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 prison for the first time and feeling anxious, that they will receive appropriate support from officers and chaplains. |
| 449 | 2nd | for those desperate to be free from drug and alcohol addictions, that they will receive appropriate support both in prison and on release, especially through ‘rehabs’. |
| 450 | 3rd | for those who feel no remorse for the hurt and pain they have caused. Pray that they would begin to recognise the impact of their crimes upon their victims and upon their own families – and will choose to turn away from crime. |
| 451 | 4th | for sex offenders, many of whom are overwhelmed with guilt, that they might come to recognise that they are not beyond God’s forgiveness. |
| 452 | 5th | for 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 men and women who are violent towards staff, that they will receive specialist support and treatment if needed. Pray that God will intervene in their life, convicting them about their behaviour and of their need of Jesus. |
| 455 | 8th | for all Christians – staff and volunteers - working in our prisons, that the Lord will enable them to bring glory to God as they serve Him and seek to be ‘salt and light’. |
| 456 | 9th | for all officers on sick leave as a result of injury or stress-related illness, especially those who have been victims of a serious assault. Pray for their healing. |
| 457 | 10th | for new officers who have only started duties on the landings this month, that they will be alert to the risks they face and will be kept safe. |
| 458 | 11th | for the Lord’s wisdom for chaplains as they provide pastoral support to the residents, especially those who are deeply troubled, e.g., by anxiety, guilt, shame and grief. |
| 459 | 12th | ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday, for the children of men in prison, that they will have good male role models in their lives, in the absence of their own father. |
| 460 | 13th | for chaplains, other staff and volunteers who provide bereavement support; pray for the men and women they will counsel this month. |
| 461 | 14th | ahead of Father’s Day tomorrow, for fathers who have a son or daughter in prison and possibly feeling partly responsible. Pray for strong supportive relationships. |
| 462 | 15th | being Father’s Day, pray for fathers in prison, who are grieving over failing their family and not being able to provide for them. |
| 463 | 16th | for children taken into care as a result of one or both parents being in prison, that they will be healed from the emotional damage of losing their parents. |
| 464 | 17th | for churches, youth workers and agencies working with children and young people who are offending or at risk of offending. |
| 465 | 18th | for children with a parent in prison that, wherever possible and appropriate, they will be able to maintain contact with their parent. Pray for the protection of those children who are at risk of turning to crime themselves. |
| 466 | 19th | 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. |
| 467 | 20th | for families impacted financially by imprisonment and for organisations such as Christians Against Poverty who support them through practical care and advice. |
| 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 those who consider themselves a Christian but only by tradition and ‘doing religion’, that they will have a true encounter with Jesus while in prison. |
| 470 | 23rd | for all believers who are witnessing to Christ, that the Lord will grant them wisdom and boldness. |
| 471 | 24th | for Christians, struggling with their faith since going to prison, that the Lord will strengthen their faith and sustain them. |
| 472 | 25th | for those who are suffering from mental illness, that they will receive the care and treatment they need. |
| 473 | 26th | for the protection and safe resettlement of those being released this month. |
| 474 | 27th | that Christian literature will get into the hands of unbelievers and that the Lord will use it to draw many to faith in Christ. |
| 475 | 28th | that many might come to faith in Christ whilst in prison. Pray that the Lord will use the teaching and preaching, the personal and group Bible studies, the gospel literature and the witness of believers, all for this purpose of drawing unbelievers to Christ. |
| 476 | 29th | for those who have lost loved ones through crime, that they will find healing through their grief. |
| 477 | 30th | for those feeling the shame of a crime committed by a family member and consider themselves victims (and perhaps ostracised in their community); pray that they will find support from Christians and be enabled to forgive their family member. |