Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
A Powerful Statement
"Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord." --Isaiah 2:5
Walking is a powerful statement. We've spent a few days this week on the subject, but there are a few biblical faces I wish I could see as they put one foot in front of the other. Try to imagine Abraham's anguished face as he walked with Isaac toward the altar; a wide-eyed Moses when his feet touched the Red Sea's floor; a groggy Lazarus coming out of the tomb; a soon-to-be-blind Saul heading to Damascus. The visionary Paul pacing in prison writing, "We walk by faith". Picture the crippled boy carrying his bed through town, or a once-blind Bartimaeus -- now turned follower -- not letting Jesus out of his sight. I'd love to have seen Simone the Cyrene heading to Jerusalem, or Simon the Cyrene leaving Jerusalem. The two mourning disciples shuffling along the road to Emmaus just before their eyes were opened, or Peter's look of wonder as he strolled across the water.
Oh, we could go on and on, right? Some of the greatest moments of all-time occurred during one of life's most basic yet powerful actions. Whether they were called, healed, leading, following or reminiscing, we get to imagine their faces of faith as they walked. But I don't think the best evidence of its power is found on the floor of the Red Sea. It's not on the island of Patmos or somewhere along the road to Damascus.
How does the Bible describe the miracle moment of the Word becoming flesh? He walked among us. Of all the ways God chose to relate to us, making footprints was one of them. And those precious feet wouldn't stop until they were nailed to a Roman cross. The hill of Calvary didn't require Paul's brilliant mind, Job's resilience, Mary's innocence, Luke's precision, Joseph's persistence or the positive encouragement of Barnabas. No, Calvary required the perfect, spotless, blameless, loving, grace-giving walk of the Savior.
Evidence of faith, of agreement, of courage, of vision, of passion and purpose, of love and amazing grace. Walking is a powerful statement.
--Jimmy Peña
For Discussion: We know the specialness of a walk, don't we? The bride in her aisle. The soldier exiting the plane home. The surgeon walking out to family with good news. What walk are you about to make? What steps of faith will you take to get your soul where it needs to go? Make no mistake, your walk is powerful statement. Say something with it today.
Sister Powell Update: Hey everyone, Sister Powell received the prayers and thoughts from everyone. She's traveling from the jungle of Cambodia en route home. Thank you guys for blessing her and me with your words. Here is her reply to you all:
"Jimmy, I am honored by your kindness and your generous spirit toward Henry and me. I praise the Lord that Henry lived long enough to see the Godly man you have become. I thank the Lord we both saw the stable marriage you and Loretta have. And, I thank the Lord for my PrayFit partners. I just received this e-mail and devotion. I am humbled and overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support.
You are like the steel girders under the bridge, holding me up. I cannot even express the encouragement you deliver to me through your words and responses. Encourage means to put courage in another. Truly, you have and continue to do that for me. I am both humbled and grateful."
DID YOU KNOW?
High blood sugar can sour your mood. In a recent study, researchers found that people who drink two and a half cans of soda daily are three times more likely to be depressed and anxious than those drinking less pop. What's more, the depressed have a heightened risk for Type II diabetes. The reverse also holds true: Diabetics are twice as likely as others to suffer depression.
RIPENED FRUIT
October 7, 2011Read: Galatians 5
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” --Galatians 5:22
There aren’t many things that make me as happy and content as perfectly ripened fresh fruit. I love to walk into the market and smell the fresh peaches as I pass, see the bananas yellow to perfection. Perfectly ripened fruit doesn’t just “happen." It is a process that takes time, patience, and growth. There are many factors that come into play when I ultimately choose the perfect Gala apple to put in my basket and take home.
I often wonder if God sees us as His ripened fruit. Sometimes we end up the best of the bunch and other times we are a more banged-up version of ourselves. But, the awesome part is that even when we have bumps and bruises, He still picks us. To Him, we're keepers. We don’t have to be perfectly ripened. We're in His basket and He proudly takes us home.
--Allison King Earnst
PrayFit's newest executive team member is a fitness expert, motivator, competitor and mother of three. She's been featured in numerous magazines including FitParent, Natural Muscle and Oxygen magazine. She has shared her fitness story on Good Morning America, Extra TV and Lifetime's "The Balancing Act."
PRAYFIT: WEEK IN REVIEW
Faith
>> SWING AWAY: Today's sunrise is the only sign you need to step up and swing away
>> MISFITS SELDOM DO: Don't fit in with a world that disregards health as a means of praise?
Fitness
>> MASTERING THE PUSH-UP: Practicing variations of this fundamental move can improve your gains
>> THE DAIRY DEBATE: Is dairy beneficial or detrimental to your overall health?
>> NUTRITION Q&A: Should you be taking artificial sweeteners?
>> WORKOUT: Four moves for great abs
GEAR UP: Looking for PrayFit hats, shirts, wristbands and more? Visit the PrayFit store for the perfect gift today.
IN THE SAME BOAT
October 19, 2010Read: Luke 8
"The disciples went and woke him saying, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown.' He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided and all was calm." --Luke 8:24
I wonder if the disciples were the ones who coined the phrase, "We're in the same boat." I'm curious because theirs wasn't the only ship on the raging sea that night. All the other vessels battled the same wind and the same waves, but the difference was the boat's manifest.
So maybe it was an epiphany? "Hey, wait a minute, we're in the same boat as God!" Or maybe it was disbelief at the storms audacity. "Surely the storm should spare us since we're in the same boat with the Lord."
Either way, without Him the disciples stood no chance. So they woke the only one who could put the sea to sleep, which makes me think: maybe it was Jesus who first said it. When the sun peaked through the clouds and began warming faces on a glassy sea, maybe Jesus said, "Don't be afraid. We're in the same boat."
--J.P.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Is drinking diet drinks a smart idea? First of all, we're of the mindset that diet drinks are so full of all things artificial that they'll do as much harm as good ol' sugar, if not more. Secondly, diet drinks tend to give a false sense of hope. Recent studies have shown that people who drink diet sodas have a higher occurrence of being overweight compared to those who don't drink them. One of the causes determined by the research suggests that when people drink diet soda, they feel it gives them license to eat poorly in other areas and times during the day. Drink them if you must but next time you're thirsty, you might want to reach for some H2O instead!
>> WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Whatever your inclination for zero calorie drinks, you need to be working out to lose weight. Use our "get lean" Workout of the Week to start losing inches and pounds in minutes a day!
TAKING PRAYFIT ON THE ROAD
October 4, 2010Read: Luke 5
"And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed." --Luke 5:16
The understatement of the year would be to say that we at PrayFit have been blessed. Your faithfulness, encouragement and prayers have overwhelmed us. We're humbled by your response to our automatic e-mail feed and we want to publicly give the Lord all the glory. We thank Him for who He is, for what He's done, for what He's doing right now, and for what He will do in the weeks and months ahead.
With that promise, we are going to follow His lead into our own wilderness for time of prayer, rejuvenation and renovation! Over the next few weeks, we will be doing some traveling, speaking at churches and conferences beginning in Tyler, Texas at the Fit City Challenge where we will be delivering the keynote speech. Not only will we be sharing the PrayFit message, but we will be pre-selling our first book, helping parents, kids and teens live healthier, fuller lives. If you haven’t pre-ordered the book on Amazon for yourself or as a gift, please do so by clicking here.
If you want to book the PrayFit team to visit your church, community center or sports team over the next few months, please e-mail us at [email protected] for more information!
In the meantime, please keep us in your prayers -- as always, you'll be in ours.
In Jesus’ name, we train.
Team PrayFit