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As a faithful follower, you are taught to do everything to bring glory to God’s name, even playing basketball.
This act does not limit you from praying, attending church, or doing spiritual practices. It is an act done universally.
To glorify God is not to worship God or exalt His glory but to acknowledge and recognize His glory. So, to praise God is to recognize who He is and respond accordingly.
There is no exception to pursuing the glory of God in everything you do, even the simplest thing. As the Scripture teaches you written by St. Paul the Apostle in the book of Corinthians,
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Even if you play basketball, everything you do in life should be geared toward serving God. You play sports or games for fun, but we must play the game of life for God.
The attitude of gratitude is something you should indulge yourself in every moment of your life. You are to give thanks for everything.
This does not only glorify God, but it also helps you focus on what you have rather than what you don’t have. It is a great way to shift your focus over something that can drag you to rock bottom.
It honors God when you give yourself time to sit in silence and thank him for all the gifts he has provided you. Most of the time, you take things for granted until they are taken away from you, only to realize what blessings you have.
Send your gratitude to God for the gift of basketball. The gift he gave you is meant to be enjoyed as this glorifies him.
You are made from light, love, and joy as God reflects himself to his creation. As the Father and creator of all living things, it delights him to see his child enjoys the gifts he had given.
It is common to see young men play on the court with frustration and a bad attitude toward their performance and their teammates. They totally missed out on the enjoyment and fun of playing basketball!
So, display gratitude every moment, no matter what happens during the game—good or bad. Through this, you excel in everything and are already a winner from your self-criticism and indulgence in negativity.
Win or lose, bear with a good attitude. There are always two sides to the coin, whether you win or lose.
In winning a game, whether it's basketball or just golf, you are tempted by your ego and pride to boast about your wins. It feels good to win, but celebrate with humbleness.
There’s no way you glorify God with your boastful pride and make others feel belittled. Again, St. Paul the Apostle coined in the book of Philip,
“have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)
While winning makes you feel good and motivated to do better, losing is a difficult time to process. It is hard to think of glorifying God when you feel down and discouraged.
Keep in mind that in life, it is not all ups. There are downs as well; you are meant to experience this to give yourself more space for acceptance, forgiveness, and growth.
You don’t have to show hate or anger to your opponent when you lose. But, sometimes, you feel inclined to surpass your opponents without realizing that you don’t compete with others—you compete with yourself.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
One's attitude reveals the purity of heart, and showing a bad attitude in the face of defeat in life tells you that there’s something out of order in your heart. Therefore, check yourself always and mark that the Holy Spirit leads the genuineness of the heart.
Remind yourself that when you win, nobody has to lose. So, when others win, celebrate with them!
Like a prayer guide for runners, these prayer guides below guide you through going deep in connection with God.
Basketball Players Prayer
As you go through a sports journey, allow the Holy Spirit to lead into your life. For the divine creator and giver of gifts and talents can move mountains.
Rejoice in all your wins with God. Surrender all the defeats in life.
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Whether your win or you lose, you win victories by overcoming challenges and glorifying God in every moment of your life.
Love God with all your heart and soul and with all your mind. Live your life by faith in giving glory to God.
I am a basketball player, But I am a child of God first. This game that I am about to play is one small event in a much bigger life and universe. It is an opportunity for me to enjoy the gifts that God has given to me and glorify Him through my play. I glorify God by playing hard and giving effort on every play. I glorify God by treating others as I want to be treated and showing respect to my coach, the officials, the other team, and the fans. I glorify God by overcoming adversity and avoiding frustration after a mistake. I glorify God by winning the right way with my character intact and if I happen to lose by losing graciously but doing my best to the end. I will fight for loose balls and for position, but I will play clean and will not use these moments to take cheap shots at the other team. I will not retaliate if someone takes a cheap shot at me and will walk away from those conflicts and seek to make peace where I can. I will help others up when they fall no matter what team they are on and I will apologize if I do harm to another. I will strive to keep my composure and focus on what I can control. I will let my play and my character speak for me and will not talk trash or try to instigate conflict. I will remember who I am and why I am here – because of God’s grace – and I will not get caught up in the moment. I will play to have fun and enjoy the gifts that God has given to me – I am a child of God first and a basketball player second – I will glorify Him through my effort and by playing the right way. Amen.
Dear Lord, I pray you to bless the other players of this coming basketball game and me.
Please help me understand what my main purpose is in this mortal journey
Choose this moment of my life and use me for glory and praise.
Accept my passion for this sport and let it shine with your love.
It took hours of training and my commitment to becoming proficient.
Use it to bring joy and inspiration to others.
Take my desire to be the best sport possible.
Express your truth and faith through me.
Protect my heart, mind, and soul with the tenderness of Your grace so that I may be humble in victory and noble in defeat.
I pray this in honor and glory of your name. Amen
Lord God, you have witnessed me grow, develop, thrive, and find my way in our care.
Bless me as I participate in this sporting event today.
Let me try to be the best and strive for new achievements.
Empower me to do my best even when I am tired or frustrated
Please help me know how much you love me and that no matter what happens on the field, you are with me and will help me through.
Please bless our team with passion, unity, vision, and efforts in this beautiful sport.
Let our team focus on today's game to bring your great love into our lives.
Please help me to see how blessed I am by Your grace.
I know that my life is a gift from you.
Please help me remember this truth as I play so that my gratitude shines through in all I do.
I ask these things in your Son’s name, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forevermore. Amen
Prayer for Athletes Before a Game
Praying before the game, whether it's a basketball or football, is an opportunity to give thanks for the incredible journey you’ve been through that made you reach this great moment. Pray for guidance, knowledge, wisdom, and protection.
Everything and everyone were created for God’s glory. So, always keep God first in your priorities.
Those who allow God as their number one shall find fulfillment, peace, and happiness. Use your talent, skills, and gift in playing basketball to send your affection back to the giver of every good gift in your life.
God the Father, thank you for this beautiful gift you have given me.
Thank you for the gift of basketball, for blessing me with skills and talent to play, and for the family created in unity in our team.
I ask that you bless me with the strength and grace I need to compete well in the upcoming game.
Lord, guide me with your Holy Spirit so that your attributes may remain in my heart and glorify you as I play.
I pray that the match referees are fair, and so are the other team.
I also pray that my teammates and I play fair and play well against our opponents.
Protect us from any injuries or accidents during the competition.
Please give our coach the grace he needs as we fine-tune our plays and tactics.
I pray you to help them optimize each team player's strengths and create the best plan to help them win the game.
Please give us the grace our coaches need to lead our team.
In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen
Karen Hyman
Karen is a Psychic Medium, a Professional Astrologer, a Spiritual Advisor, and a Life Coach who has been in this career for 19+ years. She specializes in numerology, tarot and oracle cards, twin flames, love & relationships, zodiac, horoscope, dreams interpretation, and astrology. She aims to provide comfort and assurance using her abilities to offer answers to those who seek professional guidance. Read More About Karen Here.
