Kansas City Chiefs free safety Husain Abdullah.(Photo Ed Zurga AP)
The NFL attracted more controversy on Monday night when officials penalized Husain Abdullah for going to his knees in prayer after he intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown against the New England Patriots. The penalty set the Chiefs back 15 yards but it moved an important subject forward. This is a topic that matters not just to the religious. Prayer matters to most of us. Especially the devoted sports fans.
A new national survey releasing this week shows that 48% of Americans pray every day. Two thirds (65% of Americans) say they pray at least once a month. In fact the same survey shows that 13% of the people who pray pray for their team to win.
We pray for the safety of players and for them to be men and women of character and integrity good role models for our kids. And yes we ask for the win. Lord let the receiver catch that ball.
Which is why the sight of Husain Abdullah receiving the personal foul on Monday night was hard to watch. Tim Tebow brought gridiron prayer to the forefront with his iconic kneeling in gratitude. And countless other professional football players have been seen kneeling in an end zone prayer.
For decades competitors have bowed their heads crossed their hearts kissed their rosaries and lifted their eyes to heaven as they sought favor on the fields of competition. Is a little petition or gratitude so bad If the act is sincere toward God as opposed to insincere for show what is the harm
Prayer is the act of ultimate faith the hope that God is there and that He is good enough to hear me. Prayer need not be complicated or sophisticated. According to the Bible it is not the eloquence of the prayer that matters. In fact the only prayer that drew the disdain of Jesus was the self serving one. Prayer is a running dialog with God while driving to work or awaiting an appointment or a client meeting. Help me Lord. Guide me God. Thank you Father. It's better to take our fears to God than take them out on people.
We pray for personal needs health hope safety those we love. We pray about good things happening today and request prosperity for the future. We ask for parking spots lotto wins and good test grades even when maybe especially when we don't study.
And in true football fashion so many of us have lobbed the occasional Hail Mary prayer of desperation. Like a Tony Romo spiral of hope we launch these last ditch prayers craving a little divine intervention in the most difficult of situations. We pray but some of us not as often as we'd like.
I fully admit to being a recovering prayer wimp. This may be a surprising admission as I've been a pastor for almost three decades. But like most things some of us are better at prayer than others. My prayer past was marked with dozing distraction and diminishing attention. It helped me to realize that prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and His child. It can take place any time for any reason and may not even involve words. It may be as simple as kneeling down in the end zone of life in gratitude to God for a victory or just requesting the strength to keep playing the game.
Within hours of Monday night's game the NFL admitted that the penalty should not have been issued. Players have been and will continue to be free to pray.
I think we should join them. I know prayer has changed my life I'm happier healthier and more hopeful than I have ever been. Struggles come for sure. But so does God.
Prayer is not a privilege for the pious or an opportunity for a chosen few. Prayer is God's open invitation to talk with him simply openly and powerfully. Even on the football field.
Max Lucado is the pastor of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio Texas and author of Before Amen The Power of A Simple Prayer.
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