
Finally, the secret of contentment is the acceptance of the joy of
the challenges of life. Paul was stoned, thrown out of town, whipped, beaten,
mocked and humiliated. Yet in each, he saw joy in the adventure of fighting
the good fight of staying faithful to God during every challenge of life.
The discontented inmate whines about everything in the system or tries to
escape through drugs. The contented inmate faces life knowing God loves him,
because Jesus Christ purchased him with His holy precious blood. Spread this
secret down the prison grapevine: with Jesus, you can be content.
You, Lord, are in charge of the circumstances;
so take charge of me. Help me to hold the secret
of contentment in want or in plenty. Amen.
REFLECTION: How does the thought of contentment above fit with the part
of the Lord’s Prayer in the back of this booklet that says: “Give us this day our
daily bread”?
16 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
A condemned man
“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our
heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is
greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” (1 JOHN 3:19-20)
The pounding of the gavel by the judge when he sentenced you was shattering;
now you’re in prison. You can put your hand on your chest and feel your heart
pounding. With every beat it rhythmically declares you, “No-good, no-good,
no-good.” Some nights you awaken suddenly on your bunk and feel your heart
beating wildly, saying, “Failure, failure, failure.”
The echo of the judge’s gavel has long subsided, but does your prisonconfined heart daily condemn you?
Human nature is strong. As a matter of self-protection, it will go to any
lengths to try to silence its own condemning heart. A man will rationalize his
wrongdoing. He will make excuses. He will blame others. He will escape by
drugs. He will lash out at authority. All of these actions are attempts to avoid
confronting guilt. You’ve seen it. You’ve done it. Your heart knows your sins,
and it condemns you.
In his letter the apostle John shares with you a comforting message from
God. It may be the most comforting message that a person with a guilt-racked
heart will ever hear. He says that even though our hearts condemn us, we
can reassure our hearts. We can set our hearts at rest. Christ’s presence in
your heart can set it at rest. That really is possible, because Christ is a more
powerful judge than your heart. Because He gave His life for you and was
victorious in His resurrection from the dead, He will not condemn you. Rest
easy. Jesus’ forgiveness trumps your heart’s condemnation. Jesus will silence
the “guilty, guilty, guilty” pounding of your condemning heart.
You may protest, saying, ”But you don’t know how bad my sin is.” Yet in
the verse above John goes on to say that God knows everything, including the
extent of your guilt. God is greater than the judge. God is greater than your
condemning heart. God is greater than the confines of your prison.
Lord, my heart will not rest until
You set it at rest in your love. Amen.
REFLECTION: As you recite the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this booklet,
rejoice when you say: “I believe in … the forgiveness of sins … ” Think about
it! Your heart cannot condemn you anymore.
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 17
The weight of waiting
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart
take courage; wait for the Lord!” (PS. 27:14)
Waiting. It is one word that aptly describes prison life. We wait for someone
to open our cell door. We wait in the chow line for the slop. We wait in the
commissary line. We wait for mail or appeals or visits. Most of all, we wait
for freedom.
Waiting is a tremendous burden. David, the man who wrote the psalm
quoted above, says now to us, “Wait for the Lord.”
So is the Lord only someone else to wait for, while our minds and bodies
grow weary in prison? While we wait for so many things, how can we maintain
confidence and faith with the weight of waiting on us so long and so heavy?
While we wait for the Lord, we also wait in the Lord. Because of the
Lord Jesus’ victory over sin and death, we can be strong and take heart. Sins
are forgiven, and the Spirit is with us. Our burden of waiting is made much
lighter when we stand in forgiveness. Our waiting comes easier when we
pray confidently to the Lord. Waiting is a breeze when we read daily the
promises of God provided in the Bible. We can be refreshed every day with
the assurance that the Lord holds the future in His control — and the future,
therefore, is worth the wait.
In the very Lord for whom we are asked to wait for deliverance, we find the
strength and heart to bear the weight of waiting.
Lord, we wait for You and for Your deliverance.
While we wait, give us Your strength and
heart to live as Your children. Amen.
REFLECTION: I wonder how helpful this devotion about waiting is when we
confess in the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this booklet: “I believe in … Jesus
Christ … [who] sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From
thence He will come.”
18 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Wasting away
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 COR. 4:16)
“As far as I’m concerned, those criminals can stay in prison until they rot!” So
say some citizens who are angry at the amount of crime in our country. And
we can understand the harsh feelings of people who have been the victims of
crimes. Politicians express the same “let those criminals rot” attitude. Maybe
they are sincere in fighting crime, or maybe they just want a few more votes.
But the statement, “They can stay in prison until they rot,” refers to you.
That hurts. Sometimes we feel their wish is coming true. We are rotting in
prison. Incarceration takes a terrible toll on a person physically, mentally and
emotionally. Health care may be poor. Food may be horrible. Prison brings the
type of stress that deteriorates the emotions and the body. We may be wasting
away at a rapid pace.
As far as the general public is concerned, you can rot. But as far as Jesus
Christ is concerned, you can be renewed every day. Outwardly we are wasting
away, but it is what is inside you that matters the most. Jesus is concerned. He
died an innocent death for all our sins. The resurrected Christ is alive now. He
will penetrate your inner being to renew you with the forgiveness of sins daily,
to give you emotional and mental strength daily.
As far as people are concerned, you can rot. As far as Jesus is concerned,
you can get better than ever while you are in prison. We can all be renewed
day by day.
Lord, I feel rotten sometimes and feel like I am rotting away
too. Please keep giving me the assurance that I am forgiven
and that You are molding me into something better. Amen.
REFLECTION: Try praying Luther’s Morning Prayer in the back of this booklet
and see if that helps to keep you from feeling rotten.
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 19
20 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Labeling vegetables and criminals
“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to
hear [Jesus]. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying,
‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” (LUKE 15:1-2)
Once a friend asked me to join him down at a food warehouse for what he
called one of the greatest sales ever. Canned goods were marked down to
pennies per can. When I walked into the warehouse, I realized why the
manager had such a great sale: the cans didn’t have labels. What a nightmare!
Canned goods need labels, but do people? Labeling hurts people. Labeling
eventually isolates and scatters everyone. The person who labels is trying to feel
superior. When we categorize people in a judgmental way, we box people in.
The label “criminal” separates us from others. Even those who were
convicted of a crime participate in categorizing “acceptable” and “unacceptable”
crimes that result in separation in prison. I have seen inmates crowded against
the fence gawking at the new prison arrivals. “There’s fresh meat.” “There’s
a baby rapist.” “There’s a junkie.” All of these are labels that guarantee a
troublesome outcome.
Jesus receives sinners. The Pharisees grumbled, “This man hangs around
with sinners.” Jesus came into the world to find lost, labeled people. Many
people have led a bad lifestyle and know they need help. Jesus was holy.
But being holy did not separate Him from the most common man. Jesus’
compassion brought Him into nitty-gritty, get-your-hands-dirty togetherness
with the lowlife and the outcast.
We all have crimes; we can all have Christ. Jesus took the label “sinner”
from us and put it on Himself. He now puts the label “saved” upon us.
Thank You, Lord, for receiving us as we are and for
labeling us as “Your children.” In Your Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: In the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this booklet is a label for
you: the holy Christian Church. What do you think this label really means
for you?
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 21
Twice convicted
“And when [the Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world
concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (JOHN 16:8)
You broke the law. You were convicted of a crime against the state. Do you know
what you need now more than anything else? You need to get convicted again.
Everyone convicted by the courts needs to be twice convicted. The
second conviction is the conviction not by the judicial system but by the
Holy Spirit. Christ promised He would send the Counselor, the Holy Spirit,
to convict the world.
When we hear or read God’s Word, the Holy Spirit acts powerfully upon
our hearts to convict us of our sin. The Holy Spirit works to convince us that
Christ has won salvation for us by His death on the cross. The same Holy Spirit
causes us to take hold of the fact that the devil is defeated by Christ. We can
have the conviction that the devil has no power over us.
It is a sweet conviction by the Holy Spirit who gives us a new life in Christ
even behind bars. The Holy Spirit continues to teach us as we read and hear
from the Bible. We can become twice convicted: once by the state, a second
time by the Spirit as we become convicts for Christ. The wonderful work of the
Holy Spirit is to work through the power of the spoken and written word of
God to convict people all over the world, including convicts themselves, that
Jesus is the way and the truth and the life.
Come, Holy Spirit, convict us of sin; convince us also
that Jesus saves us from our sins. Convict us
again for Christ. In His Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: How do thoughts in this devotion help you to declare with
conviction the words of the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this booklet:
“I believe in the Holy Spirit”?
22 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
The Lord’s memory lapse
“Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they
have been from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my
transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!” (PS. 25:6-7)
While working in Admissions and Discharge as an inmate clerk in the state
prison, I noticed that some states offer expungement to departing inmates.
Expungement removes felonies from a person’s record. This means that under
certain conditions an individual’s record will be forgotten by the state. The
conditions are usually a clean parole record, five-year waiting period, and a fee
for the change of record. The expungement is limited to minor felonies. These
are tough requirements to be met before the state has a memory lapse.
With your wrongdoings in relation to the Lord, expungement is much
different. According to the psalm written by David, we can get immediate
expungement of our sin record without conditions.
Believing, we ask the Lord to forget the sins of our youth. The Lord has a
memory lapse. He will remember your sins no more — no matter what they
are. Even though you are serving time for the state and the state will never really
forgive and forget, the Lord will not remember your rebellion against Him in
the breaking of the law.
How is it possible for an all-knowing God to have a memory lapse in
regard to your sins? It happens because by grace through Jesus Christ, God
remembers you according to His love. According to His love, the Father sent
His Son, Jesus, to die for your sins. The Father now looks at you as cleansed
of sin by Christ’s blood. He sees you as having a clean record for Jesus’ sake.
God chooses to have a memory lapse. Your record is truly expunged.
I pray with David, Lord, please, for Christ’s sake,
don’t remember my sins. But remember me
according to Your love. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
REFLECTION: Could this devotion help us to think through the full meaning
of the words of the Lord ’s Prayer in the back of this booklet: “forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”?
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 23
Strip search
“Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy;
all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness;
she herself groans and turns her face away.” (LAM. 1:8)
The prison shakedown squad sergeant barks, “Step into the room … empty your
pockets … take off your clothes … raise your arms … open your mouth … lift
your sack … turn around … bend over . . spread ‘em.” The strip search — the
most humiliating experience of prison life — makes you groan.
The prophet Jeremiah, in the poem called Lamentations, describes the
destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians like the humiliation of a woman
stripped naked. The people of Jerusalem had sinned “greatly” and they were
punished by the Lord, who allowed the enemy to overpower them.
We can identify with Jeremiah’s cry. We are subjected to the whim of a
prison guard who can at any time call us to the side for a shameful strip search.
Our sins put us in the despised position of having to stand naked while a
stranger gazes at us. We groan, wondering if life will always be this humiliating.
The good news for Jerusalem was that God rebuilt the city. Later, Jesus, the
Son of God, came to Jerusalem. There He too, although totally innocent,
was strip-searched and hung on a cross to die while guards gambled for His
clothes. Jesus did not deserve such treatment. But by His death, He paid for
your wrongdoing. He has restored you to a proud place with God the Father
forever in heaven.
The next time you are strip-searched, say to yourself in prayer:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know
my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!” (PS. 139:23-24). Amen.
REFLECTION: The next time you are strip-searched, think about the
innocence of Jesus and say the words of the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this
booklet: “I believe in … Jesus Christ … who … suffered under Pontius Pilate.”
24 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Locked in fear, locked in sin
“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being
locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” (JOHN 20:19)
The disciples huddled in shame and fear behind locked doors. They were
ashamed because they had scattered when Jesus was arrested, tried and
crucified. The disciples shook in fear behind locked doors because they
thought a warrant was out for their arrest.
Then Jesus came. No keys were needed. He appeared among them. Jesus
did not chew them out or get in their face about their failures. He simply said,
“Peace be with you.”
His words of peace were simple, but what Jesus did to bring peace was not
simple. The Lord died for all our sins in order that all disciples could have a
special peace. His peace helps you to face the challenges of life in prison and life
outside of prison. You can stay calm because God loves you and forgives you.
You may show pride and boldness as a false front in prison. But before the
Lord God, you can honestly admit that there are times when, like the disciples,
you have cowered in shame and fear behind your locked doors. Christ comes
to you. As you admit your own guilt and shame, Christ comes, not to get on
your case or to punish you. He comes to take away your guilt and fears behind
locked doors. To you personally Jesus says, “Peace be with you.”
Come, Lord Jesus, be with me behind locked doors.
Take away my fear and shame with Your words
of peace. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: Think about the peace that Jesus gives you as you pray Luther’s
Evening Prayer in the back of this booklet.
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 25
26 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Far as the curse is found
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call
his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” (MATT. 1:22-23)
“What am I doing here?” It is a question that will be on most inmates’ minds
around Christmas. The cry, “What am I doing here?” looks for meaning in this
prison life. The question pops up at Christmas because it should be a time of joy
and happiness. Instead, it is a time when we recognize that our life is not what it
should be.
“What am I doing here?” This may have been the question that Mary and
Joseph asked on the road to Bethlehem, the road that landed them in the stable.
They were captive to the circumstances, where an emperor, an inn and an infant
determined their lives. Emperor Augustus made them go to pay taxes. The
inn was full. And Mary was having a baby. What woman who is nine months
pregnant wants to ride on a donkey down a dusty road? Who wants to deliver a
baby many miles from the comfort of home? Can you imagine Mary crying out
as she is going through labor pains, “What am I doing in this cattle stall?”
Mary and Joseph did not focus on the negative, but on the positive promises.
God had a plan that His Son, Christ, would be Immanuel, God with us.
An inmate behind bars, captive by troubles and sin, now has an answer. We
feel cursed? We feel lonely at Christmas? In the lonely heartache of Christmas
in captivity, we can focus on the positive promise of a favorite Christmas carol:
“Joy to the World.” In the third verse, the refrain says, He comes to make His
blessings flow, far as the curse is found.
What am I doing in this cursed place? God is with me here. We are blessed
with grace, so that others in prison can know that blessings flow far as the curse
is found. No more let sin or sorrow control us. Jesus makes His blessings known
even to the deepest, most cursed, roach infested prison hole.
No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest
the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow,
far as the curse is found. Amen.
REFLECTION: In the back of this booklet is the Apostles’ Creed statement of
faith. This devotion is rooted in the Christmas words: “I believe in … Jesus
Christ … who was … born of the virgin Mary.”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 27
Do time, do good, due season
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap,
if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good
to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
(GAL. 6:9-10)
Time. Time can be our friend or our worst enemy. Many of us are “doing time.”
We find time is stubborn, uncooperative. But time is an intriguing subject. It
is so relative. If you are stuck in a 5-by-12 foot cubicle with a foul-smelling,
fouler-mouthed cellmate, two hours move with the speed of a glacier. But those
same 120 minutes zip by if someone you love is visiting you.
In the power of Christ we each have the time and opportunity to do good
to all. It is not easy because as Christian inmates we battle some fierce enemies.
Among them are weariness, selfishness and fear. Endurance, selflessness and
courage are the marks of a growing, striving child of God in prison. It is not
easy to do good in prison. You may be mocked. You may find it doesn’t gain any
rewards. You will get weary of doing good when it is not appreciated or noticed.
Where do we find endurance, selflessness and courage to do good? Jesus
gives the power. Jesus did not let weariness stop Him from doing good on
His road to the cross. The Lord came to serve, and unselfishly gave His life
to pay for our many sins. Jesus showed the greatest act of courage when
He prayed to the Father, “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42b). Jesus
suffered the humiliation of death on the cross. All our sin, including crime,
is forgiven in Christ.
A psalm writer said, “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My
times are in your hand” (Ps. 31:14-15a). Let that thought gently roll through your
mind: You are my God. My times in prison are in Your hands. Here we find
endurance, selflessness and courage. The message to us is sweet: Do time. Do
good. In due season, we will reap Christ’s blessings.
In doing time, Lord, help me take the
opportunity to do good and wait for Your due
season of deliverance. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: We pray in the Lord’s Prayer in the back of this booklet: “Thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” How does this devotion reflect this
part of the prayer?
28 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
A lot of bunk
“Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own
hearts on your beds, and be silent.” (PS. 4:4)
Two things you can find plentifully in prison: there is a lot of “bunk” and a lot
of bunk. “Bunk” is slang for a lot of “b.s.,” which makes you angry, frustrated,
anxious and bitter. And, of course, there’s also a lot of bunk time lying in bed
awake because there’s nowhere else you can go.
What do you do during your bunk time? Do you lie there and dwell on
your anger and bitterness at the system, the rules, the pettiness, the nonsense,
all of the “bunk”? Lying on the bunk thinking about “bunk” can waste
you away. Stewing in your anger physically can lead to heartburn, ulcers,
indigestion, headaches, and even heart attacks. Mentally, lying on the bunk
in your angry state of mind can produce anxiety attacks, paranoia, and even a
nervous breakdown.
David, the man who wrote this psalm, had much to be angry about. For
many years he was on King Saul’s “most wanted list.” David had every reason
in the world to lie in bed at night with rage boiling over inside of him. In
spite of that, he says not to lie around thinking angry thoughts that will lead
to wrongful action.
So what are your options other than lying on your bunk staring at the
ceiling and dwelling on your anger? David says your bunk time can be better
spent searching your own heart rather than all of the outside forces around you.
Pondering in your heart honestly can lead you to face the truth about yourself.
Searching can help you recognize your own need for changes within you. While
lying on your bunk, you can contemplate the peace and comfort Christ offers
you because He forgives you. He alone can give you the power to live a new
kind of life as His child.
Your bunk time can be your best time for searching your heart, for
silencing your anger, for praying earnestly to the Lord.
Lord, let my bunk time be a time not for anxiety and anger,
but for security and silence. You keep me calm and safe.
Amen.
REFLECTION: Tonight when you are lying on your bunk, you might want
to say Luther’s Evening Prayer in the back of this booklet and ponder these
special thoughts.
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 29
Others are listening
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns
to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” (ACTS 16:25)
After being beaten, Paul and Silas were thrown into prison on trumped up
charges. They had every reason to be bitter, resentful, and even to reject the law
because the authorities were flat out wrong and abusive.
The first night in jail could have been one of yelling and screaming for
their rights. Instead Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. An
incredible event happened around midnight. An earthquake hit; the doors flew
open; everyone’s chains came loose.
But the earthquake was not the incredible event. You see, in times of
immense sadness and intense anger, I’ve dreamed of such an earthquake
where the surrounding prison fences and walls come tumbling down by an
“act of God” so that I could step out to freedom. That is why I was so amazed
when Paul yelled to the jailer, “We are all here.” No one escaped. The jailer
was amazed too.
Paul and Silas singing hymns and praying to God had such a calming,
controlling effect on all of the inmates in the Philippians’ jail that none of them
bolted for freedom when the doors burst open.
Why? “The other prisoners were listening.” The testimony of prayer and
singing hymns shows the power of the cross of Jesus to penetrate hard hearts.
While we are in prison, there will be inmates who will ridicule us, taunt us
and mock us for praying and singing. But do you know what? These inmates
and others are listening to you and testing you to see if your belief in Christ’s
forgiving power is enduring as well as real. They are listening. Don’t expect
earthquakes; but do expect incredible things to happen. Prayers and singing
will have its effect. The Holy Spirit works through you. Others are listening.
Lord, we sing to give You praise alone; but may our
singing and praise affect others around us who
are listening. In Christ’s Name. Amen.
REFLECTION: What might be the effect of your saying out loud the
very words of Jesus given to us in the Lord’s Prayer printed in the back
of this booklet?
30 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Why ask why?
“Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?”
(JOB 3:11)
Chances are, at least one time, you’ve stared at the shadows on your cell wall
and asked yourself again and again, “Why? Why am I here?”
Actually, the question’s a little late. But most of us ask it anyway — not
because we don’t know, but because we’re angry at God.
Job, the man in the Bible, felt the same way in his troubles and asked the
same kind of question. Then God responded with His own questions — 70 of
them. God, of course, didn’t need answers, He wanted Job’s repentance for his
anger against God. (You can read God’s questions in Job 38-41.) Questions like,
“Why am I here?” or like Job’s question, “Why did I not die at birth?” are really
just defiance toward God who put us here. These “Why me?” questions are
pitiful at best, at worst a challenge to God’s all-knowing power.
We are led to repentance and to God’s love for us when we understand the
most important “why” ever asked: the question Jesus cried out on the cross,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46b). We should know
the answer: “God so loved the world” (John 3:16a) that Jesus died for all my sins.
Because of Jesus, God loves me.
The next time you start to ask an angry “why,” think about that answer to
Jesus’ why. Then you can move on to some helpful “who,” “what,” “when” and
“how” questions instead. Questions like, “When I’m on God’s side, who cares
who’s on the other side?” Or, “What promises has God made?” Or, “How may
I grow in faith through my imprisonment?” As you focus on those questions —
and God’s answers to them — you’ll never have to ask “why” again.
Dear Lord Jesus, because the answer to my “why”
question is “sin,” help me to trust Your answers to all
the other questions in life. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: Rather than spout out “why me?” questions, how is it better to
declare the words of the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this booklet: “I believe
in God, the Father Almighty.”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 31
32 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Keys
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever
you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (MATT. 16:19)
Keys. You hear the metallic clinking day and night. The sound of keys comes
your way and you cringe. Their rattling makes you tense, uptight, because those
keys represent the fact that someone else has control over you. The turn of a key
by someone else determines when you can come in or out of your prison cell.
Keys are a reminder of your sins, your crimes, your punishment. Most of us
in prison loathe the thought of keys.
But Jesus says to Peter, “I will give you the keys.” When Peter proclaimed
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus promised him keys.
These are not the keys to a physical prison cell. They are much more. They
are the keys that open the door of the relationship between sinful man and
God Himself.
When the nails struck Jesus’ hands and feet and He died for our sins —
even though He was innocent — the keys were forged. Now the keys unlock the
forgiveness of sins to you and to others. Even though you do not deserve it, the
keys bring you forgiveness of all your sins.
The next time you hear the keys coming down the walk, listen to them as a
reminder that God’s keys have opened the kingdom of heaven to you. The keys
have made you free to live with Christ. You’ll like the sound of those keys.
Lord, where else can we go? You hold the keys
to a full, forgiven life. Open for me the door to
that good life. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: Think about how the words of the Apostles’ Creed celebrate
receiving the keys to the kingdom of heaven when we declare: “I believe in …
the forgiveness of sins.”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 33
When He reigns, He pours
“The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion,
to all generations. Praise the Lord!” (PS. 146:10)
“When it rains, it pours!” People say that when one thing after another seems
to go wrong. Some days in a prison compound are like that. A fitful sleep is
followed by an argument with a cellmate. Cold eggs greet you in the mess hall.
Then a work supervisor disrespects you. Next a guard chews you out, and you
return from your job to find your cell trashed by the shake down squad looking
for contraband. Then mail call brings bad news from home. Yes, when it rains,
it pours. It even storms.
Life can be like that whenever we put our trust in human beings — in
courts or attorneys or parole boards. But you can read Psalm 146 and see that
the Lord helps us when it pours troubles in life.
The psalm says, “The Lord will reign forever.” When the Lord reigns in
a person’s life, the Lord pours blessings. The Lord is a friend to everyone,
even common folks. He provides food for the hungry, He lifts up those who are
knocked down, and, in a sense, He even sets prisoners free. Truly He pours out
blessings. When the Lord reigns in your parade of life, troubles raining on your
parade will not ruin the parade. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection show that
He has the power. No longer do the bad influences in prison have to control you.
The next time you have one of those days when it rains, and it pours, try
turning the troubles over to Christ by proclaiming that “The Lord will reign
forever!” When the Lord reigns, He pours — blessings.
When troubles pour into my life behind bars, Lord, please
reign in my life by refreshing me with Your showers of
blessings. I pray, because I live in Your Name. Amen.
REFLECTION: Right now in heaven, as we declare in the Apostles’ Creed in
the back of this booklet, Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father. Think
about it. Isn’t this just another way of saying, the Lord reigns?
34 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Your court-appointed attorney
“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not
for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 JOHN 2:1B-2)
Picture a courtroom. Up front is the judge. To one side is the prosecutor’s table.
To the other side stands the defense table. You have been at that defendant’s
table. If you are in prison now, sitting at the defense table probably did not
go that well for you.
But in this courtroom scene, God the Father is the judge. A holy God
Almighty sits with the power to decide life or death. He wrote the law and
is perfectly just. At the prosecution table stands the devil. The devil is our
“accuser” (Rev. 12:10). He is a vicious prosecutor seeking to convict you and
have you locked up in hell “all day,” that is, forever. The devil stacks up the
evidence against you. All sins are admissible. The prosecution concludes, “Your
Honor, the law says that the soul that sins shall surely die.” The prosecutor rests
his case. And it looks pretty bleak for you.
God the Father looks down at your pitiful situation at the defendant’s table
and says, “The court appoints you an attorney. I appoint as an advocate for the
defense My Son, Jesus Christ.” The word “advocate” is a courtroom term for a
defense attorney.
Knowing all your sins, what defense can Jesus provide? John says Jesus is
“the propitiation for our sins.” That means Christ goes beyond arguing our case.
He takes our place. He substitutes Himself into our condemned position. At the
very height of your exposed guilt and at the very depth of your pain Jesus says,
“I want to take your punishment.” Christ, our court-appointed attorney, says
to His Father, the Judge, “On the cross 2,000 years ago, I paid for these charges
with my blood. Therefore, declare this person ‘not guilty’.”
And the Judge does! We are justified through Jesus!
Thank You, Lord, for being my spiritual court-appointed
attorney to defend me, intercede for me and stand
by me all my life. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: When you say Luther’s Evening Prayer in the back of this
booklet, think about Jesus being our court-appointed attorney when
you plead, “I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have
done wrong.”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 35
From help yourself to helpless
“Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless.”
(PS. 10:12 NIV)
I remember the day as a youngster that I picked up my first bike bought with
my own money. I unloaded it in the garage and started piecing it together. My
mother warned, “Better get your Father to help.”
“It’s mine, I can do it myself,” was my response, and to heck with the
instructions too. Only minutes later, I managed to get my fingers caught
between the chain and the pedal gear. I could only yell, “Dad, help!”
You’re in prison now. Whatever you did, whatever the circumstances, you
have gone from a help yourself lifestyle to a helpless state in prison. Like the
bicycle incident, you’ve gone from “I’ll do it my way” to “You’ll do it the state’s
way.” You are in a bind.
Your whole life is bound up — no freedom, no control of where you go,
what you get to do, who you are with. There may be people out on the streets
that need you, but the fact is that you are helpless. You can only yell, “Dad, help!”
Yes, like the man who wrote Psalm 10 long ago, it’s okay to call for help
when you recognize your helplessness. My Father came out to the garage. He
smiled at my comical captivity to the new bike. He simply loosened the chain
that held my finger and then proceeded to help me put the bike together so I
could ride it.
Our heavenly Father hears our cries of helplessness in prison. He
offers forgiveness because His Son paid for our sins when He accepted the
punishment of death on the cross. Now the Father that we cry to helps us
to get through each day.
Dad in heaven, help me! I am in a bind and I am helpless.
Keep me safe through every day. Amen.
REFLECTION: For just a few minutes, meditate upon the first line in the
Apostles’ Creed found in the back of this booklet: “I believe in God, the
Father Almighty.” Take some time to think about the word “Father” in
light of this devotion.
36 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
What’s your jacket
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has
covered me with the robe of righteousness.” (IS. 61:10A)
A new inmate steps in line at the chow hall. Packs of three and four convicts
look at him and ask, “What’s his jacket?” “Jacket” is prison lingo for the “story”
of an inmate: his type of crime, his character, whether he’s a snitch, gay, a con, a
drug user, or a psycho. Your jacket determines how you are going to be treated
in prison.
You wear a “jacket” in prison whether you like it or not. It’s next to
impossible to change your jacket for the better. In the eyes of convicts, the
jacket you wear determines acceptance, trust and association with others.
Things you have done in the past follow you wherever you go. Other inmates
are judging you, men who are themselves convicted. But how does our holy
God perceive you and your jacket? He knows that the jacket you wear is
wrong, dirty and evil.
Yet this same God sent His Son into the world, a Son who lived a life with a
perfectly clean jacket. But His Son, Jesus, chose to wear all our dirty jackets — all
of the wrong acts of our past. He took the identity of the sinner upon Himself.
He took the punishment for our sins.
The Father puts a jacket of salvation on us. God the Father declares us
righteous — forgiven — clean. In faith you wear the new jacket that He
gives you.
Any time others want to judge you or condemn you for the past jacket you
wore, you can hold your head high because you are forgiven. You can wear your
new jacket of salvation with a humility that shows a pride in your Savior.
Lord, my jacket is filthy. Clothe me with salvation in Christ.
Make me clean in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
REFLECTION: A line in the Apostles’ Creed says, “I believe in the holy
Christian Church.” As a believer, you are part of that holy Christian Church.
How can you and I be part of something holy? What does Jesus clothing us
with His righteousness have to do with us being “holy?”
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 37
38 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Debt to society, debt to God
“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii,
and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of
both. Now which of them will love him more?” (LUKE 7:41-42)
With a firm, defiant face, an inmate walked to the prison sally port to exit. He
had maxed out his sentence. “I’ve paid my debt to society,” he declared as he left.
He did his time and left with a hatred toward authority and a numbness toward
the world. He’ll be back soon with another debt to society.
This man hasn’t made the connection between paying for crimes and
his inability to pay the debt he owes to God for his sins. So there is no
love in his heart.
Another man, a Christian, walks away from the cellblock counselor’s office
with a slip of paper from the parole board. The memo says he was passed over
for another year before he is eligible for parole again. The parole board says he
hasn’t paid his debt to society yet. The man is saddened and a bit confused. But
he holds his head high and displays a remarkable example of strength as he is
deprived of freedom for another 12 months.
The difference between him and the defiant inmate is this: he knows his
crime and his sins. He understands that the debt of guilt cannot be paid by his
own efforts. He recognizes that God forgives his debt of sin because Christ has
paid what is owed — Jesus’ own life for all sins.
The latter inmate has been forgiven much. So he knows God’s love and
therefore, in response, he loves God and others. Free of the debt toward God,
any inmate can handle prison time and disappointments.
Lord, at times I am saddened by this prison time,
but I am overwhelmed with love for You because
You have paid for all my sins and brought me back
to my loving, heavenly Father. Amen.
REFLECTION: When I profess in the Apostles’ Creed in the back of this booklet
that I believe that Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead, can I
celebrate knowing that Jesus has already paid the debt for my sins?
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 39
You can’t con a con
“[The devil] was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in
the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of
his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (JOHN 8:44B)
Prison has been called “Satan’s front porch.” You live right at the threshold of
hell itself. Life in prison is a continual confrontation with evil.
Con games and scams are constant. There are inmates who will try to catch
you up in drug trafficking. Others will try to hook you on pornography. There
are unending little games of theft and pilfering. People will try to get you into
debt. They’ll make you obligated to them so you will “punk out.” Gambling is
also tempting. And, gangs will want you to run with them.
After a while you may start thinking that it won’t hurt to bet a little on the
football game. What’s the harm in stealing a few items from the state? Surely a
few drags from a joint won’t be a problem in here.
There is an old saying: You can’t con a con. If you think you are sharp
enough to step in and out of prison games of sin, then you are trying to con
the devil. You can’t con the con master. The devil is the father of lies. You are his
mark and if you think you can trick the devil by playing around with evil prison
temptations, you are the devil’s punk.
Jesus Christ brings the truth, not con games, into your life. By His death
and resurrection, your sins are forgiven. By Jesus’ Word in Scripture, you have a
straight road map to travel in life. It is a trustworthy map.
All around me, Lord, are the tempting con games.
Help me in Your love to avoid the prison scams that can
pull me away from You. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: If the devil was the chief of con men and he knows all the tricks,
then how important is the part of Luther’s Morning Prayer in the back of this
booklet that asks: “Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have
no power over me”?
40 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
Some peace and quiet
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (PHIL. 4:7)
You’re lying on your bunk in the cell house. From up and down, to the left and
to the right come the endless noises: TVs, radios, heated arguments, shouted
obscenities, constant mechanical humming, intercom interruptions and cell
doors slamming. You might bury your head in the thin pillow to attempt to
block out the noises. But then the inner noises haunt you as your mind replays
sounds of the courtroom gavel and the prosecutor’s scathing words against you.
You reach a point where you want to scream above the prison uproar, “All I
want is some peace and quiet!” Half of your wish can be fulfilled.
After His death and resurrection, Jesus said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19).
Peace came from a loving, living Lord not as a wish, but as a gift. We all have
our earthly idea of what peace is. It usually entails a tranquil setting. Prison
is a far cry from tranquility. But Jesus does not promise a peaceful setting to
us. He gives peace amidst the storm.
Jesus’ peace does not take us out of the troubles but goes with us into our
troubles. It is a peace that keeps our hearts and minds in the assurance that
we can make it through any ordeal. The peace we can have is the positive
controlled state of mind when you are confident of your salvation because of
what Christ has done for you.
You want peace and quiet? Christ gives you half your desire: Peace
when there is no quiet. That is even more than we asked. That is peace that
surpasses understanding.
Lord, please bring me the assurance of Your presence
that brings peace in prison — peace where there
is no quiet. In Your Name I pray. Amen.
REFLECTION: Luther’s Morning Prayer is all about peace in the middle of the
storm of life. How do the words “I pray that You would keep me this day also
from sin and every evil” mean peace to you?
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 41
prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
O
ur Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer
I
thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son,
that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that
You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my
doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself,
my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me,
that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Luther’s Evening Prayer
I
thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that
You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all
my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into
Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy
angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed
I
believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in
Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died
and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the
dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion
of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life
everlasting. Amen.
42 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
PRISONER’S REFLECTIONS: MEDITATIONS FOR PRISONERS | 43
NOTES
44 | THE LUTHERAN CHURCH­— MISSOURI SYNOD
1333 S. Kirkwood Road • St. Louis, MO • 63122-7295
© LCMS