Relying on God with Jrue holiday

Relying on God

with Jrue Holiday

Hello and welcome to today’s session. My name is Jrue Holiday. My identity as an athlete, a father, and a husband is rooted, always, in God. I can only love others because God first loved me. I can only help others through the graces that God pours out in my own heart and in my own life. Every game, every championship, every success and every breath I breathe comes from and goes back to the one who made me. It’s tempting to think that we can do it all on our own. The world sends the message that we can be independent. That we can succeed on our own power, without needing to rely on anything or anyone. But the truth is that no one is self-made or self-sufficient. Not only do I rely on and need my teammates in every game, but ALL of us rely on a God whose love and strength sustains us in every moment. In this session, we’ll spend some time together reflecting on God’s power in our lives and echo the call of the Psalmist: “O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.” These words not only draw our attention to the need for God’s help, they also contain within them the confidence and assurance that God can and will hurry to our aid. Keep this verse in mind as we pray with other words from scripture, focusing on our total reliance on God and need for his constant aid and support. As we begin, let’s take a few deep breaths. Allow your heart and mind to settle. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. Take a moment to reflect on the ways God is already at work in your life. Where have you seen God’s presence? In what moments have you most felt God’s support and help? Where in your life do you need God’s assistance right now? Call to mind the struggles and endeavors where you most need to rely on God. For me, I know I need God especially in the moments when the pressure is on, when my own strength can’t lift me high enough or power me through. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God "gives power to the faint, abundant strength to the weak. / Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, / They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, / they will soar on eagles’ wings; / They will run and not grow weary, / walk and not grow faint.” It’s not our own strength that powers us, but God’s—and His is a strength that never falters, never stops, never gives up. Success in this life is never promised to us–but God does promise to be with us, even in the face of failure and defeat. On days when we give everything on the court or at home and still come up short, we can trust that God is still at work and that He’ll be glorified in our losses just as much as He will be glorified in our successes. St. Paul writes: “We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” Relying totally on God also means sacrificing my will for His will and my plans for His plans. Jesus doesn’t mince words–he tells us clear as day: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” How is God speaking to you in these scripture passages today? What words or phrases stand out to you? Spend a few moments sharing your thoughts with God. Let’s close by asking God for the daily bread we need to sustain us. Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us, And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Now and forever. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. God bless.

NBA champion point guard Jrue Holiday leads a series of reflections on the importance of relying on God. Whether on the court or at home, these prayers help us learn how to lean on God more, making us better teammates, athletes, and followers of Christ.