Since 2009
THE PRAYFIT DEVOTION
The Home of Your Dreams
"I was glad when they said unto me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" --Psalm 122:1
Read: Psalm 122
It's the home of your dreams. White picket fence, freshly cut grass, backyard with a grill. It's that kind of home. When you close your eyes and grin, you're swinging on that front porch watching kids that miraculously -- and perhaps unfortunately -- have your nose. It's the home of your dreams. But despite your best offer, the price is too high. All the money you have can't justify the money you'd owe, so you're labeled unworthy; declined.
Say, have you ever been in a billionaire's bedroom? I have. Ever walked the President's garden? Yep, me too. And one thing is for certain...I will never own either. But while I've seen things that only a ton of money can buy, God is building us a mansion that no amount of money can. The offer was Jesus, the payment was His blood, and the asking price is faith. And if you've accepted, the key is yours. Interest paid. The title made to you. Home. The home of His dreams will someday be yours.
So as you and I strive for our little slice of Heaven on earth, be comforted when the world declines you. Because while He keeps asking, God knows what it's like for people to say His offer just isn't enough.
--Jimmy Peña
P.S. Sometimes our bodies that house our souls aren't exactly up to par. Whether by an unforeseen circumstance or perhaps neglect, you feel the Spirit grieve because of it. If so, we want to pray for you. What are your hurts today? What can we pray for? We want to know so we can lift you up. Either let us know or simply say, "Unspoken" and we promise to pray.
FUEL AND FAT
Like most Americans, you probably paid somewhere near $4.00 a gallon at the pump this week. But before you go and blame Middle East unrest, market instability or rapid inflation, you might want to consider the following information.
He's the 'Why'
"No one can serve two masters." --Matthew 6:24
Read: Matthew 6
Speaking in churches across the country, the crux of our message is the fact that living an abundant life is not about food choices or exercise routines. It's not about making a daily or weekly plan to conquer your fitness or weight-loss goals. In fact, it's not about what our reflection reveals whatsoever. The PrayFit theme is and will always be, "Life is not about the body, but our health is a means of praise." It's easy to say. Rolls off the tongue. But our motto is more than a line in a speech.
It's more than a Tweet or a Facebook status update. The reason I can say that is because if you take away food, exercise and the mirror, it would still be true. Results neither determine nor deter the meaning of the mission; a mission only life's final war with pain can exhaust.
If I asked whether or not your health would be important to you if nobody saw what you looked like, would you work as hard as you do to keep it in shape? (You may be asking, "Why else would we try?") Whatever your answer, just remember the fact that byproducts of the effort don't determine the worth of the effort. What determines the worth of our objective to live healthier lives for our spouses, kids, or work isn't whether or not we succeed at it. What determines our worth is who we have inside our hearts.
Friends, Jesus gives our lives meaning. He's the point of the story, and the point of our health we don't want to miss. And for that reason, and that reason alone, we place our trust, time, our money, our precious loved ones, and yes, these bodies. If you're thinking about rearranging your priority list, let today's verse be the only reason why.
--Jimmy Peña
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: STRENGTH & SWEAT How much time do you need to get an effective, total-body workout? Some will say an hour. Others may say 30 minutes is good enough. We contend that the proper blend of exercises performed at the right pace can get you a fantastic workout in ten minutes flat.
FOREVER ROAD
November 14, 2011 Read: James 1
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." --James 1:12
Queensboro Bridge. Halfway through the New York City Marathon is both where this entry was written, and where my race actually began. Nearly two months of ultrasound and countless hours of therapy weren't enough to convalesce my troubled hamstring. And with 12 miles -- or roughly 24,000 steps left to go -- the grand, lofty notion of taking just one more was in question. So I wrote this entry.
In as much time as it took a thousand runners to pass me by, I wrapped my leg in a makeshift tourniquet using stored gauze, and as many white flags as I could find in my heart. If there's one thing this most novice of runners quickly realized on that bridge, was that the next step was as necessary as the eventual stride that would be needed to cross the finish line. So this week, we'll run the Boroughs together. If you recall, in the days before the race I asked God to open the eyes of my heart, and I promised you I'd write down what He showed me. Well, He kept His promise, and I wasn't about to break mine.
Friends, life is simply a bridge. Work, school, money, health...all mere mile markers that remind us that we're in a race. And while we don't compete against one another, I think sometimes the most daunting of life's fights occurs when we're surrounded by fellow runners. Fellow runners who are - by nature - each hamstrung by something, and fighting to turn another corner down Forever Road. Let's remember that each step is worth it if we know Who awaits us in the end. --Jimmy Peña
WORKOUT: RUNNER'S RESOURCES
Some may think that running is simply a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. To others, no performance tip is insignificant. In either case, running is an activity that can be improved upon, provided that you have the proper coaching. Build a stronger stride, better endurance, a leaner physique and a runner's heart by bookmarking some of these trusted resources on the web. Enjoy your runs this week and remember to post your distances to your workout journal on the PrayFit forums.
MarathonRookie.com: Tips for novices looking to enter half- or full-distance marathons
Jeff Galloway.com: Practical training tips from one of the industry's top coaches
Mapmyrun.com: Track your distance runs with this easy-to-use mapping tool
Josh Cox: Christian ultramarathon runner, TV personality, author and believer
FOR A MOMENT
September 27, 2011 Read: James 4
"If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." --James 4:15
Way before you found your hobby, He gave you hands. And long before you walked into your first job, He gave you legs. Sure, we need money, but He didn't wrap our hearts with it. We need shelter, but a roof doesn't cover the soul. If anyone knows what we needed to get through this life, He does. And our body topped His list. How it got to the bottom of ours, is a mystery.
Folks, make no mistake -- God makes no mistakes. If, in all His wisdom, it was important for us to have a body on earth, how on earth could we diminish its importance? Sure, someday what we needed first in life -- and the common denominator and vehicle to all our other needs -- will ultimately breakdown and fade. But our flesh-and-blood lives are just a moment in eternity. While some see the brevity of life as an excuse to give in, it's really the reason to endure. He didn't build our bodies to last forever, and it's a good thing. But He knew you could do anything for a moment.
-J.P.
On December 6, Lionsgate Entertainment will release PrayFit 33-Day Total Body Challenge to a global audience. The DVD will feature a 33-minute, bodyweight-only program that boosts strength, stamina and flexibility. The program's 33-day length is a nod to proven habit-forming behavior as well as the length of Jesus's life. "He gave us 33 years," says PrayFit founder Jimmy Pena, MS, CSCS. "Let's give him 33 minutes for 33 days, honoring the one who made us."
>> For the full story on the PrayFit 33-Day Total Body Challenge, click here. Or, to preorder immediately, visit Amazon.
OPEN HOUSE
August, 11, 2011Read: Isaiah 1
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow." --Isaiah 1:18
Walking Josey around the neighborhood this last weekend, I came across an open house sign. The arrow pointed us up the street, so...up we went. Interestingly, the closer we got to the house, the nicer things seemed. The manicured lawn looked like the greens of The Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta. Smiling neighbors waved at the milkman. Kids played hopscotch. Josey chased cartoon animals across the street while Mr. Bluebird rested upon my shoulder. After all, it was an open house. And everything seems perfect at an open house.
Okay, maybe the cartoon animals were a little much, but as I stood watching the people going in and out, I could relate to the owner who had clearly taken great pains in preparing the house to make a good first impression. Before we let anyone in our lives, we hide the dirt. We sweep regrets under the rug, polish the pain and spit-shine the shame. We don't want anyone to see the proof under the roof.
Isn't it comforting to know that we don't need to clean ourselves up before we let Jesus in? We can stop scrubbing failures from the floor and just open the door. Besides, the asking price for our heart's home is way too high for anyone but Him, and He paid it in full.
--J.P.
FUEL AND FAT
Like most Americans, you probably paid somewhere near $4.00 a gallon at the pump this week. But before you go and blame Middle East unrest, market instability or rapid inflation, you might want to consider the following statistic.
According to Entrepreneur Magazine, nearly one billion gallons of additional fuel per year can be attributed to the average weight gain between 1960 and 2002 of people living in the United States. This represents nearly three times the total amount of fuel consumed by all passenger vehicles each day based on current driving habits, or approximately 0.7% of the total amount of fuel consumed by passenger vehicles annually. Moreover, it is estimated that over 39 million gallons of fuel are consumed annually for every one pound increase in average passenger weight.
In other words, the heavier we get, the harder our cars, trucks, trains and planes have to work to transport us from A to B.
HE VOTED: GRACE
August 2, 2011 Read: Isaiah 53
"...by his wounds we are healed." --Isaiah 53:5
I can't say I know all there is to know about politics, but the debt ceiling debate has been tough to escape. Turn the channel, pick up a newspaper or surf the web and there it is. And regardless of what side you're on, yesterday's vote was an emotional one; not so much for the outcome that saves the country from default, but because of who showed up for the vote. Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords appeared on the house floor for the first time since being critically wounded in January. Her appearance brought the house down. Fellow lawmakers described the scene as she raised her hand to vote "stunning" and "heroic." Giffords said she just had to be there for the vote. In her words, "I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy."
Please forgive the comparison, but you and I have a debt problem too. A debt no amount of good deeds, good thoughts, health, money, or otherwise could ever pay. Tally up the votes of every person of Adam's race, every voice that has ever spoken, and we wouldn't have enough yays for a victory.
But Jesus showed up to cast the only vote that counted; wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He showed up, raised both hands and voted...grace.
--J.P.
WHAT'S IN A GRAIN?
One of the best and easiest things you can do to start cleaning up your diet is to make an easy switch. Whenever there's an option, elect to eat whole grain products. These healthier choices slow digestion, helping you to avoid the types of spikes in blood sugar and insulin that can leave your body drained and in a fat-storing mode. But according to PrayFit contributing nutritionist Emily Ann Miller, MPH, RD, there's much more to know about this wonder food.
"When selecting grain-based foods such as bread, cereal, pasta, and rice dishes, choose items that are made from whole grains," says Miller. "Whole grains are a source of B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, and fiber, as well as other plant substances that can help fight disease. Foods made from refined or enriched grains often lack some of these nutrients. To ensure that the food you are choosing is 100% whole grain, make sure you do not see the words 'enriched' or 'refined' anywhere on the package or in the ingredient list. Some examples of healthy whole-grain foods include 100% whole wheat bread or pasta, brown rice, popcorn, and oatmeal."
Emily Ann Miller, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian and works at a Washington, D.C.-based independent, nonprofit science organization, where her work is currently focused on environmental and policy solutions to obesity prevention. She also speaks to groups about health and nutrition and provides nutrition education to patients at a free medical clinic that serves low-income, uninsured adults in the D.C. area. You can view more of Emily’s nutrition tips and updates by following her on Twitter, @EmilyAMillerRD.
LEASE ON LIFE
February 9, 2011Read: 1 Corinthians 6
"You are not your own." --1 Corinthians 6:19
We talk a lot about being good stewards of our money, our time and our bodies, but what exactly does that mean? Well, a steward is defined as someone who takes care of something that belongs to someone else. For some reason, it's easier to swallow the notion that our money is on loan or that we live on borrowed time, but when it comes to our bodies, we seem to assume full ownership, don't we?
Maybe it's time to renew the lease on life...
--J.P.
A NEW "STUDENT BODY"
Even the leanest adolescents find difficulty maintaining healthy body composition when they head off to college. Sodas on the go, mac and cheese by the box and the cursed soft-serve machine in the school cafe quickly add up, making once-youthful metabolisms vulnerable to early slow downs.
One college in Minnesota took quick stock of their student body and found that nearly 48% of them were overweight or obese. Unfortunately, this sample is indicative of a larger problem on college campuses nationwide.
>> Read up on how this campus is working to bring about a healthier student population.