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THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION

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Pure Strength

Yesterday we touched on the idea of "A Strong Life" and I thought we'd continue the discussion. What exactly does a strong life look like? In the shortest, simplest form, the strongest life you'll ever meet -- both spiritually and physically -- is one that has committed their life to Christ and is committed to honoring Him with their health. Now, the first and most important part of that sentence is a life that has Jesus in their hearts. Someone who is saved, Heaven-bound and Spirit-led. Then once eternity is taken care of, time on earth has guidance, which leads us to the second part of the sentence. Honoring Him with our bodies takes on many, many forms.

What is it not about? Well, let me say this. I know preachers that have never stepped foot in a gym and who may not have been the healthiest, but who did more for the Kingdom of God physically than the fittest "Christian athlete." So we know it's not about aesthetics, or perception or ability or the reflection. Honoring Him with our bodies goes to the core of who we are in Him, through Him and because of Him.

You know, if someone were to ask us to summarize today's workout as well as what we read in God's word today, which one would be easier to recount? Many of us know when it's "Leg Day" but have no plan for what scripture we've set aside to read. Truth is, we honor Him with our bodies first by the amount of time we spend with Him. In fact, tending to our spiritual needs requires physical discipline; stopping, getting on our knees, reading our Bibles, praying. Physical discipline for spiritual strength.

Once we've trained in godliness, then we can do physically whatever glorifies Him, and protects and rejuvenates our bodies, what's enjoyable, habit-forming, etc. For some, it's walking, swimming, running, lifting or a combination. And once we've cared for the soul and the body, we put the two to use in tandem by serving God and those He's brought into our lives: family, neighbors, church, friends, the less fortunate. A strong life is one of service, of character, commitment, discipline, priority, practice. Fact is, a strong life can take on too many forms for a lowly fitness devotional to handle. But our little lives can be strong because we serve a mighty God who wants to do His will through us.

--Jimmy Peña

For Discussion: What is YOUR definition of a strong life?

Many of us know when it's "Leg Day" but have no plan for what scripture we've set aside to read. Truth is, we honor Him with our bodies first by the amount of time we spend with Him. --Jimmy Peña

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: BeFit Workout with Jimmy

Use this four-minute jaunt through the PrayFit gauntlet energize your efforts and start living a strong life today

>> To order the full video for you to do at home, click the links on the video directly or visit the online store today!

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Peace of the Puzzle

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace." --1 Corinthians 14:33

Read: 1 Corinthians 14

I've never been very good at riddles. My brain just doesn't work like that. Crosswords? Forget 'em. For the life of me, I can't keep from looking up the answers in the back of the book. But puzzles? Well, that's a different story. Loretta and I enjoy a good puzzle. Shopping for one is easy too. You just find a cool picture, and that's it. You bring it home, spread the puzzle out on the table, prop up the photo and get to work. It's not long before what used to be in pieces begins to take the shape of the goal.

But how easy would it be if you took away the box with the picture on it? Tough, right? Or what if you turned off the lights, what then? How easy would it be to put that puzzle together?

For those without Christ, that's life. They piece together hours, days and weeks, assembling their lives -- on feel alone -- without Christ. As Christians, our lives are not easily assembled either. (If you're with me, say 'amen'.) Though we have Christ as our picture of perfection and more than enough light for a million-piece-life, we still stumble and struggle to put it together. Yet deep inside, we have that missing 'peace', don't we?

You know, Loretta and I can both be looking for the same piece of our little puzzle and when one of us finds it, what's the first thing we do? We show it to each other. We share it. Then we watch how it fills the empty space. And it's not long before what used to be in pieces begins to take the shape of the goal. You and I have the missing peace, and someone we know is searching for it. Let's show it. Let's share it.

--Jimmy Peña

Question: Whether at work, school, gym or even socially, where can we share Christ more unashamedly? Will you commit to sharing Christ with someone today? Use this (stole it from my grandmother): When you encounter someone who acts like a Christian, ask them, "Are you a Christian?" If they say, "Yes", say, "I thought so." If they say, "No", just tell them, "Oh, you'd make a great Christian." And then take it from there...

PLAYER PROFILE: Louie DeDonatis

Find out how this collegiate athlete has made relationship with the Lord his focus and what he has done on the field to build closing speed and game-changing stamina in this exclusive Q&A.

>> Q&A with Louie DeDonatis

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Can Anything Good Come Out of This?

"'Can anything good come from Nazareth?' Nathanael asked. 'Come and see,' said Philip." --John 1:46

Read: John 1

What a verse. What a story. Oh, I'm sure Nathanael meant well. After all, so do you and I, right? We've asked the same. Just replace Nazareth with your hurt. Can anything good come out of your diagnosis? The unemployment? The heartache? Lord knows I've asked this year. Can anything good come out of this?

Sitting in crowded waiting rooms, watching my doctor go from room to room, just begged the question. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wouldn't be as close to the Lord today, I wouldn't have had a chance to share Christ with my neighbor, and I wouldn't have such a hunger for God's word. In fact, reading through the Gospels this month, I've come to realize more than ever that Jesus healed so many people physically in order to heal the world spiritually. Everywhere He turned, more healing, more believing.

No wonder Philip said what he said. And I like to think he had a grin on his face when he said it: "Come Nathanael. Come...and see."

--Jimmy Peña

P.S. In case you hadn't had a chance to skim yesterday's entry, sit in the waiting room with me. Listen to the hurts. Feel others' pain. click here and scroll down to the comment section. Pick one on the list, bow your head and pray for them specifically as they enter their room and close the door.

UPHILL BATTLE? Why being heavy makes it harder -- but not impossible -- to lose weight, inches

If you're reading this, then chances are you are fitness-minded or at the very least seeking guidance on how to live a healthier lifestyle. And we're glad to have you -- regardless of where you fall on the body-shape continuum.

But those who are on the heavier side have something working against them in their efforts to lean up: their brains. New research in the journal Physiology & Behavior showed that diets high in saturated fat and refined sugar may cause changes to the brains of obese people that in turn may fuel overconsumption of those same foods and make weight loss more challenging. In other words, the heavier you get, the harder the weight will be to lose.

But at PrayFit, we firmly believe that nothing is impossible. That slimmer waistline you seek is attainable, so long as you are diligent, faithful and obedient. For more on this message, click here, then press play.

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Distance Yourself

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but he who walks with fools suffers harm." --Proverbs 13:20

Read: Proverbs 13

Leading up to her third marathon, my wife had a simple plan: find her pacer and stay close to him or her no matter what. See, most marathon organizations provide the runners with all sorts of tools and techniques to help them through the grueling course -- from seminars on stride, tactics for tackling hills, and perhaps most notably, they offer the runners a pacer.

A pacer is a man or woman capable of finishing the race at an exact time. And when I say exact, I mean exactly that. Kevin (pictured here) ran through the finish line at 3 hours and 35 minutes -- just what he was asked he'd do. Now, Kevin didn't know who was counting on his pace. All he knew was that someone would be relying on his experience, strength and endurance to help them along their way toward their goal.

In our daily pursuit of spiritual and physical stewardship, we all need pacesetters. People who God places in our lives to help us stay the course. Not only that but God may, in fact, bless us with the privilege of being that for someone else, and it's an honor we can't take lightly. Like Kevin, we may or may not know who is, but someone is depending on us to know the way and show the way. So let's take inventory. Who are we running with? And more importantly, who's setting the pace? Is he or she helping us make Godly choices when it comes to our life and health? Are we helping them with theirs?

--Jimmy Peña

P.S. Kevin was a little surprised when I asked him for a photo. Perhaps it's typical for the pacers to be invisible after a race. But I had to ask him to stop, especially when I read the back of his shirt. "Distance Yourself" it said. Wow. Perfect for our verse of the day. Thanks for inspiring us Kevin. We want to keep up.

WORKOUT: RUNNER'S RESOURCES

Some may think that running is simply a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. To others, no performance tip is insignificant. In either case, running is an activity that can be improved upon, provided that you have the proper coaching. Build a stronger stride, better endurance, a leaner physique and a runner's heart by bookmarking some of these trusted resources on the web. Enjoy your runs this week and remember to post your distances to your workout journal on the PrayFit forums.

MarathonRookie.com: Tips for novices looking to enter half- or full-distance marathons

Runner's World Magazine: From shoe selection to race day decorum, the authoritative source for all things running

Jeff Galloway.com: Practical training tips from one of the industry's top coaches

Mapmyrun.com: Track your distance runs with this easy-to-use mapping tool

Josh Cox: Christian ultramarathon runner, TV personality, author and believer

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