Are you sure?
This bookmark will be removed from all folders and any saved notes will be permanently removed.
Prayer "in the zone"
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
With the opening of Wimbledon 2010 on June 21, I think back to earlier years, when my tennis partner and I had the thrill of being Ohio junior tennis doubles finalists twice. Now in my role as a tennis coach, I love to think about expressing God in tennis and all sports.
I’ve learned that whenever we endeavor to do our best, we reflect God’s qualities. Humble, prayerful motives reveal that God is the source of action, expressed in timing and consistent performance. Mary Baker Eddy touches on this spiritual pointer in Science and Health: “The Father in secret is unseen to the physical senses, but He knows all things and rewards according to motives, not according to speech” (p. 15).
As a child, before I became devoted to tennis, I had a good time playing a little basketball. When kids felt they were playing well, they would say they were “in the zone.” That meant inspired play—and it strikes me as quite an inspired observation, since I see athletic skill and coordination as a reflection of the activity of God, Spirit. Inspired play exemplifies divine qualities such as poise, timing, and performance.
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
About the author
Chuck Johnson is a tennis instructor. He lives in Wilmette, Illinois.
