Photo: Pro Staffer Jonathan Brown on the Hiawasse River in Tennessee
How you ever talked to God about your hunting or fishing? If you’re like me you have many, many times…the joys…and the frustrations! I have talked to a lot of hunters who have a relationship with God that say their favorite time to pray is in the stand. I would agree. Most of the time, we are praying for a big whitetail to walk by or to hear an elk bugle…come on…you know you do. Seriously though, look at many of the examples in scripture of when people would go to pray. Moses climbed the mountain to meet with God. Jesus went out into the wilderness. There are many other examples in scripture of people getting alone to pray and we are even instructed to withdraw to pray in Matthew 6:6.
Life Tip: Prayer has to be an important part of our lives. In 1 Thessalonians 5 we are instructed to pray without ceasing and in 2 Thessalonians Paul gives us a reason why prayer is so important. In chapter 3 and verse 1 he says, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.” The word for finally used here means furthermore or to come to a conclusion. The prayer that was requested here was that the doctrine of the Lord might accomplish God’s purpose in the lives of the believers. In essence he was saying brothers, please pray for us, and especially that the Word of the Lord may have the same swift and glorious course everywhere that it has already had with you. This “have free course” carry the tone that the Word would move about freely. The prayer is that it may run and be glorified; a metaphor taken from a stream, where the current flows freely, without interruption or obstruction. Now I know that’s a picture every outdoorsmen can imagine. That amazing trout stream flowing through a farmers pasture in Pennsylvania, or the stream bending through the open plains of Montana. Can you see the water flowing freely? Does your prayer life look like that stream. Is your prayer life helping to open up the banks so that the Word of the Lord is flowing freely out of your life, into the lives of others, and into a world in desperate need of hearing it?
Field Tip: Spend your time in the stand wisely! With the ability today to stay connected to everything and everybody through cell phone use and internet while in the stand we can really ruin the hunt. I can’t imagine the number of deer that have escaped the hunter since the distraction of cell phones. You don’t want to be that guy. Enjoy the hunt and escape for awhile.
