NFL Quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara visited a maximum security prison to pray and sing with more than 300 incarcerated men last week.
Everglades Correctional Institution in Miami, Florida opened its doors to allow Russell to lead a prayer and Ciara to sing, according to The Daily Mail.
The God Behind Bars ministry posted a video clip of the Wilsons’ visit to the prison on Instagram, writing: “27 incarcerated men gave their lives to Jesus inside of a maximum security prison. 300 incarcerated men filled the prison chapel to hear a word from @dangerusswilson.”
“He opened the night in Isaiah, ‘Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.’ – Isaiah 43:19,” the ministry wrote.
“That is exactly what Jesus did in this prison. After this moment, the prison chapel began to erupt in worship and praise. The voices of the incarcerated were so loud, it felt like it could be heard by the entire prison. In a place so easily filled with so much division, there was a moment where Incarcerated men put their arms around each other and prayed for those struggling with anxiety and depression,” the ministry’s post continued.
“After @ciara sang WAYMAKER, men came to the front and wept, giving their lives to Jesus. Many of these men are serving life sentences in prison, but now they will be spending LIFE with Jesus. It is hard to put words into what happened but it was a night of UNITY, PRAISE, and SALVATION! We will never be the same!” the post said.
“God is bringing revival to prisons! Jesus is doing a NEW THING,” the ministry added.
Russell also posted a video clip of the prison worship service to Instagram, writing: “Lord there’s nothing better than YOU!!! Over 300 Maximum Prison Inmates worshipping Jesus! His Grace and Spirit is overwhelming in the midst of mistakes He still loves and forgives.”
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 NIV,” Wilson added.
Since 2009, God Behind Bars has worked to restore the lives of inmates, by building their faith, during incarceration and after their release. The ministry currently has 15 prison church campuses located in 15 states across the country.
As CBN News reported in September, God Behind Bars saw more than 450 inmates baptized in 2022.
God Behind Bars said at the time “Jesus is moving in POWER!” after the number of inmates accepting salvation has more than quadrupled since 2021.
“In comparison, last year, (2021) only 90 were baptized,” the organization wrote on Facebook. “The gospel is spreading like we have never seen in prisons. Jesus is moving in POWER! Many prisons were shut down last year but this verse has been our promise… ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives – Gen 50:20′”.
“We create satellite campuses in prisons and our whole mission is to introduce inmates to Jesus,” Isaac Holt, Director of Innovation for God Behind Bars, told CBN News at the time.
“There are 3.1 million inmates every day across the nation and that’s a huge group of people. We believe we can reach almost all of them,” he shared.
God Behind Bars also helps inmates return to society by helping them find jobs, housing, and education opportunities. They help them reconnect with family and friends with the support of volunteers from local churches.
As CBN News has reported, God Behind Bars has created the first Christian app available for prisoners that streams sermons, worship music, and God’s Word.
The ministry created Pando in January 2021, an app that allows inmates to stream Christian content while using a prison tablet. Pando is also free to download on Google Play and the App Store so that inmates and their families can watch the same material.
God is moving powerfully among incarcerated women too. Last year, a group of 265 female inmates was baptized at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility. Many of the women gave their lives to Jesus and were baptized at that moment.
“I felt surrounded by family and that’s what made the experience significant and meaningful,” one inmate shared.
