In many ways, golfers on tour face the same daily priority questions that all of us do: How will I spend my time? What comes first? Where will I set aside time for my spouse, my kids, and focus with the Lord and his people?
What this all means is that these players need prayer. We are often asked at Links Players who the believers are on tour and how you can be praying for them. (You can find many of these players among our magazine articles here.)
We asked Pete Hiskey, who travels and works as an informal chaplain with a number of PGA and Web.com Tour players, to give us some ideas about how we can be praying for the players who make their living at the game.
Here are some things he told us, and you might recognize in these ideas some of the very things you need prayer for in your own life, or things you can be praying for the brothers and sisters in your Links Fellowship or other small group.
“Priorities. They are sooo busy. Not enough hours in a day often. The enemy of the great is the good. These guys have so many good options—including sponsor opportunities, tournament activities and normal evening activities we all have—that it can be hard to choose.” Prayer: That the Lord would allow them to seek his kingdom and his righteousness first (Matthew 6:33), so the things that are needed for life would fall into line after these main priorities.
“Family. With so much time on the road and so many demands from others, they need to keep a constant eye on loving their wives and children.” Prayer: That the Lord would make them husbands and fathers who reflect his kind, caring love for us, but who also take spiritual leadership in their home, including the teaching, training, and discipline that is necessary.
“Spiritual practices. This includes personal growth with Jesus, opportunities to share and invest in God’s kingdom, and stewardship of the gifts and resources they have been given.” Prayer: That the Lord would allow these players to experience the blessing of exchange with the Lord found in Psalm 5, where they lift their voice to God and have time to wait on his voice in return. Ask too that they would receive guidance from the Holy Spirit during these times for the decisions they have to make in their lives.
“Physical care, including rest. Golfers aren’t just playing the 18 holes you see on TV. As professional athletes, they stay competitive with workouts and diets that keep their bodies working their best. It can be hard to know when to say no to more exertion and balance this with the rest a body needs.” Prayer: That these players would remember what it means to treat their bodies as temples of the Lord, as well as to set aside time in Sabbath rest for the restoration of mind and body that is needed to work and serve well.
“Correct self-belief. Not too high, not too low.” Prayer: That these players would assess their lives soberly in all regards, according to the measure of faith they have been given (Romans 12:3), remembering always that their primary identity is in the Lord as his child, not as a golfer, a competitor, an athlete, or a sponsor’s ambassador.