As Jeremy Lin transitions from the Brooklyn Nets to the Atlanta Hawks, the NBA star is sharing how God is drawing him closer.
Lin, 30, created a digital prayer group a few years ago that he has used to communicate things like prayer requests and updates about his journey in the Christian faith. On Friday, the athlete shared his 39th prayer request email with subscribers where he opened up about sharing things that God has been putting on his heart recently.
According to Lin, God has been challenging the athlete to spend more time listening to Him.
“He’s recently been challenging me to spend less time talking to Him and more time listening to Him. I read a book that said if we were to go to dinner with someone we really wanted to meet, we wouldn’t spend the whole dinner talking,” he wrote. “Rather, we’d ask a lot of questions and listen. The author compared it to how we often times, during our devotionals, spend all this time talking but don’t ever take time to listen.”
While the NBA guard said he has never heard the voice of God audibly, Lin explained how he is able to hear from his creator.
“So that’s something I’ve been challenging myself with — to give God more space to speak into my life. I’ve never heard God’s voice audibly, but sometimes He presses a conviction on my heart or uses another conversation with someone else or speaks through Scripture,” he said. “There are many ways God can make His presence to me, but I find myself boxing Him in more often than not. Hope that encourages you guys!”
Lin also shared shared some praise reports in his email including the evangelical events that he took part in over the summer.
“Highlights have included amazing evangelical events in Brooklyn and Asia, where we saw God move in hundreds of lives,” he wrote, before asking for prayer. “Please pray for me as I’m embarking on a journey to live a more Spirit-filled life, as well as to hear from God more often. Also hoping for continued health over my body, smooth transition into Atlanta and quick acclimation with my teammates.”
Even though Lin said he doesn’t fully understand his trade to the Hawks, the athlete is trusting in God’s plan for his career.
“In many ways, I don’t understand what God’s intentions are through the trade and in bringing me here to Atlanta, but I have full faith in his sovereignty,” he wrote.
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)