A PRISONER'S THANK YOU PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father God, I thank You 1st & foremost for my get'n caught. It is good for me to be here. Lord God, you are definitely in this place. TODAY. Amen. I thank You for delivering me from a life on the run with all its stress & paranoia. And though I once thought my punishment was too much to bear, I thank You for my sentence. Amen. I know You allowed it to happen for a reason. Had I not had this time I probably would've never heard Your voice; as small & as still as it is. I'm also thankful for my time 'cause I know You can show up ANYTIME with deliverance & a divine miracle in Your wings. You only open doors no man can shut. With You my sentence ain't nothing but a number. Though it exceeds life expectancy I know these years are but days in Your eternal viewpoint. "Better is a day with You than thousands elsewhere..."

Remembering my being behind closed doors - I thank You for my cell, LORD GOD. It's narrow enough for You, me, & my celly to fit in. (Smile). I thank You for giving me a roof over my head. I thank You that I don't have to pay bills though I can't wait to when I get out! I thank You for the bunk bed, the blankets, & the sheets & the mattress. With You on my mind it's like a Serta. Smile :). God, I thank You for a good night's sleep. You only makest me to lie in safety. I only awake 'cause You sustain me. Amen. May my meditation of You in the night watches be sweet. Amen.

I thank You for the desk, shelves, locker, & the chair (stool). Lord God, I thank You for the mirror. It helps me stay groomed. & often the reflection of WHO I AM & Your will for me brings a smile to my face. Amen. Not to mention just seeing the beauty You created me with, smile. Each new day that dawns may this shiny surface reflect a soul's desire to be Christlike. Amen.

I thank You for the bathroom, the sinks, & the showers. Yes, God, thank You that I (we) have proper toilet facilities, that I can wash my face & take a hot shower... & sometimes a cold one... Thank You for the people You employed to maintain the restroom whether they live here or outside of here.

Lord, I thank You that we can have shoes & that You've given us boots free of charge. God, You will keep them like You keep us; like You kept the Israelites' sandals in tip top shape, those 40 years in the wilderness. Amen. God, thank You for the clothing You have taken time to provide for us. Truly You are ever faithful. Amen. God, bless the clothing to keep us warm & toasty. Keep us cool in the appointed seasons. Amen. Thank You for the coat, gloves, hat, shirts, pants, socks, jogging suit, undergarments...

Lord God, I thank You for daily providing us with benefits. Jehovah-Jireh, blessed be Your name for 3 meals a day. Well balanced ones You have lovingly prepared for us. I barely ate one meal a day on the outside! I thank You for the well balanced nutritious meals. That they meet my daily calorie requirements. Thank You for the cooks & the bakers & the dishwashers! Thank You for the juice & the special holiday meals. Thank You for the pizzas & chicken they offer as part of fundraisers! God, thank You for the holiday canteen of "cheese & sausage".

I appreciate the celly You graciously gave me. I know this is all part of Your plan. Amen. Help me to love him with the love of Christ. Amen. Help me to be kind, compassionate, PATIENT with him & towards him. God, thank You for reminding me to love him as I love myself, & to view this as an opportunity to serve You as I serve him. God, thank You for helping me to listen to him, even when what he talks about may not be that exciting to me. I see that You are preparing me for fatherhood in Your own lil way. Thank You. God, thank You for giving me the strength & courage to not gossip about him or share his secrets.

Praise God for the library - a quiet place to study & grow through learning. Thank You for the books & the interloan program. Truly it's been a blessing. Even the library provides an opportunity for meditation & just collecting my thought. Amen. Thank You for the law library & the legal system. Thank You for the ability & desire to research things. Thank You for giving us knowledge, for giving us authors, & professors. Just even the ability to learn & to read. Thanks for the newspapers & magazines; they help me to escape & bring joy to my heart as I read about things I delight in. Thank You for the capability to imagine, to dream, to think, to ponder... Amen.

Thank You, Almighty God, that we get the privilege of mail. God bless the United States Postal Service. Keep them with jobs. Amen. Thank you, God, for meeting my need for hear from loved ones. Amen. Love You for providing the stamps, so I could write back! Amen. Praise You that we're given the privilege to correspond with those in the free world. Thank You for the words of encouragement that You put in they heart to tell us: words of affirmation & love. And sentiments that we haven't been forgotten as so much as us fear.

God, bless You for visiting. Yes! Smile. What a joy it is to be in the loving presence of friends & family & loved ones. My kid(s) are the best, with each visit I receive You bring a bigger smile to my heart. Thank You that I can show visitors affection, from a gentle hug, to a passionate kiss. I love giving my precious daughter a kiss on the forehead. Thank You that we can take photos to capture that priceless moment of togetherness. See how my heart & soul smiled :) :) :) in unison! Smile. Thank You that we can even eat meals with our visitors: a communion of sorts. Yes, Lord.

God, thank You that I'm allowed to have recreational privileges. That I can stay in shape by working out. That I can stay fit by various activities such as: basketball, volleyball, softball, & handball. God, thank You for the walking track that I can walk or run on. Thank You for ping pong, shuffle board, pool, vochey ball.

Thank You for the yard & the beautiful fresh air You've provided for me to breathe in & enjoy. Truly You care about every aspect of our lives. Praise You that I have the ability & range of motion to do exercises. Amen. Thank You for protecting my soul from injury even when my body found itself not so well. Thank You that even when I am physically injured, I can still praise You. It is well with my soul so I know everything's gone be alright.

God, so often I forget to thank You for my artistic talent. THANK YOU. Thank You that I can _____________ (bead, draw, paint, crochet, knit, needlework, sew, leatherwork, do pottery, etc...) Thank You for hobby privileges. The opportunity for the meditation they provide, You know You're often on my mind as I engage in this tranquil (peaceful) activity. Thank You for the creation of art. Amen. God, I can sense how peaceful You were as You created the earth :). I know my ounce of creativity stems from You, the CREATOR of the universe. Truly my artistic ability is one way that I am made in Your image & likeness :) :) :).

God, I thank You for the phone calls we are allowed to make. Especially on holidays & birthdays. Thank You for the sound of my mother's/father's voice, the voice of my beloved children, girlfriend, friends, & grandparents. Thank You, Lord, that we can comfort one another with words: words of encouragement; words of love; words of peace. Words of restoration. Words of salvation. Words of Yours!!! Smile. Thank You for 3-ways. I needed that. Thank You for providing my loved ones with the money to even be able to accept my collect calls, Amen. Thank You for the "loud" button. Definitely need that. Thank You for the "one minute left" warning, so I can get in my "I LOVE YOUS".

God, thank You for the free heartwarming cards we're allowed to get from the chapel, every month. God, thank You for the freedom to practice Christianity. I pray for my brothers & sisters overseas; locked up & persecuted for following the ONE TRUE GOD. God, continue to strengthen them, Lord God. Forgive those who are doing the persecuting, because they know not what they do.

Praise God for fellowship & the assembly of the brothers/sisters, Amen. Thank You, God, that Your word ain't bound. That I have the freedom to carry a Bible & not only that but read it. And grow from it & be taught from it & be well furnished by it to be the man of God I'm definitely destined to be. Thank You for the Body of Christ. May we be united as a body should be. May we provoke one another unto love & good works in accordance with Hebrews 10 verse 24. Amen. Lord God, thank You for the choir & the abundant singing talent You have blessed them with. For the gift to play instruments You have blessed the band with. Thank You for the microphones & speakers which help magnify Your holy name. Amen. Thank You for the "Nethinims". Yes, we see the work they do. Amen. Continue to bless them, Amen.

God, thank You for the chaplain, s/he has been a blessing to our hearts & souls - individually and collectively. Amen. Continue to bless his/her ministry. Amen. Continue to bless him/her in the spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Amen. Thank You for those who donate money, Bibles, books, cards, tracts, devotionals, tapes, movies, & Bible studies. Amen. Bless them abundantly that they may continue to provide. Meet their needs according to your riches & glory in Christ Jesus.

Precious God, thank You for table games. They come in handy when I'm bored, need to take a load off or enjoy free time with my brothers. Amen. Thank you for - Uno, dominoes, cards, Monopoly, Scrabble, Domination, Yahtzee, puzzles...

Thank You for the job You gave me. I know it's the job You wanted me to have to fulfill Your will for my life. I know through it You have taught me things that will ultimately help me operate in a Christlike manner. Amen. God, I know You've also placed me there to witness to my co-workers. Also You've placed them there for the moments when I also need to be witnessed/ministered to. Amen. 'Cause I'm by no means perfect. Amen. God, help me walk in love towards my co-workers & supervisors. May I conduct myself with patience, understanding, grace, mercy, kindness, love, & humility. Amen. God, I thank You for the finances You've blessed me with as a result of my employment. I confess that it's just enough for me to get by. Please continue to help me spend wisely which includes giving You Your 10%. Amen. God, let me know who I should tithe to. Amen.

Father God, thank You for canteen. A few of my favorite things are: _____________. They sure are delicious & bring joy to my heart. Thanks for the hygiene products that keep us clean & fresh. Thanks for the hair care & skin care products. Love Ya. Also, thank You for the vendors we're allowed to order from. Lord God, help those who are employed by canteen & the vendors with the strength to fill our orders accurately. Amen. Thank You for keeping them warm in the winter season. Amen.

God, thank You for electronics; lamps; shavers, alarm clocks, fans, radios, typewriters, lamps - help me have just enough light, especially in the wee hours of the night, without disturbing my celly's peace. Amen. Trimmers keep me tight & looking nice, especially for visits & just personal well being & feeling good. You know, a psychological lift of sorts. Amen. Alarm clocks are cool but they nothing without You being in them! Thank You for waking me & my celly up at appointed times. Thank You for all the times You woke us before the alarm went off, for calling us to spend time with You in some shape, form, or fashion. Amen. Amen, the fan(s) keep us cool on those hot days & often serves as a noise or snore blocker. Smile. And it helps the floor dry. Thank You for the radio & TV stations. Especially the Christian/gospel oriented ones like K-Love, TBN, VCY, & etc...

Lord, thank You for the laborers You send into the prison to visit us, according to Your word in Matthew 25:31-40. God, though we ourselves sit in prison & need/desire to be visited, Lord, we also possess the spiritual understanding that we are to ALSO visit those in prison. Amen. To visit those in SPIRITUAL PRISON (Psalm 142:7, Luke 4:18, 19) right here in this place. Amen.

God, bless our teachers. Thank You for providing school so we can meet & further our educational needs. Thank You for vocational classes & the other higher learning opportunities. Amen. God, bless us to remember what we have learned. Amen. Thank You for being within Yourself knowledge, wisdom & understanding. We know by it You formed the world. Amen. Without education we couldn't read Your holy Bible, let alone pray this prayer. Amen.

We praise You for parole, & custody level reductions. Thank You for transfers, they provide a way to get closer to home. They also serve as a means for Your will to be done in my life. Lord knows there were times I wanted to go "there" & You sent me "here!". Amen. In Your infinite wisdom. Amen. Thank You for doing what's best in my life. Amen. Be nothing without You. Amen. Right here in this prison You have brought to life 1st Corinthians 2:9 - Eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has entered into the hearts of man the things the Lord has in store for those who love Him. Amen. Thank You for keeping me guessing in my faith walk & keeping me interested! Amen. Thank You for keeping me. Gotta love You. Thank You for the miracle(s) You've worked & are currently working to deliver us physically (as well as spiritually) from these penal institutions.

God, thank You for the rule book. It helps me to strive to be obedient to the rules that govern me during my time of passing thru this valley of the shadow of death. While obeying it, it helps me grow a heart conditioned to obey You. My ultimate authority. Let us pray. Amen. May I obey Your holy divine word 1st & foremost in my heart & soul. Amen. Unite my heart to fear Your name eternally, Amen.

God, may You be praised for those You ordained to be employed by the Dept. of Corrections. We know that You would have C/Os, wardens, social workers, HSU staff, psychologists, teachers, chefs, dentists, nurses, eye Drs, Drs, to be saved, even those at records & those on the infamous parole board! God, thank You for working in their lives as well as my own. God, thank You for the times You used the staff to speak a blessing over my life. The times You used them to give me words of encouragement & hope. The shared smiles... stories... intellect... wisdom... understanding... the fellowship. 'Cause You even have "people" who work in prisons, which I know is all part of the plan to have the gospel preached to the uttermost parts of the earth. Welcome to the dungeon. Praise You for the moments when You moved their heart to allow me to do things that were in accordance with Your will - LOVE - like giving me permission to give a brother something to eat, to read, to wear... Thank You for the opportunities You gave me, gave us as You granted us favor in men's & women's eyes. Letting me roam the prison grounds to minister to the lost & broken. Amen. God, we also thank You for loving & desiring that Judges & DAs come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ...

Thank You, God, for Between the Bars & prisoner friendly organizations & businesses that aren't trying to hustle prisoners out of the lil finances they do get. Amen. God, bless said ventures with the finances they need to stay up & running. Bless them with grants & human resources, & $ to pay the staff employed by them. So be it in Your perfect divine time, though You have no concept of time.

Speaking of time, God, I praise You for the day when TIME will be no longer...

REVELATION 10:6
&
REVELATION 22:5