With the arrival of fall, we also usher in a season of college and professional football games. Nothing else could be more wanted at this time than a semblance of normalcy. Since the start of the games, I have noticed that some players, coaches, and teams use their very public platforms to impress upon the public their own beliefs and opinions. And they have the right to do so as an American citizen. But when a coach or a player uses prayer to convey a message of misinformation, I can not be silent.
For me, prayer is sacred, not something to throw around on a whim or to portray the impression that you have God-given supernatural powers because you pray. Prayer is the communication and communion with Yahweh, our Lord, and Savior. It is the most important thing a Christian should be doing every day, all the time. And if prayer is no more than a grandstanding activity with a look at me, I am a super Christian kind of thing, then please don’t pray.
Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:5 concerning prayer.
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on the street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.”
The after-game prayer upsets me the most when they thank God for their win. These coaches present an illusion that God has chosen one athlete or one team over the other to grace with the abilities to win. Which, in turn, could make someone believe that the winning team must pray better or are better Christians than the other athletes and teams. And that God will not be a part of their lives unless they live some ultra-pure, perfect life. In a world starving for Jesus, we need to be true to His word and show people Jesus is with them, and Jesus is for them! Not a select few.
Come on, people, we are not discussing David and Goliath, the Israelites and the Egyptians, or Daniel and the Romans. We are talking about a game created by man for his enjoyment and the procurement of large sums of money. It is ludicrous to think God would have any part of an event’s playing or outcome.
I have heard the ones praying to use the excuse that they are giving God glory when they thank Him for the win. My suggestion would be to thank God for no one being hurt, thank God for a fair game, thank God for good sportsmanlike conduct, but don’t assume Yahweh gave you a win! And you don’t need to grandstand or call the media in to see and hear you pray. As a matter of fact, Jesus tells us what to do when we pray.
Matthew 6:6
“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”
The whole situation reminds me of a Prosperity Pastor who boasted concerning his prayer request for a lear jet and that he eventually had a lear jet given to him as an answer to the prayer. Of course, he made significant announcements to his congregation and the media, so everyone knew he was praying for the jet. And, someone finally did pony up and gave him one. But could it have been Satan, who made sure he got the jet and not God? The jet seems more advantageous to Satan to keep the Pastor on track for his and his congregation’s procurement for hell than for God’s kingdom.
Now that I have aired my grievances concerning prayer and football, I want you to stop and think about your prayers. We have made so many idols today and incorporate them into our prayer life. And recently, we have seen these idols removed from our lives. The words “have to” and “must-do” integrate our language like a waterfall tumbling down a cliff. While following our desires, we would risk others’ safety and then turn around and pray for money to get our fingernails painted, dine out at a restaurant, or go to a ballgame. How many of your prayers are worthless utterances? How many are authentic communication and communion with Jesus Christ? Is it time for you to change what you pray for and how you pray?
Remember, in Matthew 6:5, when we are told the only reward the hypocrites will receive will be people seeing and hearing them pray. The other reward is the kingdom of heaven and being with Jesus for eternity. Which reward do you want, the one where people acknowledge your prayers or the one God acknowledges?
Just a thought.
God Bless You!
The Tent Maker Blog 