(Download) "Stand in the Gap Prayer Journal" by Bill McCartney # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free

eBook details
- Title: Stand in the Gap Prayer Journal
- Author : Bill McCartney
- Release Date : January 08, 2014
- Genre: Christianity,Books,Religion & Spirituality,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 808 KB
Description
I once knew a football coach. He was a driven man who had sacrificed much to climb the ladder of his profession. This coach loved his job; he was energized by competition, inspired by success. His focus was hard and narrow. He traveled far and wide to charm a prized recruit, spent most waking hours assessing his team, evaluating last weekās mistakes, sweating over next weekās game plan. His mind was trained to detect the smallest chink in the enemyās armor, to exploit any advantage. Most days he was up and out of the house before anybody else was awake. Many nights he came home long after everyone had gone to bed.
He was not, however, a one-dimensional man. He was also a devoted Christian, unĀashamed of the gospel, energized and outspoken about God. He was quick to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ wherever he went. He attended church and, by all appearances, seemed like the real deal, a sincere believer, on fire for Jesus Christāa humble servant of God.
If someone would have followed this coach from dawn to midnight, he would have seen him praying over his office quarters every mornĀing, and heard him, on his lunch-time walk, ask Godās blessing over each staff member and player. He would have beheld a man who talked a lot about God. But in reality, he would have discerned a man intoxicated with coaching, left with no choice but to conclude: āCoach says heās excited about God, but his actions tell me heās really excited about football. He says heās exĀcited about his marriage, but he didnāt even see his wife today. I think heās really excited about football.ā And finally, āCoaching takes so much of this manās time and energy. Coachingānot Godācomes first in his life.ā And he would have been right.
By now youāve guessed, the coach is meā or was me. While I wanted balance in my life, there was imbalance. I meant wellāI would share the gospel with anyone. I would boldly preach Christ in public, share my love for God. And there is no doubt, in the off-season God got substantially more of my time. But there was a contradiction in my daily walk with God. My heart, while it longed for deeper connection to God, was sold out to my profession, to competiĀtion, to whatever it took to win football games. I knew about winning football; I needed to know more about loving āthe Lord your God with all of your heart and with your soul and with all your strength.ā