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147 Bible Verses about Visiting Prisoners
Hebrews 13:3 says, "Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." Think about that for a second. It really makes you consider how important it is to show compassion to those who are struggling.
Visiting someone in prison is a powerful act of love, one that reflects a heart aligned with God's. It's about refusing to be indifferent to the needs of others, being ready to bring hope to places where many believe it can't exist. It's a chance to offer peace and restoration.
So many people in prison are fighting internal battles, grappling with guilt and despair. They're in desperate need of emotional, spiritual, and practical support to rebuild their lives. Sometimes, they feel like their only option is to end it all. That's where we, as children of God, come in. We can bring light to those dark places where negativity tries to take over.
The Bible reminds us that we're all sinners in need of God's grace. When we offer words of encouragement to those in prison, we're acknowledging that everyone, even those who have made mistakes, has the potential for redemption and can find God's forgiveness.
When you visit someone in prison, you become a witness to powerful stories of transformation. I can tell you, the words you share, even the simplest ones, can touch the hardest heart. People can encounter God and change their lives forever. I invite you to be a part of making the world a better place, one changed life at a time.
Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them, and those ill-treated as though you too felt their torment.
For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly had a better and lasting possession.
The spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives, and the freeing of prisoners,
to open blind eyes, to release prisoners from dungeons, those who live in darkness from prisons.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed,
I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and then related how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place.
vindicates the oppressed, and gives food to the hungry. The Lord releases the imprisoned.
in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners, and to set free those condemned to die,
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
When the time for them to be rescued comes,” says the Lord who rules over all, “I will rescue you from foreign subjugation. I will deliver you from captivity. Foreigners will then no longer subjugate them.
to open blind eyes, to release prisoners from dungeons, those who live in darkness from prisons.
And now, I will break Assyria’s yoke bar from your neck; I will tear apart the shackles that are on you.”
The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the earth will yield its crops. They will live securely on their land; they will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly praying to God for him.
Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
They sat in utter darkness, bound in painful iron chains,because they had rebelled against God’s commands, and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king.So he used suffering to humble them; they stumbled and no one helped them up.They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.He brought them out of the utter darkness, and tore off their shackles.Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love, and for the amazing things he has done for people!For he shattered the bronze gates, and hacked through the iron bars.
I relied completely on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help.I have not failed to tell about your justice; I spoke about your reliability and deliverance; I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness.O Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me. May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me!For innumerable dangers surround me. My sins overtake me so I am unable to see; they outnumber the hairs of my head so my strength fails me.Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me! O Lord, hurry and help me!May those who are trying to snatch away my life be totally embarrassed and ashamed! May those who want to harm me be turned back and ashamed!May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be humiliated and disgraced!May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you! May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May the Lord be praised!”I am oppressed and needy! May the Lord pay attention to me! You are my helper and my deliverer! O my God, do not delay!He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing.
Open your mouth on behalf of those unable to speak, for the legal rights of all the dying.Open your mouth, judge in righteousness, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
No, this is the kind of fast I want. I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke.I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood!
But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him.He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.
But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?
Deliver those being taken away to death, and hold back those slipping to the slaughter.
But when you host an elaborate meal, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.Then you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
They cried out to the Lord in their distress; he delivered them from their troubles.He brought them out of the utter darkness, and tore off their shackles.Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love, and for the amazing things he has done for people!For he shattered the bronze gates, and hacked through the iron bars.
How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly! When trouble comes, the Lord delivers him.As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up, so I can pay them back!”By this I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity; you allow me permanent access to your presence.The Lord God of Israel deserves praise in the future and forevermore! We agree! We agree!May the Lord protect him and save his life! May he be blessed in the land! Do not turn him over to his enemies!The Lord supports him on his sickbed; you completely heal him from his illness.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of the prisoners were listening to them.Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose.When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped.But Paul called out loudly, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas.Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was Greek.Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house.At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away.The jailer brought them into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household.
You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. Then your light will dispel the darkness, and your darkness will be transformed into noonday.
Free me from prison, that I may give thanks to your name. Because of me the godly will assemble, for you will vindicate me.
John answered them, “The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.”
May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my imprisonment.But when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me.
The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the Lord, and the Lord will repay him for his good deed.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,Suddenly there was a severe earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled away the stone and sat on it.teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it.
Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
From the deep water I cry out to you, O Lord.O Lord, listen to me! Pay attention to my plea for mercy!
And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works,not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.
When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do.
If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food,and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it?
For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people.If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the confirming sign of my apostleship in the Lord.To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) to gain those under the law.To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God’s law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law.To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.
As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Throw your burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the godly to be upended.
He gives strength to those who are tired; to the ones who lack power, he gives renewed energy.
So he answered them, “Go tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them.
And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all.
A generous person will be enriched, and the one who provides water for others will himself be satisfied.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.“Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”
I mention Rahab and Babylon to my followers. Here are Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia. It is said of them, “This one was born there.”
The Lord protects those residing outside their native land; he lifts up the fatherless and the widow, but he opposes the wicked.
Lord, you have heard the request of the oppressed; you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer.
So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do.You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”Then Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?”The Lord replied, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time?Blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he returns.I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions.But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in returning,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat, drink, and get drunk,then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful.That servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked will receive a severe beating.But the one who did not know his master’s will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.“I have come to bring fire on the earth – and how I wish it were already kindled!But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
The Lord says, “Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he is loyal to me.When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him honor.
Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”
Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service.
For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have demonstrated for his name, in having served and continuing to serve the saints.
Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others.
The one who gives to the poor will not lack, but whoever shuts his eyes to them will receive many curses.
You are my hiding place; you protect me from distress. You surround me with shouts of joy from those celebrating deliverance. (Selah)
Even when I must walk in the midst of danger, you revive me. You oppose my angry enemies, and your right hand delivers me.
“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself.If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body – for the sake of his body, the church – what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.
He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows. God rules from his holy palace.
for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned!
For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil.
I was once young, now I am old. I have never seen a godly man abandoned, or his children forced to search for food.
Again, I tell you the truth, if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.He called a child, had him stand among them,For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”
to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you?When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps.And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink.I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The one who oppresses the poor insults his Creator, but whoever shows favor to the needy honors him.
And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, just as you are in fact doing.
He sent them an assuring word and healed them; he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped.
And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,
And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Brotherly love must continue.We have an altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from.For the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp.Therefore, to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp.We must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced.For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name.And do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect.I especially ask you to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels without knowing it.Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ,equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly.You should know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon, he will be with me when I see you.Greetings to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings.Grace be with you all.Remember those in prison as though you were in prison with them, and those ill-treated as though you too felt their torment.
For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”
How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly! When trouble comes, the Lord delivers him.
Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”The expert in religious law said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” So Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”
To the Lord I cry out; to the Lord I plead for mercy.I pour out my lament before him; I tell him about my troubles.
and has a reputation for good works: as one who has raised children, practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress – as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers,nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.
But those who wait for the Lord’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.
For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.
If you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.
Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people,
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy,so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth –and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence,for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.Do everything without grumbling or arguing,so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the worldby holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you.complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you.Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ.But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.So I hope to send him as soon as I know more about my situation,though I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon.But for now I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to me in my need.Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill.In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. But God showed mercy to him – and not to him only, but also to me – so that I would not have grief on top of grief.Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you can rejoice and I can be free from anxiety.So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.
I want you to share your food with the hungry and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. When you see someone naked, clothe him! Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood!Then your light will shine like the sunrise; your restoration will quickly arrive; your godly behavior will go before you, and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard.
Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.”
Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions.
Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’
And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good.
But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done.
“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets.“Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they?In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive.
When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.”Then he came up and touched the bier, and those who carried it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness.When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
I thank my God every time I remember you.since you are encountering the same conflict that you saw me face and now hear that I am facing.I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of youbecause of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
My flesh and my heart may grow weak, but God always protects my heart and gives me stability.
Then you will call out, and the Lord will respond; you will cry out, and he will reply, ‘Here I am.’ You must remove the burdensome yoke from among you and stop pointing fingers and speaking sinfully.