“Lord, Send Me to Prison: How the Lord Answered Two Men’s Prayers

BY TOM STANCZAK
In our 26 years of ministry in Poland, we have held evangelistic Bible studies with many people—whether very educated, illiterate, orphaned, homeless, or well to do. God is no respecter of persons, so why should we be? Over the last 10 years, I have had a desire deep in my heart to take the Gospel into the prison too. So, one day, I began asking God to open the right doors.
During this time, He was also working in the heart of an inmate in Wrocław. After many years in prison, Sobek (name changed for privacy) started to open himself up to Jehovah’s Witnesses, but the Lord protected him. Later, his girlfriend recommended he read the Bible, and he got saved. He shared his newfound joy with everyone, so much so that the prison workers grew uncomfortable. “Quit talking about Jesus like that if you ever want to leave this prison,” they told him. Instead of being scared, Sobek prayed, with great determination, that someone from the outside would come to study the Bible with him.
This past summer, God answered our prayers! I got a call from a pastor who had learned of Sobek and wondered if I would be willing to help. I asked our assembly for prayer, and Lukasz, a new believer, immediately wanted to join me. After months of red tape, we received the required permission.
At our first meeting, in November 2023, only Sobek and one other man joined. But, the next week, nine attended, and soon after, 15–20 inmates were gathering every Saturday afternoon to study the Gospel of John. Over the last few months, we have regularly had up to 15 inmates, mostly seekers from Roman Catholic backgrounds.