Day 12 - 40 Days of Prayer - Rich Cooper

God’s name is a place of protection –
good people can run there and be safe (Proverbs 18:10)

What fears have you about life?
What fears have you about the life of the church?
What fears have you about anything?

Sometimes the people who are most in need of encouragement are the people whose lives are filled with encouragement for others. I’ve found that to be one of the primary responsibilities for a pastor or a pastor to pastors. It seems that we each spend many hours encouraging the life and work of other presbyters, sessions, and churches.
Proverbs 18:10 speaks directly to us when we are overwhelmed with the many trials that face our church leaders, those people tasked with great responsibility for Christ’s earthly kingdom. Just at the point of feeling overwhelmed, or even just “whelmed,” we should remind ourselves (and those around us) that among all that God is, God is a protector! In God’s name we find safety; we find solace; we find relief from fear!
Of course we all know that! We just forgot for that moment when we felt the world choking our energy and stifling our faith. Read again Proverbs. There is a chapter for each day of the month. You may be reminded of many practical things for life. You may be reminded of how God is the protector of your life.

Rich Cooper
Executive Presbyter
Western Kentucky Presbytery