When problems come into our lives, we all respond in various ways. A “thinker” chews on the problem and looks at it from every possible angle. A “talker” seeks the wisdom and advice of others. A “doer” goes at the problem head-on and works hard to find a solution. A “reactor” has a negative emotional outburst and explodes in the midst of difficulty.

But I believe that God wants our first response to be prayer, though that isn’t often our first reaction. No matter how big or small our problems are, He wants us to present our requests to Him first. As Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will support you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”

The daily situations that cross my path as a coach are many: recruiting battles, disciplinary action, frustrations with a player’s performance, conflict with a staff member, and so on. As a role model to my players and fellow coaches, I am convicted daily as to how I respond when problems arise. The Lord wants nothing more than for our first response to be to lay our requests at His feet and to open our hearts to hear His voice.

From our early years in grade school, we have been taught to dial 9-1-1 as our first response to an emergency. Perhaps our spiritual 9-1-1 should be to allow the love and presence of the Triune God to fill us and to wait patiently for His answer!