The Public Prayer of Sportsmen
If, you like me, watch football on television, you often see many of the players from Spain and the South American countries cross themselves before entering the field of play and you will see their lips move as they offer prayer to God. What are they saying? What could they be asking God for and how does this help us in our daily prayer?
They are showing that they have faith in Jesus Christ and are asking for protection during a very physical game. They might also be asking that they perform well and that the skills they have assist their side in winning the game.
The display of public prayer has the ability to make an impression on all spectators, and public prayer even on the football field shows that in a mainly secular society, Christ lives in the hearts and minds of many these days.
Respect leads to conversation and conversation to knowledge and love. We can all ask the Lord Jesus in our prayers to let us be better players on the road of life, to pray for the need of others, in private and in a public place, it is the most powerful thing we have.
The Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour, Prophet, Priest and King we come before you as repentant sinners seeking your forgiveness from our transgressions. Such is our plea Lord as we seek to witness for You in our world of many conflicts, true followers who have been forgiven, we seek to do good things as servants to others in need.
We thank you our Heavenly Father for sports people who show their faith through prayer to thousands on television. These are people who influence those on the brink of faith. We pray our gratitude for their public display.
We pray for guidance and strength and the patience to navigate around the daily distractions we encounter especially conflicts between nations, people and families.
Lead us, Father, we pray that you will fill us with joy because you love us and you make us conscious of Jesus in everything we do. We thank you for the Gospels that direct us and teach us truth and fellowship with those we meet and share time with.
In all our dealings with people from wherever they come and places that provide spiritual shelter, we are glad to be associated with Trefeca and other such shelters where the Word of God is proclaimed and shared.
During my life, Lord, I have always sought your strength that I might achieve, and that during my years you have brought me to weakness sometimes so that I learn to obey. I asked for health that I do greater works and given poverty that I might learn to be a wiser person.
I received some of the things I asked for but everything that I hoped for, because I am richly blessed through Jesus Christ my Lord.
AMEN.
Sport that let’s us demonstrate our skills; in the hope we learn how to love Jesus as we grow. May He bless us as we share with others His ministry, His lessons, and His love.