God's Coaching #286

God's Coaching #286

Kate Moore had some of the fastest thumbs in the world. The 15-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa, proved that fact at the 2009 LG US National Texting Championship. Kate defeated more than 250,000 competitors and 22 finalists to win $50,000. Surprisingly, she had received her first cell phone just eight months prior to the competition. In the finals Kate faced off against 14-year-old Morgan Dynda of Savannah, Georgia. Both girls had to type in three long phrases—including abbreviations, capitalization, and punctuation—without making any mistakes.

Each girl won one of the phrases to set up a tiebreaker. Kate won by mere seconds and had tears running down her face when she learned that she was the champion.

What’s the Score?

Kate was a texting machine. Heading into the competition, she averaged 14,000 texts a month. That’s more than 450 every day! But she said she didn’t just talk to friends electronically. She also enjoyed performing in school plays and hanging out with friends in person. She worked to get good grades, too.

A lot of kids prefer texting their friends instead of talking with them. Studies show the average teenager sends between 50 and 75 texts a day. Communicating with friends is important, but sometimes friends don’t get your texts.

That’s not the case with God. He always receives your messages. He always hears your prayers. One of the shortest verses in the Bible also contains some of the best advice. It says, “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). God wants to hear from you. He wants you to tell him your every thought, need, and desire. He wants you to thank him for the good things he’s given you. He wants you to admit the bad things you’ve done and ask for forgiveness. God desires for you to praise him for the mighty power he displays around the world. Your messages will always get through to God—and you don’t even have to have fast thumbs.

On the Ball

How often do you pray to God? At every meal? Before every test? At the start of games? When you go to bed? God wants you to pray continually. Always keep talking to your best friend.

Coach’s Comment

Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17