Throwing Up a Prayer

One of the most exciting plays in all of sports is a buzzer-beating game-winning basket, especially when it’s from beyond the arc. This past weekend was loaded with these types of shots being made all across the basketball world...and it’s not even March Madness yet! On Saturday night in the NBA, the score was 107-107 between the Sixers and the Celtics until Boston’s Jayson Tatum drained a game-winning three with 1.3 left on the clock. In women’s college basketball, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark made her shot just in time as she hit a buzzer-beating game-winning 3-pointer to beat the No.2 ranked Indiana Hoosiers 86-85. In men’s college basketball, Florida State was losing by 25 points early in the second half and came back to beat Miami as time ran out thanks to FSU’s Matthew Cleveland nailing a deep 3-pointer he threw up in the air, to win 85-84 on the road. Michigan’s center, Hunter Dickinson, knocked down a desperation 3 he heaved up with time expiring in regulation, tying the game against Wisconsin and sending it to overtime. The Wolverines then won in overtime. On Saturday night, No. 22 ranked San Diego State’s Lamont Butler helped his team secure the win by tossing up a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to win 73-71 over New Mexico. Lastly and most excitingly, Arizona State’s Desmond Cambridge Jr. launched up a 60-foot (beyond half-court) 3-pointer that he nailed to win 89-88 as time expired, taking down no. 7 ranked Arizona on the road. The announcer on the call said, “You need a prayer in that situation, prayers were answered.” All of these plays were so exciting and it’s wild that this many long 3-pointers were made at the buzzer. What most of them had in common was how they “threw up a prayer,” as those desperation shots are known to be called. With time expiring, the players throw it up and hope it goes in. As fans watching, we see players toss it up and heave it across the court and although we don’t necessarily think they’ll make it, we know it’s worth a try to see what happens. Very rarely do we have confidence in those shots or expect them to go in. When thinking about these buzzer-beaters, I wonder about our faith journeys and how similar our approach to prayer actually is. Do we just “toss up” a prayer or “throw up a prayer” in desperation? Do we really believe God answers prayers or if we’re honest, we don’t necessarily think prayer works, but still “heave it up” just to see what happens? Do we just think it’s worth a try as we hope God answers our prayers, but we aren’t sure if He will? The truth is, prayer can be challenging at times as we try and understand how to talk to God. My encouragement for us today is to move past just throwing prayers up like they’re “buzzer beater 3’s” with mostly doubt and a little bit of hope, but rather go to God in prayer with confidence and expectancy. As followers of Jesus, we aren’t tossing prayers into the air hoping they “make it” to God, but instead, we are communicating with our loving Heavenly Father who deeply cares about us and hears us. Here are some key verses to remember when considering our approach to prayer: Jesus says in Mark 11:23-24 (AMP), “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart , but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him . For this reason, I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer , believe that you have received them, and they will be given to you.” Jesus also says in John 15:7 (AMP), “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you , ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.” 1 John 5:14-15 (ESV) tells us, “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” When our lives are in sync with Jesus and we’re abiding in Him, our prayers will be heard and answered according to God’s will. Our desires will be aligned with His and answers to our prayers will be revealed. Prayer is a wonderful gift and as our faith grows, our understanding of its power will become strengthened. So today, let’s pray with expectancy, knowing that God will answer us. Like a shooter who knows he’s going to make a buzzer-beating 3-pointer as soon as it leaves the tip of their fingers, we too know “it’s going in”! I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I ask that my prayer life would become more vibrant as I pray with expectancy and confidence. Help me to have faith when I approach You with requests and a heart that's aligned with You so my desires are aligned with Your will. I trust that You will answer my prayers according to Your will. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.