Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of LoveWheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Religion
Prisons and Prayer; Or, a Labor of Love
Wheaton, Elizabeth Ryder
Evangelistic work; Prisons
But I was not led into this work by any morbid sentimentalism or
enthusiasm. These would have worn off when the novelty was gone. No,
this work was given me of God, who Himself laid the burden of the
convict world upon my heart. Day and night there came up before me the
cry of despair from inside prison walls--the wail of woe from those in
dungeons whose hearts were breaking and whose minds were shattered and
whose souls were lost in despair, and the call came direct from the
mouth of the Lord, "Go and stand in the breach! Tell them of a
Savior's love--of a way of escape through the blood of Jesus Christ,
who is mighty to save and strong to deliver them from the snares of
the enemy that has sought to destroy them soul and body. Tell them
there is deliverance for the captive. Tell them there is consolation
in the gospel of Christ for those who are heart-broken and forsaken
and forgotten by all but an omnipotent God. Tell them that God lives
and rules and reigns in heaven and is able to save to the uttermost
and to comfort in their dying hours with the hope of eternal life
beyond this vale of tears."
But how could I go? The Lord Himself showed me how to go and where to
go and that I was to leave results to Him and He would give the
increase--that He would multiply the bread and fish for the hungry
multitudes--He would feed the famished souls to whom He sent me, just
as when He walked this sin-cursed earth--that He was the same
yesterday, today and forever. I saw that my life must be entirely and
forever surrendered to the Lord for His service, and that my future
was to be left entirely in the hands of the Master whose I am and
whom I serve.
Thus the call came day after day and night after night until I believe
I should have gone insane had I not then and there yielded my time and
talent, all I had or ever would have, to the service of Christ to go
just when and where He would have me go, do as He would have me do,
and trust Him for my support. I was shown that I would never come to
want. I was made to understand that these poor unfortunates in prison
were just as dear to God's heart as I was and that souls would be
required at my hands were I to fail to comply with the commission to
go and lift up the fallen and comfort the dying and relieve those
distressed in body and mind. I was made to know that there was power
in prayer and that God could save the very lowest criminal or the
worst woman on earth and by the transforming influence of the Holy
Spirit and the cleansing blood of Jesus, save, purify and sanctify and
lift them up even within the pearly gates of heaven; and that instead
of devils in human form, they could be made saints that could take up
the glad refrain unto Him that had redeemed them and washed them in
his own blood and made them kings and priests unto God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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