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 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. |
| 450 | 3rd | for the men and women who will be released over the next few weeks, especially those without a family to support them, that they will get suitable accommodation and support from agencies. |
| 451 | 4th | for those who spend extended periods in segregation for their own protection, that their isolation will not harm them mentally or emotionally. |
| 452 | 5th | for sex offenders, many of whom are overwhelmed with guilt, that they might come to recognise that they are not beyond God’s forgiveness. |
| 453 | 6th | 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’. |
| 454 | 7th | for those vulnerable to self-harming and attempts at suicide, that they will receive the extra support and care needed and will be kept safe. |
| 455 | 8th | for Governors, for wisdom, stamina and emotional strength for all the heavy demands upon them. |
| 456 | 9th | that the Lord will speak, through His Word, to every man and woman who will be attending a Bible study group today. Pray that lives will be changed. |
| 457 | 10th | 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. |
| 458 | 11th | for all officers who have been victims of a serious assault recently. Pray for their healing. |
| 459 | 12th | for chaplains, that the Lord will sustain them and encourage them as they provide pastoral and spiritual support to the residents. |
| 460 | 13th | for chaplains as they finalise the arrangements, and publicity, for the Carol Services. |
| 461 | 14th | for chaplains, that they will seek the help of the Holy Spirit as they prepare and deliver teaching. Pray that they will be bold in teaching God’s Word faithfully. |
| 462 | 15th | give thanks for former prisoners who are now mentoring young people at risk of offending and reoffending. Pray that their work will be effective as those young people turn away from unsociable behaviours. |
| 463 | 16th | for families grieving the death of a family member while in custody. |
| 464 | 17th | for partners, grandparents and others caring for children in the absence of parents in prison. |
| 465 | 18th | for men and women who are currently mentoring, and supporting, someone recently released. |
| 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 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. |
| 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 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. |
| 470 | 23rd | that Christian literature will get into the hands of unbelievers and that the Lord will use it to draw many to faith in Christ. |
| 471 | 24th | 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. |
| 472 | 25th | 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. |
| 473 | 26th | for the men and women who once followed Christ, that, now in prison, they will turn back to God, experience His welcoming embrace and become firmly rooted in His love. |
| 474 | 27th | for Christians, struggling with their faith since going to prison, that the Lord will strengthen their faith and sustain them. |
| 475 | 28th | for the protection and safe resettlement of those being released this month. |
| 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. |