Devotional on glorifying God: September 9

Daily Devotional: Wednesday, September 9 – Give Glory Back To God

By Sports Spectrum Aug 9, 2026

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“I am a woman who is deeply troubled. … I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” — 1 Samuel 1:15b-16

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As athletes, we often find ourselves praying for the Lord to come through in a specific way. Whether it is in performance, injury, provision, relationships, etc., we all find ourselves looking for God to step into a situation we cannot fix on our own.

In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah is petitioning the Lord to open her womb and allow her to have a son. Verse 7 says, “This went on year after year,” implying it had been a long-fought battle for Hannah. We know that same story in sports. When we think of an injury and the recovery process, often hindered by many obstacles, we can go day after day, month after month, praying for healing or progress and being met with the same pain and the same obstacles.

But what changed in Hannah’s story? In Verse 11, Hannah vows that if the Lord gives her a son, she will give him back to God.

Oftentimes, we are quick to pray for the provision of God — wins, healing, accolades — without the desire to give glory back to Him. We get frustrated in the waiting, but what if the Lord makes us wait so that when the mountain does move, we know it was God and not ourselves? We see Hannah “pour out her soul to the Lord” (v. 15), and ultimately be met with the blessing she so desperately longed for — after vowing to surrender her son to God.

It’s not easy to sit in the discomfort of waiting, but when we seek to glorify the Lord above all else, He will use our surrender in ways we can’t even imagine.

— Ashley Prange

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Daily Devotional: Monday, August 31 – Are You Ready?

By Sports Spectrum Aug 31, 2026

Washington Commanders at training camp, Aug. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” — 2 Peter 3:10

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NFL teams start training camp with 90 players and trim their rosters down to 53 players before the first regular-season game. That means each of the 32 teams cuts 37 players, so more than 1,100 guys are let go from teams annually.

In spite of all of the best efforts of coaches, some of the most talented football players don’t last, whether it’s because of attitudes, like a lack of listening, or skipping meetings or practices without a valid reason. Some just aren’t ready or willing for what it takes.

In our lives, we need to be ready for Jesus’ second coming.

Though God made the world perfect in every way, sin brought corruption into the world. In the beginning, it was a few sins by a small group of people, but sin grew and multiplied over time. People moved further and further away from God and His ways, so the Lord warned Noah about an approaching flood that would wipe out the evil. God was patient for several generations, but people became more and more wicked and refused to listen to God’s commands (Genesis 6:6-7).

Yet, Noah stood out as a good man in the midst of wickedness. Therefore, God planned to preserve at least one family in order to preserve humankind. Before the rain started, Noah had two jobs: make a boat and then fill it with animals and food (Genesis 6:19-21). Noah and his sons built a massive wooden ark over decades, and it had room for two of every kind of animal. It is presumed that Noah — later called a “preacher of righteousness” — warned his neighbors of the coming flood, but if he did, they didn’t listen to him.

Surely, God is patient with us and prefers to show mercy. But the Lord makes deadlines for us and we need to draw near to Him while we have life, breath and good understanding. That’s why Jesus compared His second coming to the time of Noah, because God doesn’t tell us the date of major events beforehand, but He lets us know we need to be prepared at any moment (Matthew 24:36-37).

As the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write, he explained that the world was covered with water one time, but fire will consume everything except those who are safe in Christ’s arms (2 Peter 3:10, above). We need to heed God’s warnings and be ready to meet God at any moment. Are you ready?

— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia

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Daily Devotional: Friday, August 28 – Seek His Face

By Sports Spectrum Aug 28, 2026

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“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” — 1 Chronicles 16:11

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Are you seeking God’s hand or His face? If I’m honest with myself, it’s His hand. Seeking God’s hand is about what He can do for me. Seeking His hand turns my prayer time into my “personal wish list,” and I start treating God like my own genie.

It’s really easy to make my prayer time about me — my wants, my needs and how I think God should handle all my situations and answer my requests. I pray for favor and blessing — not necessarily wrong things, but the posture of my heart turns into entitlement. “God, You owe me!” It becomes a transactional relationship where I try to convince God of my self-righteousness and expect Him to give me the so-called desires of my heart.

God — the Creator of this universe; the One who is holy, perfect and righteous; the One who loves us unconditionally and gave us His only Son to die on the cross for our sins, so we can have a relationship with Him — craves us. He wants us to seek Him, to seek His face. He’s the God who forgives. He sees and knows all things. He should not be treated as a vending-machine god. My heart breaks for the times that I view Him like that and I ask Him to forgive me. I’m learning that as I seek His face, the favor and blessing I’m praying for are His “presence,” not necessarily His “presents.”

Is your heart’s desire to seek His face? Seeking His face is seeking His presence. Do you want a deeper, more intimate and meaningful relationship with God? Seek His face rather than His hand and you’ll begin to fall in love with Jesus. Your prayer time will begin with gratitude and thankfulness as you reflect on His goodness, grace, mercy, forgiveness and love. Instead of rushing into the throne room with personal requests and wants, you’ll begin to enjoy just sitting at His feet like Mary did.

You’ll begin to crave and enjoy your quiet time. It will no be longer a check-list item or to-do activity to get done during the day when you have a little extra time and it’s convenient; it becomes more intentional and focused. It becomes a priority, and instead of a “have to,” it’s now a “get to” — no longer duty but rather devotion and delight. You’ll actually look forward to spending time with God and being in His presence.

And here’s the beautiful thing about seeking His face: He transforms you and changes you. You become more and more like Christ because of the time you spend with Him. Moses came down from the mountain and his face glowed because of spending time in the presence of God. In the New Testament, Jesus calls us to be light. Are we bright? Do we shine? Do our teammates, friends and family see the difference in us because of spending time with God and being in His presence?

And, oh yeah, those desires of your heart start happening and occurring because they’re actually not your desires anymore — they are His desires which now become your desires because of spending time with Him. Seek His face!

Prayer: Dear God, please forgive me for just seeking Your hand. My prayer is to seek Your face. May I crave Your presence and seek intentional time with You on a daily basis. Amen.

— Jim Good

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Daily Devotional: Thursday, August 27 – God’s Gym

By Sports Spectrum Aug 27, 2026

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“[D]o not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” — Hebrews 6:12 (NKJV)

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The one piece of advice I received repeatedly before retiring was to “stay active and keep moving.” I knew that to be true, for in my working years as a retail store manager, I spent more time on the floor than in the office, despite what others might say.

A sudden stop in physical activity would not bode well. For the most part, I have maintained a regular schedule that keeps me moving physically. But I admit there are times when sluggishness sets in from missing the gym and the accumulation of late-night snacks. Thankfully, I recognize the need to stay active with frequent visits back to the gym to become sluggish-free.

Staying active and moving is not only for our physical health, but also for our spiritual health. In fact, the apostle Paul writes, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8, NLT). When we let our spiritual life lay dormant and absorb the junk food of the world, there is no other outcome but to become sluggish or spiritually unhealthy. Without correction, this will lead to all kinds of spiritual problems and create a chasm between you and God.

Just as physical exercise and staying active keeps us healthy and not in a sluggish state, spiritual exercise — such as Bible reading, prayer, worship, sharing the Gospel, helping others and having Christian friends — will keep us active and moving in our Christian life. Age does not matter. Young, old and in between, we all need spiritual exercise.

If you’re feeling a bit sluggish, it’s time to hit “God’s Gym.”

— Loring Schultz

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Daily Devotional: Wednesday, August 26 – Christ Rules Everything

By Sports Spectrum Aug 26, 2026

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“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.” — Ecclesiastes 5:10

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Back in the day, a hip-hop song called “C.R.E.A.M.” was released. “Cash Rules Everything Around Me” blasted airways in gyms, workplaces and barbecues throughout the country.

Today, the world still pushes this false agenda. So fixated on abundance and excess, people struggle for success because of similar fallacies. However, God provided a better way.

He wants our heart. Whether we’re millionaires playing ball or full-time missionaries serving others, God wants our hearts. Possessions are the least of God’s concerns. The Creator of the universe doesn’t care whether you drive a Bentley or a bucket. The real question is: What has your heart?

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (above) reminds us that obsessing over riches will never be satisfying, but many still fall victim to this lie. Money talks, and occasionally it’s louder than God’s call for us. If opportunities present themselves with larger dollar amounts, most people jump ship. Sometimes, perks are better elsewhere, so trading uniforms seems insignificant.

The main factor in this whole equation is the heart. Are you leaving because God told you? Are you entertaining offers simply because money’s on the table? Are you running away from hard challenges? These questions won’t be addressed in press conferences, but they’re worth pondering.

No matter the situation, always trust God to provide. Putting your trust in massive amounts of pennies thrown at you for your talent will always leave you empty, because Jesus is the only thing that will truly satisfy you.

— Monique Fuiava, University of Oregon women’s chaplain

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