Act Like You've Been Here Before

The expression, "Act like you've been there before!" comes from legendary football coach Vince Lombardi. It was a favorite saying of my college basketball coach, Dean Smith, as well.

Here's what these coaches meant. Play each game with confidence! Winning begets winning. And when you do win, don't act surprised. Or get too excited. Or too cocky. Enjoy the victory and keep playing each game with confidence, believing you'll win the next one as well.

This belief system is biblically rooted. Luke 11:5-11 is the story of the friend who knocked on the door of another friend at midnight to get some needed things for his family. He kept on knocking. His friend was sleepy, warm in bed, and didn't want to answer. But because of his friend's "persistent audacity" the door was finally opened.

As illustrated through this Bible story, "Act like you've been there before!" can also mean confident persistence. It's a quality of prayer that moves God's hands because it prays like it's been there before.

It's the confidence that God has answered in the past and will answer now. And tomorrow!

The confidence that keeps on praying no matter what.