God’s Life Lessons Taught on the Field

In the South, Friday night lights come on in football stadiums in every state and neighbors, community members, parents, grandparents, and other relatives come to cheer on the home team.

Having been raised in the South on football, I was beyond excited when our oldest grandson, Mitchell, transitioned from only playing soccer to also being a football kicker. He did so well last year as a sophomore and after going to kicking camps over the summer, we were looking forward to a superior year.

However, in his first game, he missed some field goals and extra points. My daughter told me before the second game that he was determined to improve his stats and go out and show everyone he could kick better. However, that was not the case. He still did poorly.

The next week, I decided to pray for my grandson that he would learn to kick for the Lord rather than for his own glory.

Friday morning in my Moms in Prayer group, my prayer partner and I asked God, “Whatever Mitchell does, may he work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord he will receive the inheritance as his reward (from Colossians 3:23-24).”

That night he did really well. He kicked several extra points, made incredible punts, and had successful kickoffs. I was so excited. I thought, “He must be playing for the Lord!” Little did I know how much that was true. After the game, my daughter, who is the yearbook advisor for the same high school, sent me a picture she had taken with a new telephoto lens. Below Mitchell’s jersey was the word, Jesus. I was amazed at how God had answered! Mitchell was playing for God’s glory and it had made a difference. My Moms in Prayer friends rejoiced with me with this answer to prayer, especially the woman that I had been paired with that morning.

That’s one of the things that makes Moms in Prayer so special. As a mom or grand mom, you no longer feel isolated or alone in your struggles and even in your answers to prayer. You get to share them with friends who care, who have prayed, and who will rejoice and support you as if it were their own child or grandchild. You get to do the same for the others in your group.

Still wearing his Jesus t-shirt, Mitchell didn’t do as well in field goals and extra points at some games. So, he was challenged to stand for Christ in another way – by giving grace to the Junior Varsity player they called up to kick. Rather than complain and grumble, Mitchell chose to be a leader and a mentor to the sophomore player. He saw it as an opportunity to put his faith on trial. I’m sure the other players were wondering how he was going to react, especially now that he had declared himself boldly as a Christian.

Mitchell continues to make punts and kick-offs in the games, so he is content, but he is trying his hardest to earn the other positions back. It has made him more diligent in practicing, another answer to prayer. It doesn’t mean, though, that he hasn’t had some other achievements along the way. In one game, he made two successful onside kicks; one he recovered and the other led to the game-winning, come-from-behind touchdown, placing his team in second seed for the playoffs.

God loves it when we pray for students in our schools to be impacted for Christ and for Christians to be bold in their faith so others will come to know Him.

We don’t tell God how to do it, we just ask that He would. Through Mitchell impacting his peers by being bold in his faith, God is answering another one of our prayers.

When we pray in faith, believing, God sometimes answers “yes” and sometimes He answers “no” or “wait.” To say I am ecstatic that God answered so many of our prayers with a “yes” for my grandson is an understatement! Godly lessons learned this early will have an impact on him for the rest of his life. Isn’t that what we all want for our children – to learn those lessons early that will last throughout their lives and for all of eternity?

Pray with me:  Father of all wisdom, You can teach our children and grandchildren so much better than we can. Thank You for the invaluable lessons you teach them when they are still at home. How amazed we are that You show us when to pray, what to pray, when to wait, and when to take action. Help us to be faithful in asking and please surprise us with many incredible answers to prayer. May we be looking for what You want us to pray and please keep us faithful in praying not only for our children, but also for the children in our schools. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

How has God answered your prayers for your son or daughter, or grandchild? Comment below.

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Martha Little, a former North Texas state coordinator and now leader for special needs prayer calls in the USA, started attending Moms in Prayer in the spring of 1989. She was reluctant about going because she didn’t want to pray out loud. However, she went because she had a son with special needs who was struggling in kindergarten. After her first prayer time, she couldn’t wait to return. She loved the four-step format and conversational prayer. Martha has a passion to teach others to pray too. She has written two curriculums on prayer and has taught on prayer at breakout sessions for women’s retreats and at churches in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Martha has helped start several prayer initiatives at churches and a seminary that she and her husband, Bill, support. She is a mother of two and a grandmother of three, the oldest one being Mitchell.