What we pray for MATTERS

Gene Schandorff 

It seems like every  time there is a high profile sporting event we get involved in the same question, "Does care about sports?" A friend recently posted some stats from the Public Religion Research Institute  that suggest that about half of us think God gets involved at some level in sporting events whether as a "fan," actually influencing the outcome of the contest, (about a quarter of us) or in some less "sovereign" way.

Others, unwilling to suggest that God gives a rip about who wins the game still see God's involvement in the process of competition in some way. During my years as a college chaplain I struggled with this every time I went to a game. We always started our games with prayer. It seemed odd to me then and it seems odd even today. (Perhaps this is a topic for another blog post.)

I've decided that I can't (certainly won't) pray for the safety and success of participants in an athletic event


  Let's think about this. And let's think about it in the light of the event that everybody is talking about today, the Super Bowl. Adult men weighing up to 400 pounds put on protective gear and decide (on their own) to run into others like themselves as hard as they can going as fast as they can as often as they can  and I'm supposed to pray that God keep them safe and healthy. Meanwhile millions of God's children are trying to stay safe and healthy in the midst of war and poverty. 

I can only pray for the "safety" of athletes if I don't believe prayer makes a difference. If I believe "prayer changes things" or even influences things then I cannot spend that prayer-time interceding for athletes who could decrease their chances of injury greatly by simply doing what I do, sitting on the couch and watching someone else play the game.

You pray for what you choose. I'm going to reserve prayers for God's protection for those who are trying to stay safe, and for those seeking to do the King's work. And, by the way, I'll continue to enjoy watching those who have decided to put themselves in harms way for the love of the game.