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Show Notes:
Prayer is a pretty common practice in sports today, with many athletes and coaches from various sports leagues openly expressing and living their faith during games and competitions.
On a podcast last year Sports Spectrum, I heard Coach Tony Dungy talking about faith and sports and prayer. When he was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had a voluntary prayer before and after every game. He talks about praying during the games! He even talks about his rookie year playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where was part of a team Bible study of about 25 players.
Well-known Christian pro athletes:
John Smoltz, Clayton Kershaw, Kurt Warner, Mike Singletary, Joe Green, Reggie White, George Foreman, David Robinson, NBA, and of course Tim Tebow.
The lists are quite long but you can find race car drivers, golfers, swimmers, tennis players and more.
And the college level student-athlete prays:
From Simplifying Prayer for Athletes and Coaches:
Prayer can feel like a struggle because it’s counter-cultural. Our sports world often says, “Get noticed. Make the big play. Be the center of attention.” But prayer isn’t about being seen or celebrated. It’s a quiet act of faith. It’s not meant to be flashy or something to post on social media. Think about a basketball player who quietly puts in hours of practice in an empty gym. No one is there to cheer them on, but that hidden work makes all the difference on game day. Prayer is similar. Jesus often modeled this by withdrawing to lonely places to pray (Luke 5, 6, and 9).
The article includes Three Things You Can Do Today To Start Praying For Your Team
From How To Pray the Scriptures
Here is a suggested prayer for athletes.
They also have one for praying for themselves and one for coaches to pray for the team.
Why this is important
God is using this visibility to bring people together and show his glory.
We should all be as dedicated to showing our faith and praying for others in our place of activity and employment.
My prayer today is that we all become as dedicated to living faith, as committed to excellence, and as bold and outspoken in faith and praying as any of these.
What About You?
Do you have a family member athlete, or a favorite pro player? Pray for them regularly!
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