Michael’s faith journey began during one of the darkest times of his life. “I was living a very sinful life,” he recalls. “I was selling drugs and weapons inside the prison. One day, a guy cut in front of me in the chow line, and we got into a fight.” After serving his time in solitary confinement, or “the hole,” Michael was moved to a new cell, where his path to transformation would begin.
At first, Michael’s heart was hardened. His new cellmate was a Christian, but Michael had no interest in anything religious. Trying to assert dominance, he hung up “wicked pictures” all around his cell. “I thought it would bother him,” Michael admits. “But he didn’t say anything about the photos; he just prayed all the time.”
Michael’s life was marked by violence and bitterness, and religion seemed distant and irrelevant. But his new cellmate wasn’t pushy or judgmental. One day, out of sheer boredom, Michael accepted his cellmate’s offer to read a book. The book, written by Joyce Meyer, brought him to tears—something he hadn’t experienced in years. “I read it, and then I read another one,” he remembers.
Not long after, Michael’s birthday came around. His cellmate must have told someone, because that day, Christian brothers from the prison brought him snacks and a cake. “I had tears in my eyes,” Michael says. “I wasn’t used to that kind of kindness.” This simple gesture of love and grace touched Michael deeply.
Afterward, his cellmate gave him a Bible. “God told me to give this to you,” he explained. Michael started reading it, slowly at first, but something began to shift in his heart. “I started to see that God wasn’t like what I’d been taught before. He wasn’t distant or angry; He was loving. I gave my life to Christ.”
The transformation didn’t happen overnight, and Michael is the first to admit that he still struggles with temptations. “I still have moments when I sin, and I fight against things like lust and anger. But I know that God forgives me, and He loves me.” Over time, Michael stopped selling drugs and weapons in the prison, took down his inappropriate photos, and started attending Bible studies. He even participated in a four-day retreat with other believers, where he says he “broke down and cried like a baby,” fully surrendering his life to God.
In 2019, Michael enrolled in Crossroads’ mentorship program. Through the lessons he completed, the relationships he formed, and the steady encouragement from Christian mentors, Michael found a new sense of hope and purpose. “I’m not perfect, but I trust God every day. I know He’s working in me, even when I mess up.”
Michael’s story is one of many examples of how God is transforming lives in prisons around the world. Will you be a part of stories like Michael’s? Crossroads Prison Ministries relies on the support of generous partners like you to continue reaching men and women behind bars with the hope of the Gospel. Your gift can provide life-changing mentorship, Bible study materials, and the chance for someone like Michael to discover the love and forgiveness of Christ.
Join us today in sharing hope with people who are incarcerated. Please prayerfully consider donating now or giving your time as a volunteer mentor and being a part of this transformative work.