Daily Devotional: Tuesday, July 16 – Watching Film

“Rejoice at all times, pray regularly, give thanks in all circumstances; for that is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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“I gotta watch the movie.”

You hear this phrase on a regular basis from athletes, coaches and generally even media personalities. Actually, throughout the NFL season, groups usually even commit a day of the follow week to it. Watching movie is so worthwhile for athletes as a result of it helps them to discern what went proper and unsuitable throughout a sport, the place they will enhance, and the tendencies and weaknesses of their upcoming opponents, amongst different advantages.

A few of the greatest athletes in historical past — gamers like Peyton Manning, Luke Kuechly and Kobe Bryant — had been meticulous of their movie research, and it paid off on the sphere or court docket after they had been seemingly at all times a half-second forward of their opponents.

As followers of Christ, we are able to watch movie too, within the type of prayers of “examen.” A nightly prayer of examen is an historical religious self-discipline, first practiced by believers centuries in the past. It sometimes includes a five-step prayer at evening reflecting on God’s goodness all through that day and making ready to see His goodness within the day to return.

Listed below are the 5 prongs to a prayer of examen:

1) Quiet your coronary heart: Be still and acknowledge that you just’re in God’s presence, that He’s been with you in each a part of your day. Pray for God’s assist to see what He needs you to see.

2) Thank God: Each second is a present out of your completely good and loving Heavenly Father, so thank Him with all of your coronary heart for even the smallest methods you noticed Him be good to you that day.

3) Launch your day to Him: Assume again to the place you discovered your self that day — the locations you went, the folks you had been with, the feelings you felt — and give the burdens of it all to Him.

4) Confess your failings: Acknowledge the moments whenever you weren’t thinking God’s thoughts after Him otherwise you acted in a approach that didn’t honor Him, say sorry, and count on His cleaning.

5) Put together for tomorrow: Ask for God that can assist you benefit from the day forward, endure any trials by His energy, see Him at work in your life, and glorify Him in all of it, realizing He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.

God tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 (above) that it’s His will for us to rejoice at all times, pray regularly and provides thanks in all circumstances. The prayer of examen is a strategy to do all three as we commune with our Father in Heaven. He loves us a lot that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to atone for our sins and draw us near to Himself. He’s dedicated to molding us into the folks He’s known as us to be.

As an athlete watches movie, let’s overview our lives in prayer so we don’t miss how He does it.

— Kevin Mercer

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