It is always an encouragement to know that we are prayed for by our friends. I’ve always been inspired by the Apostle Paul’s letters, in that he often took the time to let his friends know that he was praying for them, and just exactly what it was that he was praying about. And I believe that Paul also used his prayers to teach his flock with firmness, conviction, grace, and mercy.
"It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9-11)
Letter writing seems like it has become a lost art for a variety of reasons, but mostly due to technology. This is one of the reasons why I’m thankful that we still rely heavily upon letter writing in the Kairos prison ministry. Writing forty-two handwritten letters of love and encouragement to incarcerated men you’ve never met is an amazing spiritual exercise for me. I always come away with a fresh and new perspective on my own life, and I learn many lessons about myself along the way as well. I grow closer to God in the many hours of writing. And I learn about how hard it is to stay focused on my thoughts and message as I get to about mid-way into the forty-two letters, especially when I consider that I'm struggling to focus from the relative comfort of my office. Imagine trying to focus in the same way from a prison cell.
When I first began serving in the Kairos ministry, I was expecting that I’d appreciate most the part of the teaming process where we share our testimony as a group, because I’ve always enjoyed sharing my thoughts about God and my life of faith among my friends, but what I didn’t expect were the blessings I’d end up experiencing after I began receiving return letters of encouragement from the incarcerated Kairos graduates.
If I'm being honest, I suppose I felt like it was going to be a one-way conversation, almost as if I were the teacher and they were the students. Maybe I felt a little like I was the Apostle Paul, but many times now I have been humbled by their amazing examples of Christian love, spiritual awareness and encouragement. And I realize that it's more likely that they better represent the Apostle Paul. How arrogant of me to have not realized that the same Holy Spirit that is operating in me, and through my letters, is also working in them. It's often a humbling experience to write letters to Christians who are incarcerated, and I'm thankful for it all.
As I'm typing this devotion, I'm inspired by a recent email from a long time Kairos friend (yes, we use the new technology) from the DOC JPAY system email service.
My friend begins his letter to me with, "Blessed Day Brother Michael"
This is another feature of the ministry I love; we truly see each other as brothers in Christ. I feel like we're living the New Testament exhortation...
1Peter 3:8-9 "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."
My friend goes on to talk about the ongoing lockdown that seems to have no end. On lockdown there is typically no movement, very limited visitation, and no religious services. It's truly a dark time for our friends and for our ministry. My friend talks about how this is testing his patience, and how he leans on finding understanding and hope in scripture. He said he finds hope in what Paul said in Romans 5:3-4.
Romans 5:3-4 "...we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope."
And he's striving to keep his focus on Jesus, his life and work by reflecting upon 1 Peter 2:18-25.
18 "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully."
My brother and friend Jameson is currently facing surgery and would appreciate our prayers. Please pray for his recovery and his spiritual wellbeing.
Another Kairos graduate comes to my mind as I write this, he continues to surprise me with his letters that always seem to focus on my need for encouragement instead of his own. His name is Wayne and he’s been incarcerated since he was seventeen, nearly forty years now. In his most recent letter to me he wrote to tell me that they had moved him to a different prison, but he then followed that with three pages, doubled sided, in detail, of all the prayers he was giving up to God for all the Kairos team members and their families various troubles that he was aware of.
What a blessing it was for me to read the following:
“Mike, to me you have always been my role model, not only as a Christian man, but as a true and real friend, because as you know, behind prison bars they are rare…you better believe that I took everything you said to heart, you are a “rare one” Mike.”
The day I received that letter was a particularly crummy day and I had been going through some really difficult stuff. I really needed that letter that day. Amazing the power of the ministry of letter writing and encouragement. So often very timely and just what the doctor ordered. Just when you get to feeling like no one cares or even cares to know, God sends his angels with a message of love and hope to build up our spirits. These Christian angels are truly rare, and it shouldn't be that way. Everyone who calls Jesus, Lord and God, is tasked with this business. EVERYONE.
“Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
(Hebrews 3:13)
Encouragement is so important to the church; God doesn’t merely recommend it; he explicitly commands it (1 Thess. 4:18, 5:11; Heb. 3:13). Jesus warned that “in this world you will have trouble." We live in a broken world where everything calls us toward selfishness and despair. Sin steals joy, our bodies break down, our plans falter, our dreams die, our resolves weaken, our perspective dims. We are promised suffering (1 Pet. 4:12), persecution (John 15:20; 2 Tim. 3:12), and trials of various kinds (James 1:2-3). And in the face of all that Jesus intends that we all join together in the battle of the mind against the demonic spirits that seek our destruction. He has gifted every Christian with the spirit of love and compassion so that we would fellowship together in that Spirit as we encourage one another and pray intercession against the demon spirits.
If you struggle with this mission, pray for God to make you an encourager. Ask him to give you a heart that loves others and for the creativity to know how to show it. Ask him to help you die to your self-centeredness and instead grow in a desire to build others up. God delights in helping his people obey his commands, we can trust that his Spirit will teach us how to bless others for his glory and for their spiritual wellness.
Become a rare one.