Two of our friends joined the circle of volunteers who gathered to pray before setting up in the park. One of them offered a precious prayer of thanksgiving to our Lord for sending His son to save us and for how God has been his provider and sustainer—what a humbling way to begin our morning!

I had the privilege of meeting a young man who joined us for the first time today. Our conversation began when he asked me if I had a Bible. He wanted to look up the reference for a scripture that had gotten stuck in his mind. The verses he was searching for are Philippians 3:13-16—“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

This man shared with me how much these verses have meant to him since he was released from prison three weeks ago. As we talked, he continued to quote scripture and it overwhelmed me. He expressed a desire to not revert back to the life he once led and told me he had seen numerous men get back on the path to destruction. I reminded him that true change only comes from God and that he needed to rely on our Father and not himself or his friends. I also pointed out that he was well-equipped to deal with what comes because he has God’s word, the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6: 17), in his heart. What a challenge to me to memorize the living and active Word!

We prayed together, asking God to strengthen our spiritual walks. Please pray for my new friend. Pray that he will rely on God and God alone. Pray that he will make good choices. Pray that he will attend a Bible-believing, Christ-following church on Sunday. Most of all, pray that God will be glorified in his life.

Thank you for your involvement with this ministry and for your prayers. Soli Deo Gloria!