5 Questions With Officer Randy Myers

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....

Today's guest is Officer Randy Myers. Officer Myers is the Founder and CEO of C.O.P.S. Ministries which is a ministry that encourages citizens to pray for law enforcement officials across the US. My daughter has been actively participating in this for a year now.

You can read Officer Myers testimony here.

And now without further delay, on to the questions:

Hi Officer Myers,

Question 1: What led you to start C.O.P.S. Ministries?

As a 20 year police veteran, I know all too well the dangers, the stress, and the lack of respect that we as police officers receive on a daily basis from the negative side of society. I know of the stress that jailer and dispatchers go through as well as the probation and parole officers. Many times police officers, jailers, 911 dispatchers, probation and parole officers are overlooked and unappreciated. I also know and understand the power of prayer and how it can save your life! I am alive today because someone was praying for me! I just wanted to be able to show the officers and other personnel that not everyone out here hate us and there are still good people in the world.

Question 2: Can you explain the ministry in a nutshell?

"C.O.P.S. Ministries" or "Citizens Obediently Praying for Safety" is a non-profit organization that is geared toward praying for the safety and well being of all Police Officers, Jailers, 911 Dispatchers, Probation and Parole Officers on a daily basis and to express our appreciation to them by sending them cards, letters or e-mails. Every law enforcement personnel who sign up with our ministry receives a FREE royal blue C.O.P.S. Ministries t-shirt after verification of their employment.

Question 3: Roughly how many officers are being prayed for through C.O.P.S. Ministries?

Currently (January 30, 2010) we are praying for over 500 police officers, jailers, 911 dispatchers, probation and parole officers.

Question 4: Are there any plans to spread beyond the US? How many states are you in right now?

Our desire is to go wherever God will lead us! We currently have families praying for us in British Columbia, CANADA and Dudley, ENGLAND and of course the US. I have been contacted by ministers and officers alike in Liberia, Nigeria and Kenya but nothing in those countries as of yet.

We are currently praying for law enforcement personnel from 35 different states in the United States with appointments to start new C.O.P.S. Ministries Chapters this year (2010) in Alaska, Ohio and Washington State. We will go to any place that God opens the door for us to go as long as HE is leading the way. We will be in the state of Washington, April 9th, 10th and 11th of 2010.

Question 5: What kind of feedback have you been getting from the Officers and participants?

Officers from all over the country have sent us e-mail, cards and letters thanking us for this ministry. Many officers have told us that because they have been prayed for they were able to walk away from close to deadly accidents or other types of calls. Officers have been struck in the head with canes, shot, been in auto accidents that should have killed them and yet are alive today to tell about their experiences. One officer was told he would never work again and yet he was back to work in 8 weeks and is currently back on patrol!

Even families who pray for these officers have contacted us and told us how much they appreciate this ministry because it gives them a chance to minister to officers and makes the families feel like they are doing something worth while. They are able to teach their children about respect for the officers and give their children a chance to communicate with the officer. The families are more better able to understand what the officers are going through as they read officers e-mails and read of their prayer requests.

If there are any churches that would like for us to come and share about what God is doing in this mission field, all they have to do is contact me. We do not charge for the presentation, we only ask that the churches help with the cost of the trip.

If there is ANY ONE who would like to pray for a police officer, jailer, 911 dispatcher, probation or parole officer, please go to our website: www.copsministry.org and click on "Join Us" and fill out the SECOND form on that page.

Thanks you very much Officer Myers.

Thank you so much for this opportunity!!! I truly appreciate you doing this for us!

There you have it. I would encourage you to check out C.O.P.S. Ministries and to sign up to pray for an law enforcement officer today!

To see past 5 Question guests, check out the rotating interview links on the sidebar.

Battleship

My daughter and I love battleship. It's a fun game where you seek and destroy your opponents ships which are hidden at sea. The fun is in the searching. As you seek to find your opponents ships you have to dig in and strategize, think, analyze, plan and implement ideas.

I find more excitement when I seek the Lord and search Him out, endeavoring to know Him more. When I think on Him, dig into His Word, etc.

A casual search of the Scriptures shows me numerous references to seeking the Lord.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

1 Chronicles 16:10
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

1 Chronicles 16:11
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 14:2
The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 27:8
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Psalm 34:10
The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Psalm 53:2
God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Psalm 119:2
Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

Psalm 119:10
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

I get excited when I read these. God is awesome. I find that I desire Him more and more. Catch the excitement! If reading these Scriptures don't get your hunger for God stirring than I must ask...are you seeking Him?

Get Out of the Boat!

My family and I are reading through the Bible in a year. While reading my Bible, I was struck again by the story of Noah. One passage in particular drew my attention.

The passage can be found in Genesis chapter 8:

In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. Then God said to Noah, "Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Genesis 8:13-16

Notice how Noah took the covering off the ark and saw that the ground was dry? He could have left then. However, he waited another month, until God told him it was time to go out of the ark. Then he left.

That got me to thinking....

How often do we see something that looks good and we step right into it before waiting for God to tell us it's ok to move? Noah could have moved right out of the Ark but waited for God's prompting. I can apply that to a current situation right now in my life. I have an exciting ministry opportunity that looks like a God thing. However, as much as I want to move on it, I know I need to hear God tell me it's the right time and place. Just because the ministry (or any situation for that matter) looks good and may even seem like a "God thing", doesn't mean He wants us to step into it. He might want us to wait for the right opportunity, or send us in a whole different direction.

The key is to wait on God. Go when He says Go and not one minute before.

Out of Control - Just A Thought #38

I should have known better.

The road conditions were not the best, but I thought I had things under control. I thought that if I kept my eyes open and paid attention nothing bad would happen. I was about to find out how terribly wrong my assumptions were.

The day started off normal. I was running around with my job, trying to accomplish all that I needed to get done. I had to travel to another town and asked my wife if she wanted to ride with me. She was kind of busy but also asked me if I really NEEDED to go. That should have been my first warning. I'd had an uneasy feeling that day anyway but attributed it to nervous excitement about my new job which took me back and forth between 2 towns. When I called my assistant to give some last minute instructions she also asked me if I NEEDED to go that day. I stressed how I needed to go gather time sensitive paperwork from my other office.

Heading up Hungry Hill, I was nearing the peak when my van began to fishtail when I hit a patch of ice. Back and forth the vehicle started rocking. Then just as suddenly I did a complete 360 across 3 lanes of highway. My only thought was to cry out to God. After spinning twice, the vehicle skidded 20 feet off the highway. I was amazingly calm. That is, I was calm until I left the vehicle and a semi truck kicked a rock up that hurtled 20 feet and hit me in the wrist, about a foot from my head. Then the shaking started. I began praising God for His protection.

Sometimes it seems that life has to go out of control before we turn to God. He calls us, woos us, gives us warnings, yet we get so busy and caught up with life that things seem, if not beyond our control, definitely stretched to the limits.

I believe God is calling us to rest in Him. Matthew 11:28 says, " Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This spiritual rest doesn't mean we quit life. It means we seek Him and lay down our burdens at His feet.

As the New Year is upon us, will you take a moment and stop? Wherever you are just take some time and reflect on Him, seek Him. By resting in Him you will find you accomplish so much more.