Legendary Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne discussed prayer’s role in his life in his book Coaching Matters. “We had chapel the morning of each game. We had a silent prayer in the locker room before and after each game, and we had a short devotional period for our coaches and staff each morning before we started preparing for the day.”

Osborne also explained how each day it impacted his life. “A daily time in the scriptures, in prayer and meditation can be very helpful. When I was coaching, I woke at 5 am each day and spent about 45 minutes praying and meditating. We started our coach’s meetings at 7 am with a short devotional period with our coaches, trainers, and strength staff—ten minutes in which we read a verse of scripture, discussed what it might mean for our players and us, and then closed with a prayer. I usually end the day with a short time in the scriptures. There was a weekly Bible study I attended on Friday morning after our game preparation was finished. Our family went to church together on Sunday. I also encouraged our players to attend church as well.”

Colossians 1 – Pray Specifically

While learning about how important prayer was in my former coach’s life, I was most impressed that he prayed for each player and coach by name every week. Colossae was a small town, and the Apostle Paul didn’t know all the Colossians personally. However, that didn’t stop him from praying specifically for them. He could pray for their needs (Col. 1:3).

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete faithfully pray for the specific needs of their teammates. Whether it’s praying for conflict resolution, anxieties, needs, or other problems, they pray continually for them.

Bible Memory Verse – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (LSB)