A Friend. An Inspiration. A Prayer.

I want to share with you about a good friend of mine. I’m sure if you’ve known me long enough, then you’ve probably heard me talk about him… Tony Hargrove is a wonderful Man of God. He is like a brother in my family, a son to my parents. He has been a part of the family for about 6 years now. When we first met him, he would light up the room with his smile and laugh, but today his presence and character is so much bigger and more influential. Tony loves the Lord and is seeking to serve Him in all his ways, and we can see it in his demeanor, in the way that he is trying to his life. Though Tony has had a difficult journey throughout his life, he has overcome and knows that it is not by his own accord that he is still alive and now fully alive–it is only through Jesus Christ.

God is going to use Tony in unbelievable ways–I am sure of it! Tony is a phenomenal athlete; he currently plays for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. After a year’s suspension from the league, Tony has found passion and life in the only true form. Though a year away from the NFL was difficult, God knew what was best. Tony even admits that it was probably the best thing that could have happened. During this year away, Tony truly found a relationship with his Father in Heaven. Tony has changed, he now lights up a room not only because of his own personality, but because of the Light that God has placed within him–Life to the Fullest.

Read this article that was just posted this weekend in New Orleans. Though Tony spoke to the reporter about his relationship with God, the article credits all his effort and drive to being his own. Unfortunately, the media often takes a secular approach and leaves out the spiritual sides of stories–also, the gambling part of the article isn’t correct either. Anyway, at the end of the article there are a few dozen comments left by fans and readers. Many of them refer only to Tony’s athletic ability, the position line-ups for the team, or his past struggles; however, there is one post that talks to Tony–that is life-giving and encouraging, it is a wonderful surprise to find a prophetic word from an unknown person through this article, but somehow I’m sure that it is a prophesy for Tony, and it fills me with joy! If you want to read it, it is posted from sheri4647.

Right now, Tony is still “re-entering” the NFL scene. Though the media may currently ignore his profession of Jesus Christ, soon he will have a platform to speak Truth into many other peoples’ lives–both NFL employees and fans. God has created such a charismatic, fun-loving, friendly, caring, passionate guy in Tony Hargrove, and He will use him to do great things. Already, after less than three months of practice with the Saints, the coaching staff and fellow athletes see something different about Tony. Even though he does not currently have a way to impact people nationwide–and I am sure that one day he will–he does have an impact within the Saints community. He is able to speak Life into the darkness of the locker room and lives of the other players. He is forming friendships and sharing with others about his relationship with Jesus. God could be using him to change the entire Saints team–think about that! Think about a change within the whole team! A change that instead of putting themselves first, perhaps they decide to serve others, and ultimately serve the Lord!

One-by-one a single NFL team could come together under God’s Love and Grace–and what better way than to be led by a fellow teammate. Not a teammate who has been a follower of Christ for a long time with years of experiences and lessons-learned, but one who has been down the hard road, who has been dealt difficult cards and made wrong decisions, and also one who has found the Love of Jesus to be the only thing worth living for, even after years of trials and tribulations. Tony has such an incredible opportunity to witness to his team, and pretty soon to other teams, and then to the whole nation, and the whole world. When Tony begins to get a steady income again and after he repays any loans, he has determined to give his money away. He knows that the money is not his own, but God’s, and he wants to use it to help others, to help the world–the orphans and widows, the lost and the broken. He will not only impact the community within the United States, but God is going to use him to help countless others around the world.

I not only want to share with you about this amazing Man of God. I want to ask you to pray with me. Pray for Tony. Pray that he holds strong to the calling that God has placed on his life. Pray that he is daily able to surrender to the Lord. Pray for his relationships in the lockerroom, on the football field, and all around him. Pray that he remains strong and firm against temptations that will arise. Pray that he is able to know God’s Love and share it with others. Pray for his future–a future that will impact hundreds, thousands, multiple thousands. Pray for him in whatever ways God places on your heart.

I fully believe that Tony is a gift from God and also a gift for God. He is special. Please pray for him, and watch to see what God will do in and through this man’s beautiful life.

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