Notre Dame: BCS National Champions?

You may not know this, but I am a Notre Dame alum. GO IRISH!

You may not know this, but Notre Dame (heretofore know as "we") finished our regular season undefeated last week, with a win over our long-time rival USC.

And guess what? I prayed for it all to happen.

I'm not saying my prayer worked, per se...but who can say that it didn't?

Now, I shared my Notre Dame prayer life with some people of good spiritual repute, who told me that such prayer may be inappropriate. But I would like to interject that I pray it IF (and only if) it is in God's permissible will:

"Dear Lord, IF it be in your WILL for Notre Dame to win this game, bless it to be so...remove all obstacles (i.e. linebackers) and STRENGTHEN your servant (Everett Golson) that his arm may be strong and mighty. In your MATCHLESS name, amen."


Okay, I'm just kidding. I never prayed that particular prayer (at least not beyond the bold ellipses). And I have no idea about Golson's spiritual life. But, would it be so wrong if I did pray this prayer? Maybe.

God's servant Everett Golson

These are the scriptures that I commonly use (or could use) to defend my prayer over sporting events:

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 

John 15:7

Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.

Mark 11:24 

I look at Mark 11, and the context. And I'm not sure how to approach this, because note: nothing Christ does is trivial. Yet, on a day when He is hungry, He doesn't find figs on a fig tree. He curses that tree, and it withers. Upon noticing that the tree died, the disciples marvel and say: "JC! That tree you cursed withered!" And then we come to verse 24 (see above). The amazing thing about the withered tree incident is in Mark 11:13. Which tells us plainly why this particular tree had nothing to offer: 

Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

I was once told that even when the figs are not ripe, there is a bud, or like a seed on the branch that a person can eat. Perhaps Christ came looking for just that small bud. I've heard that message. That God's not looking for us to be ripe, but some sort of production is expected, naturally, as His Spirit is in you (it's not called fruit of the Spirit for nothing!).

Die, tree! Die!

I like that message, and I think it's 100% valid (see Hosea 9 for a comparison of men to fig trees, and Luke 13 for a parable about fig trees)*; however, this incident was 1) not a parable, and 2) Jesus' response to the disciples wasn't that this tree had failed him in some way by not having the bud...but, rather, He went on to describe all the things we could do with a small amount of faith. Move a mountain into the sea? Why? What purpose does that serve? Maybe it's just an example. Or maybe it's a metaphor. But maybe I can actually ask for whatever I want. And it's not inappropriate, or messed up, or wrong. Maybe. 


I say "maybe" because scripture makes it clear in Romans 8: 26 - ...for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.


And that's for everything. I'm definitely praying for the wrong thing. Always. When it really counts, as always, God steps in and makes the intercession. I know for sure that my prayers for Notre Dame are in no way close to the level of the prayers that are too deep for words. And part of that is because I don't even know what to care about the way I should. I pray for my friends, family, the church, the lost, the poor, the sad, the single...and Notre Dame, but is it any of it approaching the awesomeness of the groanings that are too deep for words? Probs not.


For now, until the Spirit leads me otherwise, I'm going to continue to pray for whatever I want, believing that God cares about what I care about. Whether I'm praying for a new job, a new car, new friends, a new apartment...or a BCS National Title. Either way (answered or unanswered), Jesus heard me.


And I'm good with just knowing that. For now.


*Hosea 9 juxtaposed against Luke 13 could be a blog all its own. For real!