God Behind Locked Doors

Freedom of the Spirit Under Constraint

God Behind Locked Doors: Freedom of the Spirit Under Constraint explores how authentic faith takes root where freedom is limited and hope is tested. Drawing on years of prison ministry, pastoral reflection, and Scripture read slowly, Geoffrey Schmitt (Willingheart) invites readers inside places designed for isolation—and discovers a God who is already there.

Through reflections on prayer learned without escape, Scripture encountered at a human pace, community formed under constraint, and responsibility reclaimed one choice at a time, the book challenges the assumption that freedom of the spirit depends on freedom of circumstance. Along the way, readers meet men whose faith deepens behind bars, communities shaped by Kairos ministry, and even callings discovered before doors open—sometimes within prison walls themselves.

This is not a romantic portrait of incarceration, nor a denial of its pain. It is a witness to grace that meets people where they are, reshapes identity beyond guilt and shame, and forms the Church in unexpected places.

Written for individuals, small groups, and ministry contexts, God Behind Locked Doors speaks to anyone who has felt constrained—by circumstance, regret, waiting, or unanswered questions—and wonders where God might be found there.