Praying for Pastors and Football Coaches

I am not interested in being Interim Football Coach at Penn. St. University. Having been Interim Pastor for churches with similar circumstances is enough. Fortunately, most of my 22 Interims have been for good churches with good circumstances, but not all. Whether a Pastor is guilty of sexual contact with children, extra-marital sexual relations, sexual harassment, mishandling of church funds for personal gain, or abuse of the position of Pastor, sin is not limited to the secular. Nor is godly character limited to the church, I might add. I’ve known some very godly football coaches, at high school, university and professional levels. I know a young Pastor whom God is using in amazing ways. He is personable, handsome, winsome, authoritative, and has a beautiful, sweet wife. Recently, I said to him, “I want you to know specifically how I am praying for you. I’m praying that God will lead you from temptation and deliver you from evil. Satan has a target on you as big as West Texas and there are females (and males) that are available for Him to use to bring you down and destroy what God is doing through you.” He looked at me like a deer caught in headlights and said, “Thanks.” Every Pastor needs someone praying a similar prayer for them. You don’t necessarily need to tell your pastor (or a fellow pastor) that you are praying that prayer, but why not voice it this week. And, oh yes, pray for football coaches also.

Join me in praying for the following global concerns:
• Praise God for successful heart valve replacement surgery for Rich in Vancouver, Canada.
• Pray for mission personnel in Spain, who will be taking the Spanish proficiency exam this week.
• Pray for a church in Moscow that is in need of a volunteer team to teach an English camp.
• Pray for Mike and Pam, who serve in Serbia. Mike recently taught his first class at the Theological Bible School.
• Pray for Lew and Brandi, as they return to the States briefly following language study in France.