How Do I Pray?

Sometimes the most meaningful ministry moments begin with a simple question.

On a hot summer day, my friend Lynnie brought watermelon to a football practice at Damonte Ranch High School. Lynnie is a local youth pastor and the FCA Huddle Leader at the school. As he greeted the players and coaches, it was clear how deeply he has invested in those relationships.

There were probably forty or fifty players and coaches on the field that day, and nearly every one of them greeted Lynnie with a hug or a handshake. That kind of trust does not develop in a moment. It grows through faithful presence, consistent care, and the willingness to keep showing up.

Then one of the linemen approached him.

“Hey Lynnie, how do I pray? I’ve never really done it before, so this is new to me.”

In front of his teammates and coaches, he was willing to ask a sincere and vulnerable question about his faith.

Lynnie graciously walked him through a simple explanation of prayer. He did not make the moment complicated. He met the young man where he was and helped him understand that prayer is speaking honestly with God.

It was a powerful reminder that ministry often begins long before the visible moment. The conversation was possible because a relationship had already been built. Lynnie had earned the right to be trusted through years of loving students, serving the school, and faithfully representing Jesus Christ.

Please pray that coaches, athletes, and volunteers across Northern Nevada will continue to have the courage to ask meaningful questions—and that we will faithfully point them to Jesus Christ.