Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
Out Of The Pits
"You intended to harm me, but God meant it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." --Genesis 50:20
Left out, left behind, left for dead. Young Joey could do no wrong in his father's eyes, so his big brothers squinted theirs. In a jealous plot, Joey's brothers took him for a long walk off a short pier. The next thing this favorite son knew, he was lying in a pit, listening to the sound of clanging silver in exchange for his life. And before long, he was in a foreign land full of foreign faces that spoke a foreign language.
Your boss gives the promotion to the one who sleeps in his cubicle. Someone else gets the credit for the work you did on the school group project. We may not be shipped off to another country, but we sure do know our way around the pits. But a neat thing about young Joey is that although the breaks got rough, they didn't break him. He made good. Learned the language, made friends, stayed focused. It wasn't long until the king alone out-ranked him.
In our week of looking at great life-closers, Joseph's story is unavoidable. From pit to prime minister. Of everything I draw from it, two things jump off the page. First, despite his circumstances, Joseph honed his unique, God-given gift. Everything around him might have been foreign, but the same God he knew at home was the same God in Egypt. So Joseph resolved to cling to his dreams, literally. (If you're a dreamer, keep it up.) And second, he chose to forgive. One snap of his fingers and his begging brothers would be begging for their lives. Nobody would have blamed him, but Joseph knew that what some people mean for bad, God can make great.
See, Joseph was a closer. Written off in chapter one, his rough start made for one great conclusion.
--Jimmy Peña
For Discussion: What do you love about the story of Joseph? What can his faithfulness and forgiveness teach us about our lives, our health, our perspective? Do you feel like you need a tighter grip on your dreams? Have you ever felt like you're in Egypt? Are you there now?
FAITH & FITNESS AT YOUR CHURCH: You have a house full of believers -- devout in its faith, dutiful in its service. But how is the physical health of your church? Is stewardship of health a topic of discussion? If not, it may be time to add a new message to the mission of the congregation -- one that places a higher value on abundant living, one that charges members to care for the body that carries the soul. PrayFit founder Jimmy Peña is hitting the road in the coming weeks and months to help spread this message of faith and fitness, of health and a heart for service. Click play below for more on this message and write us today at [email protected] to find out how you can bring Jimmy to your next church or community event.
A Dangerous Prayer
"Why did we ever leave Egypt?" --Numbers 11:20
Read: Numbers 11
Did you catch it? They actually missed prison. Not long after the Israelites met freedom, they actually longed for captivity. Behind bars they had no choices. As inmates, they had no responsibility. Even though they were trapped, they were warm, cozy, and full. Their prayer for freedom was a dangerous one. Nothing a generation in the desert couldn't answer.
What about us? When was the last time you and I prayed dangerously? About finances, a relationship...our health? See, once they were set free, the Israelites faced the need for obedience and responsibility; so do we. Folks, our bodies are merely tools, not finished products. Better fitness simply means better equipped. It's tough to visit the poor from the couch, and it's impossible to see the hurting in our own mirror. But we're warm, cozy, and full (even if of ourselves). (Note: this should speak to both the fit and the not-so-fit.)
If God allows us the opportunity for better health, what will we do with it? Will we sit? Focus on ourselves? Will we allow a generation to wander before we see health as a means of praise? If so, why did we ever leave Egypt?
--Jimmy Peña
PRAYFIT AT YOUR CHURCH
We've been receiving a steady flow of e-mails over the past few months about how to get the PrayFit message -- a message of health and effective physical stewardship as a means of praise. These messages have been from concerned parishioners, just like you, who see the alarming trend of obesity and poor health spilling over into their congregations -- people who see the value and critical importance of respecting the bodies that we were blessed with, even if it's a new idea to them.
One of the best ways to bring up the collective health of your church is to let them hear the message, direct from its architect: Jimmy Peña. This spring, arrange to have Jimmy speak at your church. For more information to share with your pastors and boards, contact us at [email protected]. And for a taste of what they can expect, click 'play' below.
Agreement Isn't Enough
"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'" --Exodus 3:11
Read: Exodus 3
I wonder if Moses ever went back to the place of the burning bush. Oh, I know it's doubtful, but for one of the pillars of our faith, that spot was a pivotal point in his life (not to mention for yours and mine). But Moses didn't just agree there. He didn't concur with some sophisticated nod like he was looking at some priceless work of art. "Hmm, yes indeed." No, his body had to get him where his soul had to go. A simple agreement wasn't enough. And so with ashes still on his sandals, he marched through Pharaoh's front door to prove it.
What about you? Do you remember when you were called to your task? For me, my soul was called in the eighth grade, then again in 2007 to create Prayfit. For you, maybe it was 10 years ago, or maybe even 10 minutes. But regardless, agreement isn't enough, especially when it comes to our health. Agreement is just the opportunity to prove it. So go back with Moses. Get close to the flame. Hear it crackle. Rub your hands together and get warm. You have your own Pharaohs to face. Obesity? Heart disease? A better example for your kids? Pharaohs all. And when you decide to blast through Pharaoh's doors, imagine God as He nods at you like a priceless work of art...because you are.
--Jimmy Peña
EXERCISE IN FOCUS: Bodyweight Squat
Have you tried our workout of the week, affectionately dubbed The Gideon? Click here to refresh your memory. This routine centers around the squat. So today, a refresher on this fundamental move.
Focus: Quads, glutes, hamstrings Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, a light bend in your knees and your toes turned out slightly. Keeping your head neutral, abs tight and torso erect, bend at the knees and hips to slowly lower your body as if you were going to sit down in a chair. Pause when your legs reach a 90-degree angle, then forcefully drive through your heels, extending at your hips and knees until you arrive at the standing position.
>> VIDEO: Bodyweight Squat >> For more exercise descriptions and videos, click here.
A Dangerous Prayer
"Why did we ever leave Egypt?" -Numbers 11:20
Read: Numbers 11
Did you catch it? They actually missed prison. Not long after the Israelites met freedom, they actually longed for captivity. Behind bars they had no choices. As inmates, they had no responsibility. Even though they were trapped, they were warm, cozy, and full. Their prayer for freedom was a dangerous one. Nothing a generation in the desert couldn't answer.
What about us? When was the last time you and I prayed dangerously? About finances, a relationship...our health? See, once they were set free, the Israelites faced the need for obedience and responsibility; so do we. Folks, our bodies are merely tools, not finished products. Better fitness simply means better equipped. It's tough to visit the poor from the couch, and it's impossible to see the hurting in our own mirror. But we're warm, cozy, and full (even if of ourselves). (Note: this should speak to both the fit and the not-so-fit.)
If God allows us the opportunity for better health, what will we do with it? Will we sit? Focus on ourselves? Will we allow a generation to wander before we see health as a means of praise? If so, why did we ever leave Egypt?
Jimmy Peña
STUDY: HIGHER PROTEIN DIETS BETTER FOR BODY COMPOSITION
A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who consistently consume more calories than they burn each day will lose lean muscle and accumulate body fat more easily if their diets contain too little protein and too much fat and carbohydrates.
The results of the study suggest that the minimum protein intake federal health officials currently recommend -- 46 grams per day for women and 56 grams per day for men -- may not be enough to maintain muscle mass in some people. The study participants needed to consume at least 78 grams of protein per day to avoid losing muscle.
>> For the full story from CNN, click here.
GEAR UP: Looking for PrayFit books, DVDs or apparel? You're just one click away. Visit the newly-designed PrayFit store by clicking here.
IT TOOK A LIFETIME
August 8, 2011 Read: Deuteronomy 2
"The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands." --Deuteronomy 2:7
On Friday, Prayfit VP Eric Velazquez gave us a great reminder of God's faithfulness. We learned that although the Israelites wandered, they weren't lost. But in the end, what should have been an 11-day journey eventually took 40 years.
When it comes to your health and fitness, does it feel like you're wandering? Perhaps today, you're looking around thinking, "This looks so familiar. I just know I've been down this road before." (Not making time to exercise, diet is less than clean, motivation needs a jump-start, etc).
Well friends, take heart. Eventually the Israelites stood on the edge of the land they walked so far to see. And though they still had the river to cross and the walls to crumble, they made it. Picture them as they stood there; eyes wide, deep breaths, staring down their goal. What they saw took a lifetime. Your health does, too.
--J.P.
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK
Not a lot of time before work to workout? Find some empty space in your living room, garage, or backyard for this brief but effective total-body routine. In just a few minutes, this strength-and-power building routine will have provided you with more energy for the day ahead and set your metabolic fire ablaze.
Walk in place for 1 minute Jog in place for 1 minute High-knee run in place for 1 min Standard push-up to failure Jump Squat (20 reps or to failure) Rest 20-30 seconds
--Repeat the entire sequence 3-5 times. Try this workout two times this week, allowing 48-72 hours between sessions. If you're more experienced, aim for five total go-throughs with it, three times per week (or every other day).
KEY TERM Failure: the point at which you can no longer complete reps with good form on your own.
>> ABOUT US: Learn more about the dedicated team at PrayFit.
FEAR LIES AHEAD
August 5, 2011Read: Exodus 14
"It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” --Exodus 14:12
Before the Israelites crossed into the promised land, they found themselves in no man's land. They were in the middle of the harshest desert in the world, after all. They had long since left the paradoxical security of pharoah's bondage where, despite being in captivity, they were provided food, water and accommodations at night. Their GPS? The footsteps of a stuttering man and his brother.
Walking aimlessly day after day under the punishing African sun, survival instinct began to wash over them. Hunger, thirst, frustration and fear had started to erode the already tenuous faith that they had placed in Moses and Aaron. But they were stuck. Both before them and behind them lie vast, hopeless stretches of scorching hot sand, with nary a nibble of food or a drop of water in sight. What to do?
Then Moses laid it out: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
When we find ourselves wandering in the desert, we'd be well served by continuing boldly on the course that He's set for us. If we do, thirsting only for the water that gives life, reaching the sand's horizon will be eternally more rewarding. Moses assured the Israelites that even though fear lies ahead, God lives above. How's that for a compass?
--E.V.
PRAYFIT NUTRITION Q&A
Q: How can drinks be zero calorie? Doesn't everything take energy to be digested by your body and wouldn't that make these beverages inherently caloric?
A: Since these types of beverages are mostly water (plus artificial sweeteners, which are chemicals), they contain virtually no calories. Water is absorbed by most cells by simple diffusion and similar pathways that do not require energy so the calorie expediture is considered negligible. The effects that the chemicals may have will vary depending on the type, but do not have much to do with caloric intake or expenditure.
>> DID YOU KNOW? Research shows that people may over-rely on diet drinks, consuming more calories than usual because of the perceived caloric deficit. Temper your consumption of these beverages, instead getting the bulk of your fluid from water. Aim to consume about half of your bodyweight in ounces of water per day. A 160-pound person should aim for around 80 ounces from sun-up to lights out.
PrayFit contributing nutritionist Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of Dana White Nutrition, Inc., which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.