PRAYER DIARY May - August 2016

WELCOME to the prayer diary

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” This letter from Paul to the Philippians begins with these encouraging and yet challenging words. We are so very grateful to God for you, and often thank him for the many who pray for us at Christians in Sport. Recently as a team, we’ve had several conversations with people who have told us, very humbly, that they pray for us every single day and have done for years. It’s such a privilege to hear that on the end of the phone in the office.

We are so thankful for your partnership in the gospel as we long to reach the world of sport for Christ. Prayer is the most important part of our work and it should never be underestimated. Our prayer for you is that He would carry on His good work in you, what a joy! Partner Relations Team

Our mission

To reach the world of sport for Christ.

Our visions

Christians everywhere living out their faith in sports clubs and teams.

Churches everywhere engaging with their local sports communities.

Sportspeople everywhere having the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus.

CONTENTS

4-5 Global Mission 8 - 21 May

6-7 Thanks Giving 22 May - 4 June

8-9 Students 5 - 18 June

10-11 Elite Sport 19 June - 2 July

12-13 The Local Church 3 - 16 July

14-15 Sports Plus 17 - 30 July

16-17 Olympics & 31 July - 13 Aug Paralympics

18-19 Our Leaders & Staff 14 - 27 Aug

20-21 The Big Prayers 28 Aug - 10 Sept

GLOBAL MISSION

Christians in Sport is part of a global sports movement. This fortnight, pray for all that is happening internationally through indigenous-led sports mission.

Sun 8th Strategic Meetings. Thank God for strategic and vision casting meetings in Serbia, the Czech Republic and Bosnia in the last three months. These meetings were driven by local people who want to think strategically about using sport in their communities. All three countries are sending teams to the European conference in nine days time.

Mon 9th Croatia. Give thanks for three days of vision casting meetings in three different cities in Croatia. There has been little sports ministry activity here for many years so praise God for the contact who set these up and is passionate about seeing ministry grow there. There were many good conversations with churches and local organisations who are interested in partnering together.

Tue 10th ReadySetGO Trainings. Praise God for the first ReadySetGO trainings which took place in Hungary and Romania. Christians in Sport staff were present at both of these. 36 other trainings have already taken place in 19 countries independently of any external trainers, a testament to the ease of use of the resources.

Today’s events: Loughborough CU evangelism training (Dave Hampton)

Wed 11th ECSU Facilitation Team. Thank God for three new members who have joined the Facilitation Team. This group of 10 helps implement the ECSU Plan across Europe by organising conferences, sending out the ECSU prayer diary and supporting trainings across Europe.

Thu 12th European Sports Mission. A month-long summer school in July for leaders aged 18-25: two weeks of training followed by two weeks of sports mission in various locations across Europe. Pray for sign-ups both from the UK and across Europe.

Fri 13th Jersey One Day Sports Plus. A one day taster of Sports Plus takes place on Monday 30th May to give newcomers a chance to experience Sports Plus ahead of the main camp in July. Pray for many sign-ups and a great day of sport and hearing the Bible taught.

8 - 21 May

Sat 14th Jersey Sports Quiz. Thank God for the 73 people who attended the Jersey Sports Quiz at the beginning of March. There are a series of events planned throughout the year to engage non-Christians at different stages of investigating.

Today’s events: Evangelism training at Hamilton Road Baptist, Bangor (Graham Daniels)

Sun 15th Jersey Beach Volleyball Tournament. After the success of the first tournament held last summer, a second beach volleyball tournament has been organised. Last time 64 people attended with 36 being guests.

Mon 16th New Leaders in Jersey. Pray that a strong team of volunteers would grow and that they would own the vision in their sports clubs and churches.

Today’s events: St. Bede’s school mission

Tue 17th ReadySetGO Multiply Conference. Tomorrow, teams of four from over 20+ countries in Europe will gather together to receive training in the global sport mission curriculum, ReadySetGO. This is a ‘training of trainers’ conference so pray that delegates will come eager to learn and pass on.

Today’s events: Evangelism training at St. Botolph’s, Cambridge (Graham Daniels)

Wed 18th ReadySetGO Multiply Conference. Today is the first day of the European launch of ReadySetGO (the European version of the global conference last November). Pray for teams travelling today and for the first meeting tonight.

Thu 19th ReadySetGO Multiply Conference. Today the country teams will receive training in the Heart Values (‘Ready’) and various ‘Set’ skills such as How to handle the Bible, 6 windows and Pray Play Say. These are the foundational sessions from which the GO strategies flow.

Fri 20th ReadySetGO Multiply Conference. Today teams will have a chance to practice delivering some of the sessions they sat in yesterday. They will present their 90min sessions to three other teams for feedback in order to give them experience in delivering their own training before they go home.

Sat 21st ReadySetGO Muliply Conference. Today teams will have the opportunity to hear about all the 19 GO strategies for using sport to make disciples. Tomorrow delegates will make strategic plans for their countries before they travel home. Pray for safe travel and for good implementation of these plans.

THANKS GIVING 22 May - 4 June

Since all our blessings flow from God, we have much to be grateful for. This fortnight, let us praise and thank God for all he has been doing in the world of sport.

Sun 22nd Young ‘Pray, Play, Say-ers’. Thank God for young Christian sportspeople around the UK who are pray, play, saying in their sports teams and looking to share Jesus with their teammates.

Mon 23rd Elite athletes we support. We currently support 191 people involved in 24 elite sports; the majority of them athletes and coaches. Praise God for the gift he has given them and ask that he would protect their hearts against the pressures and temptations of the world, so that they would see themselves first and foremost as ‘children of God’.

Tue 24th Professions of faith amongst sports students. Praise God for bringing salvation to a rower, a tennis player, a hockey player, an orienteer and a golfer this term. Pray that these men and women will grow strong in faith and in turn make disciples of their own in their sports clubs and teams.

Wed 25th St Andrew’s, Oxford. Give thanks for the ministry of Rev. Andrew Wingfield-Digby (founding member of Christians in Sport) at St Andrew’s, Oxford for the last 15 years. Pray for the recruitment of its next vicar and for the ongoing ‘Pray Play Say’ of many youth and adults in that church.

Thu 26th The Academy. Our 10 gap year students (Alec, Callum, Clare, Estelle, Holly, Jake, James, Jonny, Peigi, Tash) are approaching the end of the Academy programme. Thank God for all he has been teaching them through His word, and for their joyful, humble service over the past six months.

Today’s events: Swanshurst school mission (26th – 27th)

Fri 27th Open doors in the Church of England. Give thanks for the recent Ministry of Sport day at Lambeth Palace. Pray that increasing numbers of Church of England churches would catch the vision for evangelism in a sporting context.

Sat 28th Financial provision. Give thanks to God for graciously providing for the work thus far, and for the faithfulness and generosity of our regular donors.

Sun 29th School Missions. Thank God for the many opportunities to share the gospel in schools through assemblies, chapel services, RE lessons and quizzes last term. Pray for the ongoing witness of chaplains and teachers in these schools.

Mon 30th Christian presence in football. Praise God for the 101 Christian players, coaches and managers we know of involved in professional football in the UK. As we host more professional football gatherings across the UK in the coming months, pray that they would develop a sense of unity in Christ even as they compete against each other.

Today’s events: Jersey One Day Sports Plus

Tue 31st Partnerships with UK Sports ministries. Thank God for the partnerships we have with a number of other sports ministries in the UK and the mutual encouragement this gives us to keep reaching the world of sport for Christ.

Wed 1st Online resources. Praise God for the wealth of Bible studies, articles, videos and blogs made for Christian sportspeople and those seeking to find out more about the Christian message. Pray that these would reach millions across the world.

Thu 2nd ReadySetGO. Thank God for how ReadySetGO has already spread across the continent. In five years of the International Sports Leaderships Trainings we were part of, 837 leaders were trained. In just four months of ReadySetGO, 810 have been trained- a testament to how easy the resource is to use and the passion and hunger for sports mission across Europe.

Today’s events: Elite gathering/Bible study - IAAF Diamond League, Rome (athletics)

Fri 3rd Christian sportspeople. Thank God for the 10,000+ Christians in sport we currently know of that are trying to represent Christ through Pray Play Say in their clubs and teams across the UK.

Sat 4th Moldova Sports Camp. Praise God for the eight Moldovan leaders who came to observe Repton Sports Plus last summer. Pray for them as they make final preparations for their own basketball camp starting this Tuesday.

Today’s events: Baptist Union Sports Day (Graeme Shanks speaking)

STUDENTS 5 - 18 June This fortnight, we look back upon an exciting year for the student work and praise the Lord for the marvellous things He has done in the world of university sport.

Sun 5th Clubhouse Xtra. Praise God for what He achieved through students who attended our student training conference back in January. Praise God that the reminder of the gospel of grace motivated many to boldly proclaim it in their university sports clubs this term.

Today’s events: Elite athlete gathering/Bible study - IAAF Diamond League, Birmingham (athletics)

Mon 6th Events weeks. Last term, many Christian Unions ran events weeks to give students the opportunity to explore the good news of Jesus for themselves. Praise God that many sports students were engaged through these weeks and ask that conversations that began that week would continue.

Tue 7th University sport. Praise God for the gift of university sport and the chance to train and compete at a high level. Pray that students were distinctive and godly in victory and defeat.

Wed 8th Off-season witness. Pray that Christians coming to the end of their season would not see this as their last opportunity to witness for Christ but would make plans to ‘share life and the gospel’ with their sports friends despite no longer training and competing together. Thu 9th Summer sports. Pray that Christian students competing in summer sports such as athletics and cricket would witness for Christ boldly after a long period of waiting and training.

Fri 10th Graduating students. Pray that Christian students graudating this summer would finish their university career courageously witnessing for Christ and that as they transition into the next stage of life, they will continue to reach the world of sport for Christ.

Today’s events: UEFA Euro 2016 begins

Sat 11th Exams. Pray for students taking exams this term. Pray that the peace of God would reign in their hearts during this time and that as they trust the Lord their faith would be evident to all.

Today’s events: Football tournament at Bethel Church, Liverpool (Ian Lancaster speaking)

Sun 12th Summer break. As students plan their summers, ask the Lord to guide them towards opportunities which will deepen their walk with Him. Pray that those serving on Sports Plus camps would find this to be a rich and valuable experience.

Mon 13th European Sports Mission. Pray for students considering attending the European Sports Mission in July. Pray that he would free up diaries and provide funds for many to attend and be used for God’s glory in the world of European sport.

Tue 14th Sportspeople attending church. Praise God for the opportunity Glasgow Uni water polo player Moira had to bring many of her team mates to her church this term. Pray that God’s Word would speak powerfully to these girls and other students attending church through the invite of a Christian.

Wed 15th Dialogue dinners. Praise God for Christians who boldly asked their sports friends over for a meal in order to share the gospel through a testimony or short talk. Meals with rugby players in Manchester, runners in Birmingham, footballers and American footballers in Edinburgh and gymnasts in Loughborough all led to genuine conversations about Jesus with some starting to read the Bible with sports friends in the weeks that followed.

Thu 16th Students coming to Christ. Praise God that a Christian golfer at Warwick University was able to invite six golf friends to an Alpha course. All engaged in discussion and two started attending church, one of whom would now say he “fully believes”. Pray for salvation to come to the rest of these golfers and other sports students who have been exploring the Christian faith this year.

Today’s events: Elite athlete gathering/Bible study – IAAF Diamond League, Stockholm (athletics)

Fri 17th Evangelistic initiatives. Stirling University recently hosted their first ever dodgeball tournament on campus. Around 70 came and many heard the gospel for the first time. Pray that this event, along with other guest events across the country, will have served to break down barriers and plant seeds of faith in the hearts of many sports students.

Sat 18th University Pray Play Say group leaders. Thank God for the 50 group leaders who have served the mission brilliantly in their universities this year. Praise God that their leadership has inspired many group members to make bold steps in their personal evangelism. Pray that God would rule and reign over the selection for each new appointed leader.

ELITE SPORT19 June - 2 July

Heavy training and competitions take Christian athletes away from home for long periods of time, meaning regular church life is tough to maintain. Please join us in praying for these Christian athletes.

Sun 19th Elite sport gatherings. Praise God for rowing gatherings at Leander Club, football gatherings in the Midlands, track-and-field gatherings at IAAF events and multisport gatherings in Loughborough and London. Pray these gatherings foster strong relationships between the athletes.

Mon 20th A Christian presence within hockey. Thank God for Christians playing in the Scotland, Ireland, Wales and GB senior squads. We know Christians within the women’s elite squads but few in the men’s. Pray that the Christians would be disciple makers.

Today’s events: One-day mission at St. Peter’s School, Guildford

Tue 21st Support of the church family. Pray that all Christian athletes would feel well supported and cared for by their church families, even though they may not be able to attend on a regular basis. Thank God for churches who have gone out of their way to look after elite athletes.

Wed 22nd Christians in elite leadership roles. Pray for Christians who hold positions of authority within elite sport such as coaches, captains and CEOs. Pray they would lead with a servant heart and for God to give them immeasurable wisdom and strength to deal with any situation that comes their way.

Today’s events: Football tournament at Cranleigh school

Thu 23rd Vitality Netball Superleague. Thank God for the Christians playing in the top teams in the UK’s netball league. Pray they would be distinctive within their squads and that God would raise up Christians within the other five squads.

Fri 24th Rio 2016 selection. Most athletes will now know if they have been selected for the Rio 2016 Games. Pray for those not selected to grow in knowledge and love of the Lord as they go through this hard time. For those selected, thank God for the exciting summer ahead and pray they would keep their eyes fixed on Jesus in the coming months.

Today’s events: Sports Quiz at St. Andrew’s Leyland (Ian Lancaster speaking); British Athletics Championships, Birmingham (24th -26th)

Sat 25th A Christian presence within rowing. Praise God for the strong Christian presence in this sport. Pray they are an encouragement to each other when away on training camps and competitions.

Sun 26th The life of Gerald Williams. This January Gerald Williams passed away aged 86. He was a former BBC television and radio tennis commentator and a pioneer of sports mission as well as an outstanding long time supporter of Christians in Sport. Praise God for his life and for those in the elite tennis community he shared his faith with.

Mon 27th Wimbledon 2016. As Wimbledon starts today, pray for the world of elite tennis. Ask our mighty God to move powerfully in this sport to raise up Christians in the elite circuit as currently we know none. If you are watching Wimbledon, pray for those on screen to come to know Christ.

Tue 28th Parents of Young Performance Athletes. Pray for the parents of the 85 Christian young people we know of competing at an elite level. Pray they would know the enabling power of God’s Spirit as they support and encourage their children in both sport and faith.

Wed 29th A Christian presence in athletics. Christian athletes and coaches from across the world have gathered at IAAF Diamond League events for Bible studies run by Christians in Sport and Verité Sport. Praise God for the many Christians in the circuit.

Thu 30th The Christians in Sport Podcast. This podcast for elite sportspeople and coaches sees Graham Daniels chatting with Christian former elite athletes as they reflect on how their faith has influenced their career. Praise God for how this has helped current professional athletes and coaches.

Fri 1st Elite sportspeople exploring the Christian faith. Thank God for athletes, players and management staff reading the Bible with Christians in Sport staff workers, church leaders and Christian teammates. Pray that God would open their eyes to see the majesty of the gospel.

Today’s events: Summer Sound youth event, Manchester (Tom Woodbridge speaking)

Sat 2nd UEFA Euro 2016. As we hit the quarter-finals, pray for the Christians in these national squads that, in a world of temptations, they would stand firm in what they know to be true and right. If you are watching UEFA Euro 2016, pray for those on screen to come to know Christ.

THE LOCAL CHURCHThe local church is the primary community for making disciples of Jesus and training sportspeople in godliness. Pray for churches as they disciple and reach out to sportspeople.

Sun 3rd Church events during Euro 2016. Pray for churches using the UEFA Euro 2016 competition as a chance to share life and Jesus with people. Pray that the many resources available - such as our Sports Mission Pack - would be used well to make an eternal impact.

Mon 4th Machen Church, Caerphilly, South Wales. Pray for follow up with guests after their recent sports quiz. Pray that church members would continue to share Jesus in action and word and that the young people in the church who are involved in the world of sport would stand tall for Jesus.

Tue 5th St. Paul’s, Cheltenham. St. Paul’s are running a Sports Café throughout Wimbledon and Euro 2016. As a town centre church, please pray that many of the sports community working nearby would come along during lunch breaks and after work.

Wed 6th Church Summer Sport. Pray for the many opportunities summer brings to use sport as a tool for evangelism and an opportunity to share life. Pray for those organising events within their churches, that God would resource them both practically and spiritually. Pray for Christians as they get outdoors this summer that they would be ambassadors for Jesus, showing His goodness.

Thu 7th Churches in Edinburgh. Give thanks for churches in Edinburgh who are working together to identify and support sports players in their congregations. Pray that many in the city’s clubs and teams will be reached with the gospel as a result.

Fri 8th Holy Trinity Brompton, London. Thank God for the HTB network of churches in London. Pray for their church family holiday ‘Focus’ coming up at the end of July. Pray for Ruth Graveling as she oversees the sports programme, including a seminar on Sports Outreach; pray many there would be envisioned to be a part of reaching the world of sport for Christ in London.

3 - 16 July

Sat 9th Ballymena Baptist Church, Northern Ireland. Thank God for our ongoing partnership with Ballymena Baptist church. Pray that this relationship would continue to grow and develop and that sports people in Ballymena would come under the sound of the gospel as a result.

Sun 10th Scotland Sports Plus. Starting today! Pray for the young people as they arrive that they’d feel very welcomed and settled.

Today’s events: Final of UEFA Euro 2016; Scotland Sports Plus (10th – 15th)

Mon 11th Church-based events. Thank God for all the church-based events which took place last term. Pray that sportspeople who invited team mates would be faithful in following them up as they share life and continue to speak of Jesus.

Tue 12th Church Leaders. Thank God for church leaders who play sport. Pray they would be distinctive in their clubs and teams and have time to be able to play.

Wed 13th Key Leaders. Thank God for people who drive the work of Pray Play Saying within their churches. Pray as they find sports people within their church family that they would support one another well in their shared mission field.

Thu 14th Church Pray Play Say Groups. Thank God for churches who gather together their sports people throughout the year to pray and equip one other. Pray that more churches would do this where appropriate, and they would be thinking specifically about equipping sports people in the pre-season.

Fri 15th Scotland Sports Plus. Praise God for over 20 churches in Scotland who have sent leaders to serve on the team, including church pastors and youth workers. Pray that these individuals will go home and excite others in their congregations about the vast mission-field of sport, and that churches all over Scotland might engage with their local sports communities as a result.

Today’s events: Sports Quiz at St. Botolph’s, Cambridge (Graham Daniels speaking)

Sat 16th Sunday sport. With much sport now taking place on Sundays, pray for churches as they respond to this trend in culture. Pray they would find workable solutions with sportspeople and parents of young sportspeople to enable them to be active members of both their local sports clubs and church.

3 - 16 July

SPORTS PLUS 17 - 30 July

At this summer’s Sports Plus, more than 600 young people will enjoy a week of specialist sports coaching and teaching from John’s gospel . Give thanks for each one of these young people and the leaders, coaches and medical staff who make these camps possible.

Sun 17th Perth Sports Plus. Give thanks for Perth Sports Plus last week. Pray that the young people would put into practice all they learnt as they head back to their sports teams. Praise God for all the leaders who served during the week.

Mon 18th Sports Plus Teaching. Pray for all those who will teach the Bible at Sports Plus. Pray that they would be faithful to God’s word in preparation, and clear and relevant in delivery of talks, Bible studies and water breaks.

Tue 19th Sports Plus Team Leaders. Give thanks for all the leaders who give their time to serve at Sports Plus. Pray that those leading Bible studies will prepare well and enjoy their time in God’s word.

Wed 20th Young People. Praise God for the 600+ young people who signed up to Sports Plus. Pray for those who are Christians that they may be supported to represent Jesus in their sport. Pray for those who don’t yet trust in Jesus, that they may be challenged by the truth of the Gospel.

Thu 21st Sport. Pray for safety during all the sport that is played at Sports Plus, including the morning and afternoon coaching sessions and Team Challenge.

Fri 22nd Sports Plus Support Staff. Praise God for the teams of Support Staff at each Sports Plus. Thank God for their servant hearts and all they do behind the scenes to enable Sports Plus to run smoothly.

Today’s events: Elite athlete gathering/Bible study – IAAF Diamond League, London (athletics)

Sat 23rd Trainees. Thank God for the opportunity to invest in the lives of Trainees at each Sports Plus. Pray that the training and experience they receive will equip them for future roles within Sports Plus and also their local church.

Sun 24th Jersey Sports Plus Leaders. Pray for leaders arriving at Jersey Sports Plus today. Pray that the day of training would be a great time of equipping as well as bonding for the leaders.

Mon 25th Jersey Sports Plus Young People. Pray for young people arriving at Jersey Sports Plus this afternoon. Pray that they would settle in quickly, get to know each other in their teams and make a great start to Sports Plus.

Today’s events: Jersey Sports Plus (25th – 29th)

Tue 26th Main Meetings. Pray for the main meetings at Sports Plus when the whole camp comes together. Pray that the young people will engage with all the different elements and that the teaching in John would be faithful and relevant.

Wed 27th Sports Plus Coaches. Thank God for the coaches at Sports Plus. Pray that they may build good relationships with the young people they are coaching and may be good witnesses for the Lord Jesus during their coaching sessions.

Today’s events: ‘Sports Mission’ seminar and quiz at Holy Trinity Brompton church week away (Ian Lancaster)

Thu 28th Belfast 2 & Repton Sports Plus. Pray for final preparations for Belfast 2 and Repton Sports Plus camps over the next couple of weeks. Pray for leaders’ preparations and for the young people as they get ready to come.

Today’s events: Jersey Beach Volleyball competition

Fri 29th Sports Plus Bursary Fund. The Sports Plus Bursary Fund has enabled around 130 young people to attend Sports Plus this summer who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend. Thank God for all those who have donated to the Bursary Fund and enabled these young people to come away for a week to develop in their sport and hear about Christ.

Sat 30th Brecon and Belfast 1 Sports Plus Leaders Training. Pray for leaders as they arrive at Brecon and Belfast 1 Sports Plus. Pray that they may be servant-hearted this week as they serve the young people and the Gospel.

OLYMPICS & PARALYMPICS

The countdown to the Games is almost over! Dedicate this fortnight to praying for the Olympics (5th-21st Aug) and Paralympics (7th-18th Sep) Sun 31st The gift of sport. Praise God for the gift of sport and sporting endeavour which the Olympics and Paralympics celebrate. Pray throughout these events for God’s name to be honoured and glorified, not the sponsors or the medallists, but the Lord God Almighty.

Today’s events: Brecon and Belfast 1 Sports Plus camps (31st Jul – 5th Aug)

Mon 1st The Olympic Village. Pray for athletes as they settle into the Olympic Village, missing home and anxious about the imminent competition. May those that know the Lord have a positive influence on the atmosphere within the Village.

Tue 2nd Security. With the attention of the world focused on Rio, pray for the security of the city; that those with malicious intent would be thwarted and that the Games would be a safe, secure and positive environment.

Wed 3rd Officials and coaches. Pray for all Olympic and Paralympic officials and coaches. May the officials be fair and impartial. May the coaches be given strength, wisdom and energy to help their charges be at their best and to maintain perspective. For those Christian officials and coaches, may they be salt and light to those around them.

Thu 4th Drugs testing. Recent doping scandals have undermined public confidence in many sporting events. Pray that the drug testing systems at the Games would achieve justice; that the innocent would not be unfairly tarnished and that the guilty would be held to account.

Fri 5th Chaplains. Pray for all Olympic and Paralympic chaplains, that they might find the right words for those experiencing success or failure. May they keep walking closely with the Lord, and keep pointing people clearly and patiently to Christ.

Today’s events: Olympic Games opening ceremony, Rio de Janeiro

31 July - 13 Aug

Sat 6th Track and field. Pray for the start of the track and field competition today. Pray that the many athletes who know Christ would be aware of His ‘everlasting arms’ upholding them, and that they would be an encouragement to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Sun 7th Media coverage. Pray for those involved with the media at the Games. Ask that they would report accurately. Help the competitors in their dealings with the press and pray for mutual respect and trust.

Mon 8th Christians competing in Rio. Pray that Christian athletes would keep their identity firmly fixed in Christ. As the world watches their performance and judges them by it, may they know that they are God’s children - may they find their worth in that and not in their performance.

Tue 9th Successful athletes. Help those who succeed at the Games to deal with the attention that follows. For those who wake up the next morning feeling flat because their success didn’t satisfy, may the Lord reveal Himself to them. For those who already know the Lord, may He protect them from pride, remembering that their talent is a gift from Him.

Wed 10th Disappointed athletes. Ask God to help disappointed athletes deal with any negative attention that comes with failure. For those who are crushed because sport is their identity, may the Lord reveal Himself to them. For those who already know the Lord, may He remind them of who they are in Him.

Thu 11th Volunteers. Thank God for all those who have given up their time to volunteer at the Games. Ask Him to give them energy and patience and help them as they contribute so much towards the atmosphere of the Games.

Fri 12th Injury. May God give the medical staff great skill and wisdom in treating all competitors who get injured at the Games. As their hopes and dreams are dashed, may they find God to be a living reality. One day, may they look back and give thanks for the crisis which overtook them in Rio.

Sat 13th Churches engaging with Rio 2016. Pray for the thousands of sportspeople who will hear the gospel at sports quizzes, community festivals and other outreach events based on the Games. Pray that God would be working in their hearts and would call them to look deeper into Jesus’ identity.

OUR LEADERS AND STAFF 14 - 27 Aug

From our Sports Plus leaders to the Board of Trustees, from Pray Play Say leaders to church leaders passionate about sport; thank God for all the leaders helping to reach the world of sport for Christ.

Sun 14th Board of Trustees. Thank God for their expertise and guidance. Pray for godly wisdom and unity as they make decisions and consult the staff.

Today’s events: Repton and Belfast 2 Sports Plus camps (14th – 19th)

Mon 15th Regionally-based staff. Praise God for the pioneering work done by members of staff based outside the head office. Pray that they would feel supported and valued by the rest of the team.

Tue 16th Church leaders. Pray that God would raise up a generation of church leaders that are passionate about sport and see the urgent need to reach out to their local sports communities.

Wed 17th Staff team. Thank God for the donations that enable a paid staff team to serve the wider movement. Pray that we would be wise stewards of the time and resources given to us.

Thu 18th Personal evangelism. Pray for the personal evangelism of staff and other leaders in paid ministry; that we would not shy away from the opportunities for gospel conversation that working for a Christian organisation brings.

Fri 19th Bicester Rugby Club. The head office’s local rugby club has been the venue for the staff Sports Quiz for the past few years, and now has a group of players meeting regularly for a meal and ‘discovery’ Bible study. Give thanks to God for the faithful witness of many members of staff, interns and Academy students over the years, and pray that the study of God’s Word would lead to blind eyes being opened.

Sat 20th Sports leaders. Pray that God would use Christians working within National Governing Bodies and other sports organisations powerfully to bring about His will in the world of sport.

Sun 21st Rio 2016 organizing committee. As the Olympics draw to a close, thank God for the many hundreds of people who have contributed to the smooth running of the Games. Thank Him especially for those who ran the chaplaincy programme; pray for a similar Christian presence at the next Olympics.

Today’s events: Olympic Games closing ceremony, Rio de Janeiro

Mon 22nd Godly leaders. Pray for all those who have been through our full time training programmes (Academy and Internship), that they would be walking faithfully with the Lord and humbly serving the gospel and sportspeople in their local churches.

Tue 23rd Church and school-based Pray Play Say groups. Praise God for the leaders who regularly gather young sportspeople together in the churches and schools to open God’s word and play sport.

Wed 24th Sports Plus. Thank God for the 400 leaders, coaches, support staff and trainees that served at Sports Plus this summer. Thank God especially for those who brought young people from their home church; pray that they would continue to disciple these young people all year round.

Today’s events: Global Congress on Sport and Christianity (Graham Daniels speaking)

Thu 25th Teachers. Pray for our leaders who are teachers, that they will have received physical and spiritual refreshment over the summer holidays. Pray that they will return to school with a renewed love for Jesus, and a fresh enthusiasm to make Him known amongst other staff and pupils.

Fri 26th Advocates. Thank God for those in churches across the UK who have a passion for sport. Pray for them all, that they would have opportunities to cast vision and find and help others like them in their churches to Pray Play Say.

Sat 27th Staff transitioning. Pray for those moving on from the staff team this year and for those joining in September. Pray that their transition would be smooth and that they would settle quickly into their new sports clubs and churches.

THE BIG PRAYERS28 Aug - 10 Sept

As we enter a new academic year, please join us in praying for the long-term aims of different areas of the work.

Sun 28th Elite sport. We currently support 191 people involved in elite sport. Pray that each Christian would be a disciple maker within their sports community and that God would bring to Himself another 191 people over the next year.

Mon 29th Sports Mission across Europe. By Dec 2016, the ECSU plan to have held a ‘ReadySetGO’ training in every big city in Europe. If each of the 340 cities run 3 GO strategies, there is potential to impact 108,000 people with the gospel in 2016 alone.

Today’s events: Jersey golf competition/coaching clinic

Tue 30th Churches supporting young Christians in sport. Pray that more churches would seek to support their young Christian sportspeople to represent Jesus in their sports teams.

Wed 31st Unreached universities. Pray that God would raise up and send out workers into the harvest field of universities where we know of no or few Christians in Sport e.g. Northumbria, Leeds Beckett, Nottingham Trent, Sheffield Hallam. Pray that God would send freshers who know Him and want to make Him known in these university sports clubs. Thu 1st Co-mission churches in London. The church-planting movement ‘Co-mission’ has led to several new gospel-centred churches in parts of London where sport and physical activity is massive. Pray that many in those congregations would be envisioned to reach the world of sport for Christ.

Fri 2nd Guest events follow-up. Thank God for guests who attended Olympic-themed guest events over the past two weeks. For those now seeking to find out more about who Jesus is, pray they would soon accept Him as their Saviour and Lord.

Sat 3rd Decentralisation. From September, Christians in Sport will be reducing the size of the central staff team and increasing the number of regional and city-based staff workers. Pray that God would use this strategy to bring more of the 15.7 million adult sportspeople in England to Himself.

Thu 4th Heart for prayer. Pray that churches everywhere would be moved to pray for their local sports communities; from a few lines in weekly intercessions, to five minute slots in monthly prayer meetings or running a sports prayer meeting.

Mon 5th Start of the academic year. Pray for Christians returning to school or university that they would be bold in their faith as they face many challenges and tests, and that they would stay committed to their sports clubs and local churches.

Today’s events: UCCF Forum (CU leader training) (5th – 10th)

Tue 6th The local church. Last year we worked in partnership with 1,239 churches to help them reach and disciple sportspeople. By 2018 we would love to be working with 3,000. Please pray for open doors.

Wed 7th Paralympic sport. Thank God for the sporting ability He has given to all those competing in the Paralympic Games starting today. Pray for wisdom and humility as we develop a strategy to support and equip Christian athletes in Paralympic sports.

Thu 8th Multiplying the vision through our partners. We long for the work to grow and be enabled through the support of our partners. Pray that more and more individuals will be supported to Pray Play Say and would multiply the work within their church in a way that impacts sportspeople for eternity.

Fri 9th Internship programme. This year, the internship is being broadened to train people to serve the work operationally, through media and marketing, as well as those more suited to mission and speaking evangelistically. Pray that the outcome will be a group of godly men and women with a diversity of talents, who are passionate about using their abilities to reach the world of sport for Christ.

Today’s events: Sports Quiz at St. Andrew’s, Leyland (Lancashire C of E Mission week) Sat 10th Every sports club. We currently know of 10,000 Christians in sports clubs and teams in the UK. Our dream is to see a Christian witness in every single one of the 150,000 registered sports clubs across the UK. Pray that this vision might one day become a reality.

Download it online Visit christiansinsport.org.uk/pray to download a PDF version of this prayer diary. Receive it on your phone

Find Christians in Sport’s daily prayers on the free ‘PrayerMate’ app.

Sign up to get it via email

Register to receive prayer points via emailevery other week at christiansinsport.org.uk/pray.

For the most recent news and stories visit the Christians in Sport website or find us on the following social media channels:

@CIS_UK

Christians in Sport

ChristiansinSportUK

Christians_in_Sport

CONTACT DETAILS

Christians in SportFrampton HouseUnit D1 Telford Road Industrial EstateBicesterOxfordshireOX26 4LD

info@christiansinsport.org.ukchristiansinsport.org.uk01869 255 630

Registered Charity number for England and Wales 1086570 Registered Charity number for Scotland SC045299 Registered Company number 4146081