Freedom in prison

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”  2 Corinthians 3:17

It seems odd to think that one can be free while one is in prison. Almost like the ultimate oxymoron. The amazing thing about God’s grace though, is that even while your body is being held captive – your spirit can still be free.

 On the 27^th of September, YWAM Ratchaburi, in conjuction with the Ratchaburi Central Prison and the Siam Dream Center, held a concert for one thousand prisoners. There has been an incredible openness to the Gospel amongst the inmates from the very first time that we began visiting the prison and on this day, while the numbers were much larger than we have ever had the chance to meet with, the level of openness was the same.

Inside the prison, there is very little opportunity for the prisoners to express themselves. Music, dancing, sharing, laughing – those are things that they may remember from their lives outside. Things that were taken away when they lost their freedom to the walls of the prison for whatever crime it was that they committed. The concert gave them the chance to have a small taste of those things once again –to remember some of the joys of living.

During the concert, a friend of ours shared a message about the value of life. Another shared his testimony about how God set him free from a life of drugs and then another shared the message of hope that is in Christ Jesus. He invited the people to close their eyes and place their hands on their heart and ask Jesus to come and live in them and change their lives. As we watched more than half of the thousand people did as he directed them to do. 

We don’t know where most of them are at, and what they will do with the knowledge that they gained about the God who loves them – but we do know that on that day hearts were visibly touched as tears flowed from the eyes of many of the prisoners while they prayed. They may not be free to walk outside of the prison walls, but where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom – freedom of spirit, freedom to hope, freedom to be a new creation, freedom to be a child of God no matter what you have done.

To be free whilst in prison – perhaps it’s an oxymoron, a contradiction of terms – but that’s what the God of grace is all about. We rejoice that none of us deserve grace, but that through Christ Jesus, God has made it available to each of us, if only we would believe. Amazing grace indeed!

Our fellowship of one hundred men in the men’s zone of the prison will continue, and we will start a fellowship in the women’s zone this November. Please pray for us as we seek God for guidance as to how to best meet the spiritual needs of those inside the prison. If you are interested in supporting or coming to join the prison ministry in Ratchaburi, please contact us.

Prison ministry - anti-drug campaign

In the local prison in Ratchaburi, the prison warden tells us that around 50% of the prisoners who are released from prison, commit further crimes and return to the prison. For some of them, after having been in prison, they are unable to function in regular society and purposely commit crimes in order to return to what they have known inside the prison. For many more, nothing life changing occurred in the prison and they are still the same person, with the same problems and the same way of dealing with them as they were when they went into the prison. A group of men in the Ratchaburi prison however have found hope - hope in Jesus Christ who has made them a new creation. The old has passed away and they have been made new.

We have been teaching the Bible to around 100 men in the prison for almost a year now. One hundred men that come to study the Bible - they want to change - they do not want to leave the prison the same as when then entered it. They have seen the light and they no longer want to live in the darkness.

While a hundred men in a prison studying the Bible is an amazing story, we have felt for some time that this is not all that God wants us to do there. There are 4000 prisoners in this particular prison and we want to bring the message of the Gospel to as many of them as we can.

Along with some friends of ours from the Siam Dream Center in Bangkok, we will be running a Christian anti drug campaign in the form of a concert inside the prison on the 27th of September. The prison is allowing 1000 prisoners to attend - 500 men and 500 women. We are thrilled at the opportunity and excited about what God is going to do on that day.

The event will cost us around 10 000Baht (US$330). If you would like to have a part in helping us bring the Gospel to these men and women, please contact us. If you would like to make a donation online you can do so here. Please make sure to specify that the money is for "prison ministry".

We know that this is a significant event that could change the lives of many of the prisoners forever. God loves each one of them no matter what they have done - His grace is enough for them.