But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, NLT)
I’ve had some wonderful golf experiences in the last few weeks, and the two experiences I am thinking of were nothing alike.
A few weeks ago, after spending a great hour in God’s word with a LINKS fellowship, I went out onto the golf course, walked 11 holes all by myself, and pretty much had the course to myself.
That doesn’t happen often, but this particular day was somewhat cold and cloudy, as can happen here where I live, and so apparently, no one wanted to play without the normal abundant sunshine.
I had a wonderful walk with God and truly a great spiritual experience. Wally Armstrong recently sent me a copy of “The Mulligan Journal” for study purposes, and the first question of the first lesson was, “What do you enjoy most about golf?”
One of my answers is the opportunity to spend time alone with God on beautiful golf courses. I talk to many people who say they hate to play golf alone or simply won’t do it.
They reason that golf has no social value when playing alone or that they can’t focus on their game without something to play for. However, playing golf alone is an excellent opportunity to pray and spend quality time with the Lord.
Don’t misunderstand; I love playing golf with others, but I also love playing alone. While it looks like I am playing alone, I am never alone. And since golf courses are some of the most beautiful places in the world, I recommend taking advantage of this experience whenever possible!
Last week, I went to my first significant tournament as a Senior Amateur player, and it was a different experience. I believe Bobby Jones said, “There’s golf, and then there’s tournament golf, and the two are not at all alike!” True enough.
Tournament golf has many distractions that can take over your mind if you let them. However, this tournament was different for me. It was important for me to shine the light of Christ while I played.
I made a conscious effort to ensure that I was a player with whom others would enjoy spending time and not just an overly competitive jerk like I had been many times in the past.
While my results were not what I hoped for, this time, I came away from the event feeling joyful and like I had accomplished something other than just trying to play good golf. I had tried to reach my playing partners in some way for Christ.
Time alone with God can give you great perspective and encouragement that will sustain you through other, more difficult times. I highly recommend this alternative way of spending time alone with God, playing golf with the one who never leaves us.
Now, as a friend of mine likes to say… “Go give’ em Heaven today!”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Give us a hunger for time alone with you! Teach us to prioritize our relationship with you above everything else. Amen.