In one of the most frightening on-field scenes in NFL history, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, received CPR on the field and was transported to a Cincinnati hospital. He remains in critical condition in the ICU.
As news outlets around the country sought to cover the latest on Hamlin and cope with the emotions stirred up from the horrific event, many said they were thinking and praying for Hamlin and his family. However, former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky, one of the analysts on ESPN’s “NFL Live,” decided to do more than just say he’d be praying for Hamlin. He offered his prayer on the show’s set while live on air. Fellow analyst Marcus Spears and host Laura Rutledge bowed their heads and listened.
Matthew 18:20 https://t.co/xCQUOmnEs1
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 3, 2023
“God, we come to You in these moments that we don’t understand, that are hard, because we believe that You’re God and coming to You and praying to You has impact,” Orlovsky’s prayer began. “We’re sad, we’re angry, we want answers, but some things are unanswerable. We just want to pray, truly come to You and pray for strength for Damar, for healing for Damar, for comfort for Damar, to be with his family, to give them peace.
“If we didn’t believe that prayer … worked, we wouldn’t ask this of You, God. I believe in prayer, we believe in prayer, and we lift up Damar Hamlin’s name in Your name, amen.”
The incredible boldness Orlovsky displayed in his act of faith was widely praised.
Orlovsky has been vocal about his faith in Christ for years, appearing multiple times on the Sports Spectrum Podcast and the “Weekly Slant” while sometimes writing stories for The Increase. He even wears a bracelet on his right wrist that references Proverbs 3:5-6.
During Sports Spectrum’s “Weekly Slant” show released last February, Orlovsky talked about what it means to be a follower of Christ.
“I want people to completely understand that what I am is a walking representation of transformation,” he said. “I’m a walking representation of broken. I’m a walking representation of having a relationship with a God that, on a day-to-day basis, lifts me up. On a day-to-day basis, convicts my heart. On a day-to-basis, challenges me to think about things and/or people, not myself.”
Please join Orlovsky, all of us here at Sports Spectrum and those around the world as we continue to pray for Damar Hamlin’s healing and comfort for his family and friends during this time.
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