Heavenly Father I praise You for allowing me in my season to have experienced the life of an athlete. I praise You for giving me a personal drive to push my body to the limit so that I could compete and be a dependable teammate to others. I praise You for the chance to play football, basketball, baseball, and softball for many years. I praise You for all the opportunities, successes, and failures I experienced over all those years. I praise You for teaching me that I could go beyond my own expectations and that I had to learn to trust others to do their jobs for us all to experience success. I praise You for the friendships that I would have and for the good memories.
Holy Spirit I give to the new generation of athletes this perspective: pray for the ability to give all that You have each time You practice, play or represent your team and yourself. I pray for the healing of sore muscles and for the drive to do the very best each time You step onto the playing field. Pray that You will learn to only hear the voice of Your coach, and that You will have faith in your teammates to do their responsibilities while you take care of yours. Most of all, pray that you stand as a champion for Christ in your actions, your performance, in your speech, in your sportsmanship and how you conduct yourself in and out of the public eye. Cherish your time as an athlete for the day will come when you must move on in life. Learn to be the best you, not the best anyone else. God uniquely made you, with your own abilities, and talents. Use them wisely.
Holy Spirit as I enter the playing field today, let me honor You, leave all I have on the field of play and walk away knowing I did my best. Let me never intentionally hurt someone but understand injuries are part of the game. Help me to defend my teammates, team and coaches as long as it does not compromise my salvation. Help me to be a leader, encourager, and example for others to inspire to be like. Help me to blaze my own path with humility only taking pride in honoring You in all that I do. Help me to be the athlete You made me to be and to complete with all the heart I can put into it. I praise You for the talents and abilities You have provided, help me to utilize them with wisdom and courage. In Jesus’ name, Amen.