My kids love to watch the Olympics. My 10-year old daughter enjoys figure skating; my son, snowboarding.
Before we watch, though, I like to pray for the Olympians, coaches, staff, and others who are in Sochi, who are Christian. I pray that they are able to share their faith in Jesus and use their platform to glorify Him. I’m sure being in the Olympics has it’s fair share of pressure, not just athletically, but socially and spiritually. We trust that God is at work behind the scenes through His people.
One Christian athlete in the winter Olympics is Jilleanne Rookard. She is competing for the USA in Ladies Speed Skating. Two things strike me about her story. One, the role of tragedy in drawing her attention to God. Two, the boldness of someone in the gym offering to pray for her.
Here’s a video published last year where she shares a bit about her spiritual journey.
Click here to read her testimony.
Next time you watch the Olympics, realize that behind every athlete is a story. More than that, every athlete has a soul. Pray for them; pray that God would be glorified. Pray that people would be saved in Sochi.
“But I want you to know brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…”
(Philippians 1:12)