I now have peace!
At 51, John Wesley Banos has spent more than half of his life in prison - and still has another 28 years of his 60-year sentence to go. Incarcerated at 19 for aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault, he tells Challenge News he had an abusive father but got along well with his mother, two brothers and sister. He played truant from school and says that was what “started me on the wrong path in life. I was born with sticky fingers and things that did not belong to me had a way of sticking to my hand - but I never had any drug addiction.”
John was introduced to the Bible and Christianity when his mother became a Christian and shared her faith with him. He says he “did not think a lot about spiritual things” but remembers something that happened to him when he was five. “I was in the front yard and I looked at the trees, the animals, the sky and humans and I knew that there was a Creator. When I looked at my mom’s car and my dad’s pickup truck I knew that they were created by someone even though I didn’t know who they were.”
Then when he was 16 John says he believes he was protected by an angel though he did not realize it at the time. In fact, John says he heard the Gospel message (that Jesus Christ died for humanity’s sins) almost his whole life but had never understood it. It wasn’t until he hit rock bottom emotionally and “felt miserable” that he turned to God in 1990.
At 20 years old “I prayed ‘Yahweh (the Hebrew name for God) and I believe that Yeshua (Jesus) died on Calvary for me. I ask Him to come into my heart and redeem me. I pray for this in the name of Yeshua, amen.’ ”
Since then John says he has matured in many ways and has grown stronger spiritually. “God filled me [with His Spirit] and then guided me in my thought process and I matured spiritually and mentally as I learned the truth about all issues from the Bible.” Some of the truths are to do with proof of creation and Biblical accounts of events. “Creation declares a Creator,” he says. “Numerous archaeology finds have verified the accuracy and truthfulness of the Bible. They found solid evidence of Sodom being destroyed by intense heat. The Bible is 100 per cent correct. Jesus died at Calvary for us so that we can be redeemed and restored back in a spiritual relationship with the Father. But you must walk in faith.”
As for his personal development, John admits that he felt he is constantly tested and offers this insight for other prisoners. “You are in a difficult spot right now, but the Father is more concerned with your personality and character, and prison permits you to be free of distractions so that you can grow and mature in His love, holiness and righteousness. You will obtain a wonderful peace inside. I speak from 32 years of experience.” John says he had to learn to forgive many people along the way to attain this sense of peace. “I had to forgive the corrupt officials who are keeping me incarcerated for a crime I am innocent of, and to forgive corrupt prison guards. I also pray for more compassion for people.” While maintaining his innocence, John believes he is in prison by the will of God for his own greater good and God’s glory. ●
Challenge Newspaper - July 2022 prison edition
