Advocating for our incarcerated loved one at one time or another during their confinement is inevitable.
I learned early on as a family member on the outside that I needed to learn to find a balance between when to call the unit on behalf of my son and when to leave things alone.
On one hand, it may be beneficial for the prison staff to know that the inmate has family on the outside who care about their loved one on the inside.
But on the other hand, if the family member on the outside calls too frequently with complaints, both the family and the inmate are at risk of exasperating the staff.
Along this journey, I found ways that work better than others for when my son needs us to advocate for him. Today we will focus on the first and most crucial step I found beneficial.
Pray
Pray first! Before dialing the number, pray. Before confronting a guard, pray. Prayer takes us before the throne of grace.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV).
At the throne of grace we confidently receive mercy and find grace for our need.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV).
Before calling the prison unit, we need the peace of God in our hearts. We receive peace by lifting everything up in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 John 5:14 ESV).
We find confidence in knowing that God hears us when we ask anything according to His will.
Once we’ve laid the ground work in the spiritual realm and have received peace, then it is time to make the call.
Recently, a friend of mine whose husband is in prison shared with me that he called to inform her that he had gone four days without his medication. Each of those days a guard had instructed him to get out of the pill line and go to chow instead. After chow, the pill window was closed. He asked his wife to call the unit as when he asked about receiving his meds, he was denied.
When she called, she was transferred to another department. During the transfer, the call disconnected. She described the anger that began to swell up in her. Then she remembered she should pray.
She opened her Bible to Psalm 91 and prayed that Psalm over her husband and the situation. With peace in her heart and seeing the clock was nearing time for staff to leave, she called back and spoke to someone who said she would take care of it. Her husband called an hour later sharing that he received his meds.
She prayed according to God’s will. When we pray God’s word, that’s HIS will. She experienced the confidence and peace God would meet their needs.
Whenever we find ourselves having to advocate for our incarcerated family member, we must pray first.
In Part 2 and Part 3, I’ll share four more ways to ways to advocate for our loved ones within the system according to biblical principles.
Click here to read “Advocating for Your Loved One – Part 2.”
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Has your hope been shattered? Do you wonder how to effectively pray for your incarcerated loved one?
In Appeal to the Courtroom of Heaven, Shonda shares her testimony of how she went from shattered hope to renewed hope after her son was sentenced to state prison. She also includes more than 30 Scripture-based prayers for you to pray for yourself and your loved one.
Appeal to the Courtroom of Heaven: Petitions for Prisoners and Prison Families is Shonda’s unexpected prison family journey testimony. The Lord showed her how HE redeemed the worst-of-the-worst offenders found in the pages of the Bible and she shares how HE wants to redeem the lives of your incarcerated loved one.
Shonda’s transparency and vulnerability points to the source of HOPE for those who lost hope in the midst of despair.
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