Why Christians Should Be Praying for Other Believers Who Work in the Criminal Justice System

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

“But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." – The Apostle Paul, Romans 5:20

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     I know this all too well: The world we live in is an evil place. It wasn’t created to be evil, but since that great fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden evil abounds.

     Yet, as Christians, we know that where evil abounds, grace abounds all the more. (Romans 5:20) Our hope is not in this world, but in the truth that Jesus Christ has overcome the world and is now seated at the right hand of God. (John 16:33). For this reason we need not despair over evil.

     And while I don’t subscribe to all the atheistic philosophies of Mr. Nietzsche, I do believe one can get sucked into a veritable vortex of sin by staring too long into the evil that seems to have run amok as people kill, assault, rape, terrorize, steal, lie and cheat as a way of life.
      What about the people who are called to fight these “monsters” in the real world. What kind of effect must evil have on these real life “dragon slayers”? Especially the believers who work in the criminal justice system? Do you ever consider the critical need they must have for prayers of safety, encouragement and spiritual guidance? Also, consider their need for consistent fellowship with other believers as many of them give much of their time (including Sundays when other believers are in church) in service to our communities, many putting their very lives on the line each and every day. This year it’s been my privilege to work alongside many of them and see what they see, if not first hand through photos and reports.
      Since beginning my job in January of this year as a case clerk in the Pulaski County (Arkansas) Prosecuting Attorney’s office, I’ve been privy to criminal case information on every kind of human evil imaginable – murder, rape, assault, child pornography, domestic battery, theft, arson, child abuse, and drunk driving -- just to name a few. As part of my work, I’ve seen crime scene, evidence and autopsy photos. I’ve read through statements from suspects, witnesses and victims filled with graphic, obscene and vulgar detail. And at the end of the day I’ve come home from work feeling like I needed a long, hot, decontaminating shower just to wash off the stench of the day. That alone is enough to make a believer truly weary for heaven. I can’t imagine working in the middle of it daily.
     Working in the criminal justice system can be lonely. I haven’t found a whole lot of believers working in it so far. It can also be a hostile work environment for those of us who do believe. Many unbelievers there are not only closed to the sharing of the Gospel but downright hostile toward the messenger.
     I don’t make excuses for such people, but I do think that when a person brushes up against so much evil every day it’s hard to believe there is any Power in the universe strong enough to defeat it. It’s somehow easier to believe that you are the only line of defense in the fight against it, or worse, you just lose hope altogether.
      After saying all that and at the expense of sounding like a raving mad woman, I have to say that I love my job. I believe it my current calling and that God has a plan for my life here. In some ways I feel like I was born to do my job.
     While I’m no idealist, I’m still just “Pollyanna” enough to believe that we as criminal justice professionals speak for and help the victims. The “rush” for me comes in knowing that I get to be one of the so-called “good guys”. It does, however, take a toll.
      It’s hard to find a balance between my spiritual life and my work life. As I spend more time working and less time fellowshiping with other believers, it’s easier to give in to the world’s way of thinking and acting. In fact, the world’s way can begin to make sense and even seem right as I spend more and more time with worldly people. The question becomes: “Hey, where have all my Christian friends gone?” then morphs into a deeper question: “Where has God gone?”
     I feel the tug of the world, inches at a time, which slowly pulls me into a drift away from God’s will. Long stressful working days lead to weariness which makes for an easier choice to not spend time with the Holy One who desires to have a relationship with me. This “drift” leads to feelings of emptiness, loneliness and even shame. (“Has God deserted me?” “Does He still love me?” “How could He love me?”)
     The power of prayer in a believer’s life avails much. The power of prayer on a believer’s life is a gift of grace from the one who prays. The power of prayer on the life of a believer who spends much time serving and/or working in a dark place is essential to his or her spiritual survival. I believe that with all my heart. If people aren’t praying for me, I feel as if I’m falling deeper. Think of all those who work on our streets, in our courts and in our jails and detention centers. Then pray for them as you feel the conviction because one or more of these most surely needs it at the time you are convicted.

I woke up a couple of days ago after a week of working on a particularly difficult case feeling weary, lonely and empty. My relationship with God seemed almost like a distant memory because of a severe lack of time spent with Him. As I pondered the “anemic” state of my faith, I wondered if God still loved me then as much as He loved me when I was seeking His face with all my heart. I wondered whether my Christian friends would still care for me if they knew how far I’d fallen.
     Yet my God is still faithful. I know that as I write this. He still speaks in His still, small voice into my life, even while I’m weary and lacking in so many ways because of my own spiritual delinquency.
     God is my only hope. I need His power to make it through not just the hard days, but every day.
     As long as I’m called to this field, there are and will be days to come when I put my head down and trudge forward, wading in the muck. Every once in a while I will poke my head up and realize that my desire for all things godly has waned and my desire for the world has increased.
     My prayer for myself is that at that time of heaviness, I will also hear that still small voice whispering in my ear: “I will never leave you or forsake you,” and will feel the power of fervent prayers of other believers.
     I need these friends more than ever – to pray for me, to fellowship with me and just love me. They are one of the great reminders that God will never leave me nor forsake me. They are the ones who rebuke me, admonish me and encourage me.
     I hope you know who you are. I’ve always needed you in my life. I need you SO MUCH MORE now.