When I coached basketball, I taught players how to pivot with both feet. It was amazing how much trouble younger players had with changing their pivot foot. They often didn’t catch on until they did a few drills and understood why they needed to pivot toward and away from the defensive players.

1 Timothy 2 – Pray for All People

Establishing good footwork is essential in all sports. Paul teaches something similar in chapter 2. He coaches Timothy on how to pivot toward others in prayer, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

There’s nothing wrong with praying for our personal needs, but Paul also wanted Timothy to pivot toward praying for others using words like “intercessions,” “thanksgivings,” and “for all people.” Our prayers must include the globe as well as our own communities.

Unless we pivot toward a life of prayer, we will likely experience slow progress in the gospel. God works powerfully through prayer; establishing a good prayer life is essential to living a Christian life. The martyred missionary Jim Elliot wrote, “The saint who advances on his knees never retreats.”

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete cultivate a habit of spending time with God in prayer and leading others to do the same. They are confident that prayer is worthy of the investment of their time.