Categories of Prayers
Prayers for Teams and Leaders
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Dear God,
Thank you for this new day.
It is such a privilege and a blessing to play (insert your sport here).
Fill us with energy and passion as we push ourselves to do well.
Help us all to compete fairly and give us the grace to accept success or defeat.
Protect our health and bodies as we take on the physical and mental demands of (insert your sport here)
Watch over all those present—our family, friends and other fans.
May this game celebrate sport, and bring joy to everyone.
Amen.
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From InSide Out Coaching
Being on the team benefits your personal goals and ambitions.
Being a teammate benefits the goals and ambitions of your team and your teammates.
Being on the team can make you a bystander.
Teammates intervene in the lives and actions of their teammates.
Being on the team involves personal effort.
Being a teammate involves the efforts of every player.
Being on the team means doing what is asked of you.
Being a teammate is doing whatever is needed for the team to succeed.
Being on the team can involve blaming others and making excuses.
Being a teammate involves accepting responsibility, accountability, and ownership of the team's problems.
Being on the team makes you "me-optic," asking what's in it for me?
Being a teammate makes you "we-optic," asking what's in it for us?
Sometimes players on the team are drawn together by common interests;
teammates are drawn together by a common mission.
Sometimes players on a team like one another; teammates respect one another.
Sometimes players on a team bond together because of a shared background or compatible personalities: teammates bond together because they recognize every player is needed to accomplish the goal of the team.
Sometimes players on a team are energized by emotions; teammates energize one another out of commitment.
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Prayer courtesy Marquette University. www.marquette.edu.
O God, you gave us bodies—as well as minds and hearts— with which to praise and worship you.
Our sports and exercises are a fitting use of gifts and talents you have given us.
Bless our workouts and the games we play, and those with whom we exercise or compete.
Give us strength, endurance, courage and agility as we compete or train.
Keep us safe and healthy as we celebrate our physical and mental skills in sport.
Amen.
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Loving Father, I invite you into my life today and make myself available to you.
Help me to become the-best-version-of-myself by seeking your will and becoming a living example of your love in the world.
Open my heart to the areas of my life that need to change in order for me to carry out the mission and experience the joy you have imagined for my life. Inspire me to live the Catholic faith in ways that are dynamic and engaging.
Make our community hungry for best practices and continuous learning. Give me courage when I am afraid, hope when I am discouraged, and clarity in times of decision.
Teach me to enjoy uncertainty and lead your Church to become all you imagined it would be for the people of our times.
Amen. -
Good and gracious God, we ask for your blessing on our team chaplain.
We stand in gratitude for their love and service. Let their prayerful support and presence connect our team to one another and to you.
Give our chaplain the wisdom to guide us when we are hurt or feel lost and the grace to know the many ways their leadership brings us to you.
Together, let us come to know you and your love to build your kingdom.
Amen. -
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us this opportunity to gather and compete (insert the appropriate name of the contest/game/location). May all that we learned, shared and achieved draw us closer to You and to one another.
Amen
Prayers for Student Athletes and Life Decisions
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God,
Let me play well but fairly. Let competition make me strong but never hostile.
Forbid me to rejoice in the adversity of others. See me not when I am cheered, but when I bend to help my opponent up. If I know victory, allow me to be happy; if I am denied, keep me from envy.
Remind me that sports are just games. Help me to learn something that matters once the game is over. And if through athletics I set an example, let it be a good one.
Amen.
Used with permission by Gregg Easterbrook from the column “Tuesday Morning Quarterback” on NFL.com and ESPN.com
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Dear Lord,
We pray that you will give us the guidance we need to have fun while still maintaining a schedule of proper study and needed rest.
We also pray that you help us in competition, at practice and even in the locker room.
Give us the strength to complete each game and this sports season strong.
Help us to still have fun and to maintain a positive perspective when the demands of being a student athlete weigh in and on us.
Let us always look to you to show us the way.
Amen
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Dear God,
Thank you for the elevated stage that women’s sports have today. While there is much work to be done to obtain true equality and justice, we praise the work of leaders in this fight.
From Megan Rapinoe to Alex Morgan, the entire USWNT united to fight for themselves and future generations. Give all women the strength to believe in themselves and their worth.
Allow everyone to open their hearts and actualize justice and equality for all.
In Jesus’ name we pray
Amen -
Dear Lord,
I know that all things are from You and through You and for You. I know all things from You are to be received with a glad and thankful heart.
The (insert sport here) team is no exception, and so I thank You, Lord, for this good game which gives me the chance to run and sweat and work. I thank You that it teaches me how to work toward something beyond myself and how to be a trustworthy teammate.
Lord, I praise You for the gift of (insert sport here).
In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
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Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank You for each and every player on this team. Thank You for the gifts that You have given them. I pray that they would exercise those gifts today with great skill. Give them speed, smarts, and above all, safety.
Keep each and every one of them from injury. Thank You, Lord, that they get to play this game today.
Amen.
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Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to You.
Allow Your healing hand to heal athletes with eating disorders. Touch their soul with Your compassion. Touch their hearts with Your courage and infinite love. Touch their minds with Your wisdom. Teach them to reach out to You in their need, and help them to lead others to You.
Lord Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength.
Touch gently this life which You have created, now and forever.
Amen.
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Lord,
Please bless the earth and all the people on it.
We pray for the continued growth and development of AI and that it may be used to better society.
May it also be used responsibly and ethically by everyone.
In the realm of sports broadcasting, may AI bring forth a new era of insightful analysis, enriching our understanding of the games we love.
Please help make AI always be a force for good, reducing biases, and respecting the values of sportsmanship and fair play.
May AI help us, not hurt us.
Amen -
Good and gracious God,
We pray that You may guide us through the difficult moments in our lives and help us remain strong.
We ask that You help us remember your presence and the struggles that Your Son persevered through.Teach us to enjoy our victories and to learn from our failures.
We especially ask that You watch over us in this stressful time of finals and college applications. Please remind us to partake in moments of peace. Continue to bless us with your love.
Amen
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Dear God,
Thank you for all the opportunities we are given. Thank you for guiding us to make the best decisions for us and our futures.
Help us to keep a steady attitude as we undergo the college process and find our right fit. We have faith that we will find our home wherever that might be.
Amen
Virtue in Sports
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Dear God,
When I stand at the beginning of a new day, bless me with vision to see the best of things to come…
Wisdom to make good decisions….
And most of all, faith that you are walking with me every step of the wayAmen
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Lord,
Thank you for your many blessings. Thank you for the lives we have been graciously given, and help us to use our limited time for good.
Help us to pursue our lives to their fullest. Remind us that living for you is the only path to true fulfillment.
Amen
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Almighty and Everlasting God,
Creator of Heaven, Earth and the Universe;
Help me to be, to think, to act what is right, because it is right;
Make me truthful, honest and honorable in all things;
Make me honest for the sake of right and honor without thought of reward to me.
Give me the ability to be forgiving and patient with my teammates and with others—help me to understand them, rather than judge them—as You understand me.
Amen
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As we recognize the racial injustice and inequality within our country, let us pray that we can come together as a country to promote the unity of all people through sports and activities in our daily lives.
Amen -
Dear Lord,
Help us open our eyes to the reality that is unequal pay among men and women. Help us understand that all genders work just as hard as the other.
Give us the strength to realize how unfair this past belief that men should be making more money than women is and help us spread awareness of this overlooked issue.
Amen.
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Dear Lord, help us love who we are and love one another. Help us to realize that God made us out of love and that we are a part of God’s beautiful creation. In your name we pray.
Amen.
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God, please give me the courage and perseverance to continue along this journey.
Sometimes the turns and obstacles faced along the way seem almost too much to bear.
Help me to be gentle with myself, compassionate with others, and most of all, constant in resilience, allowing me to grow in trust that you have a plan that is specific for me, and though it may be hard to see at times, with time and your grace, my uncertainty will lift and your desires for me will become clearer.
Amen
Prayers for Health, Healing, And Well-being
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Oh Lord,
You are good to those who seek you, those who revere your name. You, who are the only source of health and healing, the spirit of calm and the central peace of this universe, grant to me such a consciousness of your indwelling and surrounding presence that I may permit you to give me health and strength and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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Our Father,
Sometimes the cares of the day seem to multiply, while the blessings fade so quickly.
Our bodies grow tired and our minds even more tired.Jesus, help us.
Give us the strength You’ve promised in Your Word.
Give us the power to take the next step.
Give us your grace.
For we know in our weakness, your strength is revealed.
May we receive it today.
Amen.
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Lord, you invite all to come to you. Allow your healing hand to heal me. Touch my soul with your compassion. Touch my heart with your courage and infinite love.
Touch my mind with your wisdom, that my mouth may always proclaim your praise.
Teach me to reach out to you in my need and help me to lead others to you by my example.
Lord Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve you with all my strength.
We ask all of these things in your name.
Amen
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Dear God, thank you for giving me life and my athletic abilities.
Help me to play well, to use my talents to the fullest. Help me to use them as gifts from you.
Be with me when I need to play hurt, when I have to deal with the pain of injury, disappointment or losing. Most of all, help me never to quit in my efforts to be open to you.
For I believe your full coming into my life is the way to real life, in all I do. I believe it is the way of my becoming the truly human person you destined me to be.
Amen.
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Omnipotent God, vitality of life, Your strength supplies my motivation.
I am stirred in the path of Your will. Maintain my self-motivation to always search, find, examine, will and act upon the truths placed before me.
May I become a driving force for others, encouraging them to pick up their crosses and follow the virtuous road of life.
I thank You for Your continued vigor that coexists in my whole being, my soul, my spirit and my body!
Amen
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Lord, this life is a wonderful opportunity to experience your love and enjoy you forever.
Do not allow me to become complacent but let me have an insatiable desire to grow in your love and grace.
Fill my life with the joy of Your Spirit and with that, let me grow tall and strong in my own source of spirituality.
Amen
Source: https://connectusfund.org/18-powerful-prayers-for-spiritual-growth
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Loving Father, I invite you into my life today and make myself available to you. Help me to become the-best-version-of-myself by seeking your will and becoming a living example of your love in the world.
Open my heart to the areas of my life that need to change in order for me to carry out the mission and experience the joy you have imagined for my life.
Inspire me to live the Catholic faith in ways that are dynamic and engaging. Make our community hungry for best practices and continuous learning.
Give me courage when I am afraid, hope when I am discouraged, and clarity in times of decision.
Teach me to enjoy uncertainty and lead your Church to become all you imagined it would be for the people of our times.
Amen.
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Good and gracious God. I sense that you are calling me to change. Lead me.
Guide me. You invite me to change and grow every day. You promise me your grace. You invite me not to become superior to other people, but to become superior to my former self.
I know that you want my self of today to be a better self than my self of yesterday. With your love and your grace, I can become the best version of myself.
Amen
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Lord, I pray for strength to overcome all obstacles in my life.
God, I accept the power and authority you have given me.
Show me how I can live in your authority and master the trials and challenges of this world as Jesus did.
All of these things we pray in the name of Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Different Ways to Pray; Prayer Exercises
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Breathe in the breath of God
Breathe out your cares and concerns
Breathe in the love of God
Breathe out your doubts and despairs
Breathe in the life of God
Breathe out your fears and frustrationsWe sit quietly before the One who gives life and love to all creation
We sit in awe of the One who formed us in our mother’s wombs
We sit at peace surrounded by the One who fills every fiber of our being
Breathe in the breath of God
Breathe out your tensions and turmoilBreathe in the love of God
Breathe out your haste and hurryBreathe in the life of God
Breathe out your work and worry.We sit quietly before the One who gives life and love to all creation
We sit in awe of the One who formed us in our mother’s wombs
We sit at peace surrounded by the One who fills every fiber of our being.Amen
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Our Father,
Sometimes the cares of the day seem to multiply, while the blessings fade so quickly.
Our bodies grow tired and our minds even more tired.Jesus, help us.
Give us the strength You’ve promised in Your Word.
Give us the power to take the next step.
Give us your grace.
For we know in our weakness, your strength is revealed.
May we receive it today.
Amen.
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Context:
When asked how he prayed, the Trappist monk Thomas Merton said, “I breathe.” Each breath we take is a gift from God. Without breath, we wouldn’t live. We know this is true in a literal sense. I believe it’s true in a figurative one as well. Prayer gives meaning to our life, because it draws us into a relationship with God.
Paying attention to our breath might not be a common spiritual exercise for most people. It is, however, a regular component of athletic training in many sports.
For example, swimming and running all require disciplined breathing. If breathing exercises are something an athlete already practices, why make way for an opportunity to connect it to prayer, too?
For this prayer—invite your athletes to place their hand on their heart and close their eyes.
Breathe in the gift of the Spirit and breathe out its opposite.
Narrate those words, conclude with silence. Take a few deep breaths.
Prayer can be as simple and natural as breathing. This symbiosis is a meaningful spiritual exercise.
The Prayer:
Breathe in peace… Breathe out anxiety
Breathe in gratitude… Breathe out indifference
Breathe and forgive forgiveness… Breathe out resentment
Breathe in kindness… Breathe out selfishness
Breathe in patience… Breathe out impatience
Breathe Joy… Breathe out cynicism
Breathe in love… Breathe out hate
OR invite yourself and others to the first part only.
Breathe in peace…Breathe in gratitude…
Breathe and forgive forgiveness…
Breathe in kindness…
Breathe in patience…
Breathe Joy…
Breathe in love…
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I place the sign of the cross on my ears, that I may hear the voice of God.
I place a sign of the cross on my eyes, that I may see the glory of God.
I place the sign of the cross on my lips, that I may respond to the word of God.
I place the sign of the cross over my heart, that Christ made dwell within me.
I place the sign of the cross on my shoulders, that I may bear the gentle yoke of Christ.
I place the sign of the cross on my hands, that Christ will be known in the work that I do.
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I can do.
Think back to when you were young and how important it was to be independent.
Children love to do things on their own.
Take a moment to pray in thanksgiving for what you can do—walk, learn, run, love, forgive, play your sport.
I can do all things through Christ.
What are some of the things that God has enabled you to do?
How is Jesus working in your life?
What has He done for you?
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
What challenges has God given you the strength to bear? To confront? To undertake?
How does Christ strengthen you?
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Mother Teresa said We need silence to be able to touch souls.
The popular church hymn “You are Mine” by David Haas quotes from the Prophet Isaiah. He proclaims, I will come to you in the silence.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is A time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
In a world filled with noise, silence is a gift. It is not easy to find. To cultivate silence is a spiritual discipline, and an important practice.
Consider making the time and space for silence in your practice. Name it. Invite your athletes into this practice.Be still if you need to be. Be present. Be quiet.
Praying with the Day and the Season
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O God, enlighten my mind with truth;
Inflame my heart with love;
Inspire my will with courage: enrich my life with service.Pardon what I have been;
Sanctify what I am; order what I shall be and thine shall be the glory and mine the eternal salvation.Through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
Amen -
Gracious God, thank you for the gift of family and the companionship of friends. Your love is mirrored in the bonds we share.
We stand with grateful hearts for the opportunities we have been given—to live, learn, grow and share—closer to you and to one another. We ask for your continued blessings upon our nation, our community and this team.
Grant us the ability to support one another in times of joy and hardship. May we always cherish and nurture the connections that bring us closer to You.
Amen
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Dear Lord,
As we light the rose candle of Advent, fill our hearts with joy. In the middle of busy schedules, demanding practices, competitions, exams, and holiday preparations, remind us to slow down and recognize that You are near.
Like a distance runner entering the final lap of a race, help us find renewed strength and hope. When we are tired, encourage us. When we become distracted by the noise around us, refocus our hearts on the true reason for this season. When impatience and stress begin to take over, replace them with the quiet joy that comes from knowing You are with us.
Teach us that true joy is not found in winning games or personal glory. Help us to remember that lasting joy comes from Your presence, Your promises, and the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
As Christmas draws near, prepare our hearts to welcome You with excitement, gratitude, and peace. May we run the race of Advent with perseverance, knowing that the finish line leads not to a medal, but to the joy of Emmanuel—God with us.
Amen.
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Lord:
In the midst of Winter, when the days are cold and wind can pierce, remind us of the warmth of your love.
In the midst of Winter, when days are short, dawn comes late, and dusk arrives early to remind us that in the darkness your light still shines.
In the midst of Winter, when the flowers of spring still lie hidden in the earth, when leaves are off the trees, and the world can seem bleak
remind us that Easter is but a short time away.
And when in our lives we feel as if we are experiencing a season of winter, reach out to us with the power of your resurrection so that we may feel the warmth of your love and see your light that alone can take away the darkness of our soul.
Amen
January is a long month. Winter sports are still in swing. This prayer offers perspective in light of it all. Winter Prayers are here.
Quotes and Passages of Scripture
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Look! I am bringing the city recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them an abundance of lasting peace. —Jeremiah 33:6
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ~ Hebrews 12:11
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. ~John 14:27
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If the only prayer you ever say in your life is ‘thank you’, that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." —Jackie Robinson
I believe God made me for a purpose. He made me for China. But he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure…. —Eric Liddell
Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live. —Joe Montana
The Gift of Sports
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Dear Lord,
I know that all things are from You and through You and for You. I know all things from You are to be received with a glad and thankful heart.
Sports are no exception, and so I thank You, Lord, for this good game which gives me the chance to run and sweat and work. I thank You that it teaches me how to work toward something beyond myself and how to be a trustworthy teammate.
Lord, I praise You for the gift of sports.
Amen
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Lord,
Thank you for giving us sports. Thank you for those working in athletics who put the interests of athletes at the forefront of what they do.
We are grateful for athletes that love what they do enough to do it professionally and offer joy, entertainment and examples for others.
Amen.
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Lord, let us be ever mindful that Sport fosters contact and relationships with people who come from diverse cultures and walks of life.
Let us never take for granted how athletics accustomed us to live and welcome differences, to turn them into a precious opportunity for mutual enrichment and discovery.
Above all, we give thanks that sport is a precious opportunity to recognize one another as brothers and sisters on the journey, one that can foster the culture of inclusion, like no others. We pray that sport may always promote a culture of encounter.
We ask these things in your name.
Amen.
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God, thank you for this game I love and the opportunity to play it.
I need my coaches, teammates, and opponents, although I may not say it.
Please keep me safe from injury
Give me grace in defeat and victory
Bless all those who invest in me, whose wisdom has helped me grow
For my family and friends who are with me through the high and the low.
Amen
All images are used with permission from Art But Make It Sports.