Nick Saban
Their opponent on the football field that day carried the nickname Dawgs (the Georgia Bulldogs), but the Alabama Tide were considered the underdogs for the 2018 playoffs. Pregame, Coach Nick Saban for the Tide primed and pumped his team.
“Focus on the things that have made us good all year,” he instructed, “which is discipline to execute, do your job, play with relentless effort and toughness.”*
Saban’s advice applies to many endeavors in life, even some that may surprise us—like prayer.
But isn’t it true we need discipline to execute and relentless effort and toughness to persevere in our pleas before God? What we may lack are motivation and passion.
In addition, Satan’s cohorts adeptly suggest excuses like:
- “God is all-powerful; he’s in control of all things. What good are your pitiful prayers going to do?”
- “You’ve prayed a long time for some things and nothing has happened. Your prayers are obviously ineffective.”
- “You’re too busy to pray. Let the elderly saints with nothing to do take care of the praying.”
Like Saban who inspired his team, there are numerous spiritual coaches–pastors and authors–who would prime our prayer-lives with such reminders as:
- “Time spent in prayer will yield more than that given to work. Prayer alone gives work its worth and its success. Prayer opens the way for God Himself to do His work in us and through us”—Andrew Murray (1828-1917).
- “A praying man can never be very miserable, whatever his condition be, for he has the ear of God; the Spirit within to indite [encourage, inspire], a Friend in heaven to present, and God Himself to receive his desires as a Father”—William Bridge (1600-1670).
- [Prayer] “turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God”—Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932).
Still other coaches pump up our spirits for prayer with reminders of the blessings that result—blessings like:
HOPEFUL EXPECTATION
“Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first and worship God in his glory. Think of what he can do and how he delights to hear the prayers of his redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!—Andrew Murray
HOLY ENERGY
“As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great race of life we acquire energy by the hallowed labor of prayer”—Charles Spurgeon, Morning by Morning, 287.
TRUE PERSPECTIVE
“Prayer brings perspective, shows the big picture, gets you out of the weeds, reorients you to where you really are” (Timothy Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, 130).
STRONG CONFIDENCE
“Prayer is the way to experience a powerful confidence that God is handling our lives well, that our bad things will turn out for the good, our good things cannot be taken from us, and the best is yet to come”—Timothy Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, 73.
GLOBAL SIGNIFICANCE
“Herbert Butterfield, the Oxford historian of modern history, is convinced that what Christians do in prayer is the most significant factor in the shaping of history—more significant than war and diplomacy, more significant than technology and art”—Eugene Peterson, Under the Unpredictable Plant,98.
DIVINE PURPOSE
“A praying saint performs far more havoc among the unseen forces of darkness than we have the slightest notion of”—Oswald Chambers (1874-1917).
INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH GOD
“Unceasing prayer can grow to be something we do not because of discipline but because of friendship. Desire. It’s where we’re headed if we’ll let him take us there”—Sara Hagerty, Unseen, 227.
DEEPEST JOY
“The key that unlocks the deepest joy of any life: secret prayer. Whispers with God”—Sara Hagerty, Unseen, 201.
INEXPLICABLE PEACE
“Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus”—The Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:6-7, GNT.
Nick Saban primed and pumped the Alabama Tide to a victory that day in 2018. They won, 26-23.
May the spiritual coaches quoted here today inspire us toward victory in prayer.
* https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xDeK9EjSgfQ
Images credits: http://www.picryl.com; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.canva.com; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.canva.com.
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