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 for whom this month will be especially painful, triggering, for example, the memory of the loss of a loved one or the loss of contact with a child or family. |
| 449 | 2nd | for those in prison for the first time and feeling anxious, that they will receive appropriate support from officers and chaplains. |
| 450 | 3rd | during this post-Christmas and New Year period there will be an even higher risk of self-harm. Pray that the vulnerable will be kept safe and staff will be especially alert to their needs. |
| 451 | 4th | for those who spend extended periods in segregation because they are a threat to others. Pray for healing of the causes of their aggressive and threatening behaviour. Pray that, in their isolation, they might cry out to the Lord. |
| 452 | 5th | 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. |
| 453 | 6th | for vulnerable women who will be released this month, that they will receive effective support for as long as it is needed |
| 454 | 7th | for those who are suffering from mental illness, that they will receive the care and treatment they need. |
| 455 | 8th | that the Lord will use the several thousand copies of the Christmas leaflet that were distributed, to draw many to faith in Christ. |
| 456 | 9th | for the men in the prison in Zimbabwe who attended the Healing Through Forgiveness program (using BeaconLight’s Making Sense of Forgiveness book) earlier this month. Pray that they will accept the offer of God’s forgiveness through faith in Christ. |
| 457 | 10th | that many men and women held in police custody cells this month will read our Now What? booklet. Pray that the Lord will prompt many to enquire about the new life that Christ offers. |
| 458 | 11th | for the ongoing distribution of our books. Pray that there will be positive responses from the chaplains and, also, from the ministries working with ex-offenders. |
| 459 | 12th | for wisdom as we respond to letters from prisoners, especially those who are struggling with their faith or who have yet to commit to Christ. |
| 460 | 13th | that many men and women will be challenged by the biographies which we are distributing and will look to Christ to transform their lives too. |
| 461 | 14th | for the chaplains and pastors in the prisons in DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, which have received further quantities of our books this month. Pray for them as they distribute the books, as they lead groups and work with individuals. |
| 462 | 15th | for partners, grandparents and others caring for children in the absence of parents in prison. |
| 463 | 16th | for families impacted financially by imprisonment and for organisations such as Christians Against Poverty who support them through practical care and advice. |
| 464 | 17th | for agencies working to protect children and young people from alcohol and drug abuse. |
| 465 | 18th | for communities troubled by an increase in violent crime, that effective policing will reverse the trend. |
| 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 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. |
| 468 | 21st | 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. |
| 469 | 22nd | for those who have nothing to look forward to at the beginning of this new year, that they might discover the One who is their only hope of joy and contentment - and salvation. |
| 470 | 23rd | for Christians as they are released, especially those with no church connection, that they will be linked to a supportive church. |
| 471 | 24th | 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. |
| 472 | 25th | for all believers who are witnessing to Christ, that the Lord will grant them wisdom and boldness. |
| 473 | 26th | 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. |
| 474 | 27th | that all residents who worship the Lord, whether alone in their room or with others, will know that the Lord is present with them. |
| 475 | 28th | 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. |
| 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. |
| 478 | 31st | for victims whose lives have been seriously impacted by injuries and trauma; pray for their healing and that they will be enabled to live fulfilled lives. |