Easter for SportspeopleSample

We can often feel lonely in our sport, can’t we? Even if we are surrounded by supportive teammates and loving family, it can be isolating and lonely when our form escapes us, when we’re out of favour with the coach, or battling with injury.

What a comfort it is then to know that right now Jesus is praying for you in the ups and downs of your sport.

After his death and resurrection, Jesus spent forty days meeting with and encouraging his followers and then he was gone, he ascended into heaven before their very eyes, gone. As he did this he left “someone greater than me” as he left his Holy Spirit, to comfort and empower us now as we live as his witnesses on the earth.

But what is Jesus doing right now as you read this devotion? He is praying for you, serving you, loving you, as the ascended King in glory.

“Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34

Whilst everything that needs to be done for our salvation, is done, Christ now intercedes for us. What is intercession? Dane Ortlund in his book Gentle and Lowly uses this sporting metaphor to explain it:

“Think of an older brother cheering on his younger brother in a race. Even if, in that final stretch, the younger brother is well out ahead and will certainly win the race, does the older brother sit back, quiet, complacently satisfied? Not at all—he’s yelling at the top of his lungs exclamations of encouragement, of affirmation, of celebration, of victory, of solidarity. He cannot be quieted. So, with our own older brother.”

Christ is representing us to the Father, continually applying what he achieved on the cross to us every moment of every day. The simplest way to think about this wonderful truth is that right now Jesus is praying for you. Even when our own prayer life is rubbish, he prays for us.

How would it change how you approach or feel about your sport if you could hear Jesus praying for you? I think a few things would give us more peace than this.

Jesus lived on this earth. He gets it and he gets us. He understands the pain and frustration we feel, the relational issues we face, and he gets our sin. So, when we know he is ascended, in heaven right now and praying for us it can bring us real peace and comfort.

As we now go, as his witnesses, with this wonderful, good news to our friends and teammates, it may seem impossible. How can anyone ever come to trust in Jesus in my club or team? We can go with confidence, knowing that Jesus is cheering us on, praying for us as we live, and go as his witnesses to all the world.

Let's pray

Dear Father,

Thank you that I can know with confidence that you are praying alongside me right now. What a comfort that is!

Help me to live my sporting life with a real peace and joy in light of this amazing truth. And help me to go to my sports friends with boldness and confidence knowing you are with me as I go and speak of Jesus to others,

Amen.

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