Baltimore Ravens tight end Billy Bajema will be competing in the Super Bowl on February 3rd, but you can bet he won’t forget the importance that prayer has played in his up-and-down NFL journey. Inspiring Athletes had a chance to ask Bajema about his favorite Bible verse and this is what he had to say:

Bonham: What’s your favorite Bible verse?

Bajema: Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Bonham: How has that verse given you strength throughout your career?

Bajema: It’s great instruction from Paul on how to live with the peace of God. It’s so easy to get caught up in everything that’s going on around us and lose sight of our true purpose on earth, which is to serve God. He has blessed me with the opportunity to play football. It’s my responsibility to give everything I’ve got and use my ability to the fullest while praying for his direction. Anything beyond that is useless to think about and is out of my control. I know that if I’ve truly given my best, then I can have peace no matter what happens in a game, during the season or throughout my career. This is true in every area of our lives—whether it’s sports, school, work, relationships or finances. It’s important to step back and look at things from an eternal perspective. We are only here for a short time compared to the scope of eternity. When we spend time worrying and thinking about things we can’t control, it makes it difficult to live for the higher purpose that God has called us to. We can fulfill that higher purpose and experience God’s peace by living in obedience and giving our best with what God’s given us and trusting Him to take care of the rest.