The countdown to baseball season has begun!! It’s no secret it’s my favorite time of year. I began this journey almost two decades ago as a wife learning to pray her way through her husband’s professional baseball career. I shared a few years ago how I learned to pray for Brian while he was still playing and how it helped me to be more prepared for praying our children through their own journeys. Here is the link to that blog post incase anyone reading this is new to following: The Praying Sports Mom
Today I wanted to share a tool I have been using for a couple years now that has helped me be more intentional about covering our whole team in prayer. My husband has the honor of coaching our son’s team and his number one goal is to use his passion for baseball to share the Gospel with them. Of course he wants them to be great ball players and win games too hehe! But the victories on the field are just added bonuses to the ones won off the field. The best way I feel that I can help Brian and the team is by being discipline enough to make praying over them a priority.
DOWNLOAD NEW UPDATED PRAYER SCHEDULE
This weekly prayer schedule is what our church gives small groups leaders to help them pray for their small group members throughout the semester. It helped me so much that I began to apply it to our teams. At the beginning of the season I write a coach and a couple of the player’s names under each day. On Saturday, we are typically playing so my prayers are for the team as a whole. And on Sunday, Brian has a short devotional with the boys (we call it chapel) so my prayer is for that time to plant seeds in the boys hearts. I created the example for you all to see. If you choose to try and use this I hope it will allow you to print from here. Weekly Prayer Schedule If not please email me and I will gladly send the file to you! kylie@youplayipray.com
I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I want desperately to be the perfect supportive wife and mom. I want to smile through all the mounds of laundry and dishes. I want their uniforms to look so clean and pretty. I want to remember every practice schedule. I want to be on time. I want to have all the healthy snacks packed perfectly in cute bags waiting for them to grab on the way out the door. I want be so filled with joy that when they think of me they almost can picture an angelic halo over my head. I want every word that exits my mouth to sound like their greatest cheerleader. I want to be an example of the leader I encourage them to be. And I am laughing as I type this because I am pretty sure in the rush of our crazy schedule I look like a crazy lady who is lucky if she remembers her kids names much less where and when practice is.
On a good day I may achieve one of those goals. But here’s what I can do…. I can pray. I have learned time and time again the only way I can mess up praying is by not doing it. I can’t be all those things for our family or even our team, but HE can!
If you desire to make prayer a priority, but just don’t know where to start or even how to, please know I have been there. There are days when prayers easily flow into my journal and there are days where I have no words. That is ok!
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
Romans 8:26
The Bible tells us in Romans that the Spirit will help us pray! With an open Bible and an open heart towards Him you will begin to see how He needs you to pray. And that is the game changer!
Prayer for today:
Lord you know our hearts and hear our prayers. Help us to be sensitive to Your Spirit. Guide us in our prayer time.