Praying for Cain
Posted on Wednesday, June 5, 2019 by
By Claire Froehlich, Juvenile Justice Ministry Chaplain
“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” ~ Jonah 4:11
So many young people have never heard the truth about God as He reveals Himself in the Bible. They do what they’ve been taught or are left trying to figure out life by themselves, not knowing right and wrong.
Jacob has been running with gangs since he was 10. A rival gang member disrespected him at a party and he flew into a rage, waited till the guys left the party, kidnapped him and killed him.
“I don’t know why I kept going…a guy with me that night kept pushing me to kill him. I can’t stop remembering that night. I started reading the Bible and I’m just like Cain. I don’t get why God just lets him off the hook. I mean, he killed his own brother!”
We talked about sin, true repentance, God’s forgiveness through Jesus on the cross and His deep desire for that forgiveness to transform and redeem us.
Still, Jacob doubts. “I don’t know if God will ever forgive me. It is so opposite to God’s love. I’m worried about my son and younger brother. I don’t want them following in my footsteps, but I can only talk to them on the phone. I don’t want prison to be the rest of my life.”
Jacob is still learning about Jesus and what it would mean to really give his life to Him. Repentance would mean turning his back on all he’s ever known, many of his relationships and stepping into a new and unfamiliar future.
Thank you for praying for Jacob and others like him who’ve never heard about Jesus and the new life He offers them. Pray he will give his life to Jesus and be transformed to be a light wherever his life takes him.
Thank you for being a part of the ongoing conversation with youth in our city and helping us share God’s story. It's our honor to be the storytellers on your behalf who meet kids right where they are and give life to their story.
Providing young people in our community with the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and become part of a local church.