I’ve been in prison, and I don’t mind talking about it.

Of course, I was wrongly accused—but that didn’t shorten my sentence. It was dark, lonely, and frustrating.

Before you start wondering what crime I committed, I should clarify: I’m not talking about a jail.

I’m talking about a season of life when I felt stuck.

It was one of those times when nothing seemed to move forward. Doors stayed closed. Opportunities never materialized. Prayers felt unanswered. I knew God had put dreams in my heart, but from where I stood, they seemed farther away than ever.

Maybe calling it a prison is a bit dramatic, but that’s honestly what it felt like. Have you ever been there? Passed over for something you worked hard for? Overlooked by people you thought would notice? Waiting on God to do something while it seems like everyone else is moving ahead?

I have.

And if I’m honest, I didn’t always handle it well. There were days when I was discouraged, frustrated, and tempted to believe God had forgotten me.

That’s one reason I relate so much to Joseph.

Joseph’s prison wasn’t a metaphor—it was real. He was falsely accused, thrown into prison, and left there for years. The dreams God had given him must have seemed impossible from behind those prison walls.

Yet Joseph kept showing up.

He continued to serve. He continued to work. He continued to trust God, even when his circumstances gave him every reason not to.

One day, two new prisoners arrived with troubling dreams. Joseph noticed their distress and offered to help. After God gave him the interpretation, Joseph made a simple request: “Remember me when you get out.”

The problem was, they forgot.

At least for a while.

Two more years passed before Joseph’s name was mentioned again. Two years of waiting. Two years of wondering. Two years that probably felt like forever.

But God hadn’t forgotten.

At exactly the right time, Joseph was remembered, released, and elevated to a position far beyond anything he could have imagined. What looked like a delay was actually preparation.

When I look back on my own “prison seasons,” I can see some of the same lessons God was teaching me.

1. Be faithful where you are.

Joseph didn’t wait until he got out of prison to give his best. He served faithfully right where he was. Looking back, some of my greatest growth happened during seasons I was desperately trying to escape. God was developing character, patience, and trust long before He changed my circumstances.

2. Don’t become so focused on your own struggles that you miss opportunities to help others.

Joseph noticed the needs of the people around him, even while carrying his own disappointments. I’ve discovered that some of God’s greatest blessings come when we choose to serve others in the middle of our own waiting.

3. Keep giving God the credit.

Joseph never made the story about himself. He pointed people to God every chance he got. I’ve learned that when God finally opens a door, it’s much more fulfilling to celebrate what He has done than what I’ve accomplished.

If you’re in a prison season right now, I want to encourage you with something I’ve had to remind myself of many times:

Just because you’re waiting doesn’t mean God is absent.

Just because the door hasn’t opened doesn’t mean He’s forgotten.

Just because the dream hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it never will.

God was working in Joseph’s prison long before Joseph could see it, and He’s working in your situation too.

I’ve seen Him turn delays into opportunities, disappointments into growth, and closed doors into unexpected blessings. That’s why I’ve learned to trust His timing, even when I don’t understand it.

So don’t let your prison become a place of discouragement. Let it become a place of preparation.

God knows exactly where you are, and when the time is right, He knows how to open doors no one else can.