We just had the Fifa World Cup and now Cup Match is just around the corner. For many, these are exciting times, and we see the blue-and-blue or blue-and-red flags on cars, whereas a few weeks ago national flags were still supporting England, Portugal or one of the other countries.

When it comes to Cup Match, I become more conscious about my clothing. I tell myself not to go west in blue and blue or east in blue and red. Though I must admit, even after more than two decades in Bermuda I still don’t understand cricket or how you count the points.

However, I like the fun around Cup Match and have my favourite end of the island. Though I understand that for some of us, it becomes really important who will win. The fans want their team to be the best.

So why not add God into the equation and ask him in prayer to guide the ball, bat or whatever else determines the victory? He who gives planets, stars, and galaxies its directions surely should be able to direct the ball to the wicket (I think that would be something good).

Poor God, usually fans and players from both teams pray, so whom should he favour? It is easy to see that God would be in a dilemma when prayer would decide the game.

Maybe God should help the team with the most prayers (quantity), or he will listen to the most sincere one who prays, the “best” Christian (quality), or maybe the team that needs all the help it can get (support)… By the way, the game might be very dull with God just directing the ball in favour of one team.

However, maybe God likes sports himself and just wants to see a good game without himself interfering, and maybe he enjoys to see the best team winning. We still can pray for our team, however, let’s accept that the game is decided on the pitch.

It is indeed a dilemma as in principle it is good to pray in all situations. Philippians 4:6-7 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And Christ himself said in Matthew 21:22 “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Prayer though is not a vending machine. God is still in control, and his answer might not be what we want to hear, just like good parents will not fulfil each and every wish their children have. The children may ask, the answer though is up to the parent, and it is part of growing up to learn to accept a “no” or a “not now” at times. After all, there will be another World Cup in four years with a new chance, and in a year’s time another Cup Match.

Thinking about this, I wonder whether we can learn how to use prayer in a different way, especially around Cup Match. Would I really only want my team to win because God blows the ball to the left or right? Where would be the fun of the game? There are very good reasons to pray on Cup Match.

Pray for the players themselves, that God may hold his protective hand over them. Pray for good sportsmanship and fairness. Pray for great weather and lots of fun. God has the universe ordered so well that the game will work out just by itself.

Pray for your own behaviour and for strength of character. Lord, help me to enjoy the game and all the fun around it without hurting others. Don’t let me do things I might regret later. Guide me with your spirit.

Let us pray that spectators will be in good moods and spirits, that people will be responsible when it comes to gambling, alcohol or other joy activities. Pray for family fun at the camp sites, safety on the water and on the beach, and respect for one another. Pray that the music may not blast all night and people, if they did drink too much, will choose a taxi or have a designated driver.

Let us pray for the police and EMS workers, that they may have a quiet holiday and weekend with no major incidents and pure fun. Let us pray to rejoice with those who win and feel for those who lose.

Let us pray that people will come closer to each other again, invite each other to a barbecue or picnic, that we will meet new people who will enrich our lives, that we will give thanks for the great historic background of Emancipation Day and Mary Prince Day. Let us pray for our society that we will continue to come together and overcome all division.

There is one more thing to prayer, and that is how we continue after we pray. In Matthew 21:22 it says “if you have faith”, that means, we should live according to our own prayer and believe that God is real. Then I can ask myself, what can I do, say, or avoid to make my prayer to come true? Can I learn to trust God, that what he will do in the end will be best even if I do not understand it all, or will I continue to worry? Philippians 4:6 starts with “Do not be anxious”. That means to trust and be grateful and accept.

As human beings, we have a lot of free will. We usually like that freedom. We like to make our own decisions, however, with it comes responsibility and we might have to bear the consequences.

That is true for the players of the cricket team, the spectators, the beach goers and all of us, and sometimes the consequences might hurt either us, our team, or others. We all make mistakes and need forgiveness. That is when prayer really can help.

Let us not be anxious, but trust God will forgive us when we ask him, so that we can learn to forgive others, who hurt us. That kind of prayer is harder than: “Lord, let me win.”

It is a prayer for when we realise that we are weak, that we are beggars. When it really gets tough, the Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:26: “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

In summary, prayer can be very helpful and edifying for the soul. It teaches us to trust God and seek him in prayer daily. Still, if the “wrong” team wins and your team loses, when things don’t work out as prayed or hoped for, remember the second half of the above verse from Philippians: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

• Karsten Decker was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Bermuda from 2010 to 2017, and after returning from Germany is now the temporary pulpit supply at Centenary United Methodist Church in Smith’s