With so many men and women in our prisons wanting to be free from the life of crime in which they feel trapped, there are enormous opportunities for the gospel. And, of course, there are many pastoral needs, too, not only amongst those serving a prison sentence but also within their families.
Those who wish to pray daily through the month may like to follow the monthly plan below and perhaps also pray specifically for one or two prisons.
| 448 | 1st | for those in custody for the first time and frightened, that staff will show compassion and help them to feel safe. |
| 449 | 2nd | for those who are grieving and for those who are concerned for loved ones who are seriously, or terminally, ill, that they might to turn to God and draw strength from Him and His Word. |
| 450 | 3rd | for those due to be released this month and feeling very nervous; pray for effective support, both prior to, and after, release. |
| 451 | 4th | for the elderly, the frail and those vulnerable to self-harming and to attempts at suicide, that they will receive the appropriate level of support and care and be kept safe. |
| 452 | 5th | or those who have recently lost contact with, or custody of, their children. Pray that they might receive emotional support and turn to God for comfort. |
| 453 | 6th | for those who have been rejected by their family or have cut themselves off from their family, that they might receive emotional support. Pray for the Lord’s help to those who are longing to restore their relationships. |
| 454 | 7th | for those who are suffering from mental illness, that they will receive the care and treatment they need. |
| 455 | 8th | for the recruitment of officers and staff where needed; pray for the staff in those prisons who are working under considerable pressures. |
| 456 | 9th | for healthcare staff, that they will be enabled to care with skill, love and compassion, despite all the demands upon them. Give thanks to God for them. Pray especially for Christians, that they might display Christ’s love to those for whom they care. |
| 457 | 10th | for the protection of officers working on the landings. Pray for healing for officers currently off sick as a result of injury or stress-related illness. |
| 458 | 11th | for chaplains, other staff and volunteers who provide bereavement support; pray for the men and women they will counsel this month. |
| 459 | 12th | for the newly recruited officers, that they will be kept safe during their early days of becoming familiar with the prison regime. Pray for the experienced officers who oversee them. |
| 460 | 13th | for chaplains and volunteers who are leading Bible study groups; pray that the men and women will be responsive to God’s Word. |
| 461 | 14th | for the protection of all officers and staff, that there will be no outbreaks of widespread violence. |
| 462 | 15th | for families impacted financially by imprisonment and for organisations such as Christians Against Poverty who support them through practical care and advice. |
| 463 | 16th | for churches, youth workers and agencies working with children and young people who are offending or at risk of offending |
| 464 | 17th | for churches which have a dedicated ministry to ‘ex-offenders’, that they will have sufficient volunteers to give time to mentoring and supporting the men and women referred to them. |
| 465 | 18th | for ‘rehabs’ (and especially for the Christian ministries), that, through their programmes, many men and women will overcome their addiction and that many will also commit to follow Christ. |
| 466 | 19th | for the protection of children whose lives have been dominated by the criminal activity of one or both parents. Pray that they will be kept free from crime themselves. |
| 467 | 20th | for partners, grandparents and others caring for children in the absence of parents in prison. |
| 468 | 21st | for probation staff, community chaplains and all who support men and women on release from prison. Pray that the vulnerable will get the help they need to prevent them from reoffending. |
| 469 | 22nd | for Christians, struggling with their faith since going to prison, that the Lord will strengthen their faith and sustain them. |
| 470 | 23rd | for backslidden believers, that there will be those who will affirm afresh their commitment to Jesus and restore fellowship with Him. |
| 471 | 24th | that many men and women, especially unbelievers, might respond to BeaconLight’s gospel message – and the offer of a book – in this month’s Inside Time (the paper produced for residents). |
| 472 | 25th | for men and women with confused beliefs; pray for wisdom for chaplains that they will be able to clearly communicate the truth of the gospel. |
| 473 | 26th | that Christian literature will get into the hands of unbelievers and that the Lord will use it to draw many to faith in Christ. |
| 474 | 27th | for those overcome with guilt and shame for their crimes, that they might turn to Christ and know that they are forgiven and cleansed by His sacrificial death. |
| 475 | 28th | for those who consider themselves a Christian but only by tradition and ‘doing religion’, that they will encounter Jesus during their time in prison. |
| 476 | 29th | for victims of violent crime, that they will find the support they need to help their physical and emotional healing. |
| 477 | 30th | for those who have lost loved ones through crime, that they will find healing through their grief. |
| 478 | 31st | for victims who refuse to forgive or cannot forgive, that they would be enabled to put aside their anger and their bitterness and move on with their life. |