Yesterday morning, my wife and I were having a second cup of coffee and watching the television news. A college basketball game report was showing a female fan with hands folded and eyes closed. She was praying while a player was shooting a free thrown in the closing seconds of a tied game. When the news clip ended, my wife asked if I ever prayed for God's favor in one of my games coached. Combining nearly one thousand games coaching and another three hundred as a player, I can honestly say that I never once asked God's game-outcome favor. She admitted that she had prayed for some of my games and our son, Steve's games as a player and coach.
I've heard preachers and others offer the opinion that God is always listening to our petitions. Of course, He may not answer our prayers in the manner we are seeking...but He hears and cares for us.
I believe that and yet I placed boundaries on what I petitioned in prayer. Before every high school basketball game I coached, I said and shared openly with my team a prayer request. I thanked God for the freedoms in our nation that permitted such a sport moment. I thanked God for healthy young boys participating and asked that He keep all players free of injury during the competition. Funny thing but I was never challenged by any adversaries about offering 'prayer-in-a-public school.' Just before game tip off, I would whisper a personal prayer during the playing of the Anthem. That prayer was a gratitude prayer for a career with opportunities to mentor youth while asking that I do the right thing for kids and a program...never did I ask for a victory. I always believed the game outcome would go to the team who maximized their strengths and talents through preparation. Besides, who's God going to listen to and favor, the Catholic boy making the sign of the cross before shooting a free throw or the Methodist boy standing behind the shooter praying he'd miss?
(Touch)
A Simple Prayer
No comments:
Post a Comment