In Prison But Free

Facing a thirty-year sentence for armed robbery, this man cried out to God from his cell.

By Walter Cobb

God thought enough of me to reach out to my unworthy soul, and how I thank Him for that! I was brought up in a Christian home where the Bible was an open Book. My mother and father not only sent me to Sunday school, but also took me to Sunday school. I can recall many days, there in Anniston, Alabama, when I walked the rocky roads on the way to the House of the Lord. Unfortunately, those things did not make me a Christian, but I thank God that His Word was planted in my heart. I’m thankful I knew that John 3:16 said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

During my growing up years, I was not a rowdy child. I wasn’t one who always got into trouble with the law. Somewhere along the line, though, I started making some bad decisions. After finishing high school, I spent a brief time in the military at England Air Force Base in Alexandria, Louisiana. I was discharged from the service in August 1967 on a bad conduct discharge. After my discharge, I continued on my path of sin from one place to another. I went back to Alabama for a short while, and reunited with one of my school friends, supposedly enjoying my freedom. While there, we went on a rampage, and I went farther and farther into a wicked life. I didn’t intend to go that far into sin, but I just couldn’t help myself. Soon I found myself back in Louisiana, where I began to roam the streets. Finally, I ended up in Long Beach, California, with the authorities of Louisiana looking for me for armed robbery and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

Sentenced to thirty years

One night, after coming home from the theater, I stepped into my apartment to find the authorities waiting for me. They extradited me to the State of Louisiana, where I was sentenced to thirty years for armed robbery. It was almost unbearable to realize that, at the age of twenty, I was facing thirty years in jail. As I entered the prison, I began to think about home. My parents and my pastor kept in touch with me, and I knew they were praying for me. They would send me Gospel tracts from the Apostolic Faith church, and I would always read them.

One day, I decided to retain a lawyer to get my name on the Pardon Board list. After they ran the ad in the newspaper for me, which was the procedure, they told me to send $500 for the retainer fee. I did not have $500 and did not feel I could ask my parents for that much money. Instead of the lawyer getting the $500 and representing me before the Pardon Board, I sat down one day and wrote thirteen reasons why I should be pardoned. I cannot remember those thirteen reasons today, but I sent them to the Pardon Board. Within weeks, members from the Pardon Board in Louisiana interviewed me. I had served almost ten years of my sentence, and because of the age I was when I went in and overcrowding in the prison, they released me. My rap sheet was very long by that time, but I thank God that someone was still praying for me.

Unfortunately, I was more corrupt when I got out than when I went in. There had been no rehabilitation for me in that prison. After my release, I returned home to Alabama, where I realized that I still hadn’t had enough of the street life. I went to Georgia, and in approximately sixteen months, I was sent to the Georgia Department of Corrections for theft, and breaking and entering. Once more, I found myself behind bars. After serving my time, I was released in October 1980. I said, “Well, I’ll go back to Alabama now, and perhaps I’ll get a wife.” That is what I did.

After being married a little while, my job was taken from me. That meant I had to do something else to take care of my family. I remember the Thanksgiving evening when my baby boy was about two months old. While we were eating, my friend came by and we left the house to go commit crime to take care of our drug habit. I didn’t make it back to the streets after that. The police caught us, though we tried to outrun them. We stood before the judge and he gave me fifteen years.

God used my desperate situation

I had four or five other cases pending, and God used my desperate situation to finally get my attention. One night, while in the Jefferson County Jail, they had a church call. Instead of going to church that night, I got on my knees in my cell. I cried out to Jesus for salvation: “Lord, if You’ll save my soul, I’ll live for You.” The Lord came in and I knew I was saved. From that day to this, things have been different for me, because Jesus changed my heart. He took the drug needle out; He took the alcohol; He took the cigarettes; He took the lying tongue; He took the robbery; He took the lusts; He took every evil craving. He took it all away and washed me in His Blood. I’m grateful for that. Still, though the Lord had saved me, I had fifteen years hanging over my head.

The first couple of days after that, my friends would come by my cell and bring me cigarettes. Sometimes they would put them by my pillow while I lay there. I could smell the tobacco, but I would not touch it. After three days, I was convinced that the desires were gone. I began praying to God for sanctification. God showed me that I needed to separate myself from situations around me. As I began to consecrate myself for service for the Lord, He came in and sanctified my soul. He cleansed me from within. Then I started seeking for power on my life.

I didn’t have anywhere to pray as I wanted, but the Lord made it possible for me to work for the Warden. When he decided to plant a garden, I was told to work in the garden, and that is where the Lord baptized me with the Holy Ghost and fire—behind the garden shack. As I got on my knees that day, seeking power on my life, the Lord came in, took my tongue, and I spoke in another language. He gave me power for effective witnessing! Power for service! I thank God for that wonderful day when He spoke through me. I remember it as though it were yesterday. I wrote to my mother and told her what had happened. When she came to see me, she knew the Lord had changed my heart.

God worked on my behalf

God continued to work on my behalf. I was assigned to a work release program in Birmingham, Alabama. I drove a van for that program, taking inmates to places where they were assigned to work. That gave me the opportunity to drive by the house of the Lord sometimes and wave to the saints of God. One day, after returning to the prison, I found out that the Parole Officer had been looking for me. I was certain that they had a mix-up in the name, but the following week, the Parole Officer came looking for me again. He told me that two of the officers wrote good things to the Parole Board about me. The Parole Officer told me that he was sure I would be released. He was right. I was released in October 1986, and I’ve been going to church ever since.

I thank God for His faithfulness to me. I thank Him for how He has kept me. He reunited my home. I have a wonderful wife and two sons, and I am grateful to God for each of them. God has given me a wonderful church family. The family of God showed me nothing but love when I got out of prison. God taught me how to go to work, and how to hold on to a job. It is hard work, but I enjoy doing it, and I thank God for it.

I shudder to think of the life that I once lived, but I am proof that God can change lives. He changed mine! The Lord has blessed me and has brought me a long way since the day He wiped my slate clean. We have to face many oppositions on life’s journey, but I thank God that He takes care of every one of them. I love the Lord with all my heart and I recommend Him to anybody.

Walter Cobb is the pastor of the Apostolic Faith Church in Birmingham, Alabama.