Last week during a nationally televised professional football game, a player collapsed from cardiac arrest on the field, nearly lost his life and, as of this writing, remains in critical condition. The incident seemed to strike a nerve among football players, fans, and people across the country. This wasn’t the first time in history that a player had to be carried off the field during a football game, yet in this case the game was indefinitely postponed and something unprecedented occurred – there was a call to prayer. Players from both teams huddled on the field in prayer. Fans in the stadium were publicly asked to prayer. Popular singers, rappers, and other secular icons such as Snoop Dogg and Ciara asked our nation to pray for this young man. Even the ESPN announcer for the game offered a publicly televised prayer which was quickly applauded by millions across social media for its profundity and depth. In this time of distress and need and at a moment’s notice, people (most of whom had likely never set foot in a church) were suddenly willing to call upon God for intervention, help and healing.

Why didn’t they call on government to provide more funding to hospitals to improve medical care? Why didn’t they just say that it must have been karma for this man and that it was his fate? Why didn’t they just say that this was natural selection being played out in front of us?

They didn’t do any of these things, because somewhere deep down in the core of their being even the most vile, sinful and God-denying people know that there is a God and ultimately He is the only one with power. Paul tells us about this deep knowledge of God which is embedded in every human soul. We all hold some basic truth about God within us. For those who deny Him outwardly, reject the teaching of God’s Word, and go to make their own way in life, Paul tells us that they “hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:19). The majesty, complexity and immensity of God’s creation around us declare to us about His “eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20). While we won’t find the truth of the gospel by looking at creation or by meditating on the deep imprint in our souls, we will always find an acknowledgement that God is behind all of this, that He has the power to meet our needs, and that we are ultimately responsible to Him.

It is in these instances of great distress, tragedy and personal (or public) need that people who would otherwise reject God’s truth will come knocking on His door for help. It is at these junctures where we innately recognize our hopeless inadequacy in the situation and realize that He is the only one who can help. We realize at these junctures of life that there is no hope and no help without God’s intervention in our lives. It is a spark of spiritual awakening that sometimes only lasts a moment and will do nothing for them if they don’t recognize the eternal help and hope that is available through faith in Jesus Christ.

How should believers respond to times when there is a public call to prayer like this? We are called to love all people and pray for them. This football player is certainly in need of God’s healing to fully recover, so be in prayer for that. But also pray for the spiritual healing that he, his teammates, the coaches, and the many fans so desperately need. Use discussions of this incident as a springboard to share the eternal life that can be found in Jesus Christ. If this public call to prayer is just a short-lived spiritual spark in those that are lost, we must take advantage of it and bring them the kindling of God’s truth, fanning it into a flame of faith in Jesus Christ. Later in Romans, Paul reminds us that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Prayer won’t save you from hell unless it is the prayer of faith in what Christ has done for you, so use this call to prayer and share with people the gospel so they can turn it into a prayer of faith.