By Clyde Noel

Three inspired speakers took advantage of the forum offered them at a Good Friday Los Altos Community Prayer Breakfast to talk about how their Christian faith helps to cope with the stress of everyday life.

The morning devotion, held at Hyatt Rickeys in Palo Alto, featured psychotherapist Normajean Hinders; Jim Stump, spiritual mentor to Stanford athletes; and football player Steve Stenstrom, former San Francisco 49er and current Detroit Lions quarterback. The speakers discussed their belief in personal prayer .

Hinders, an expert on family and women’s issues covered her experiences in family life. She is the author of “Seasons of A Woman’s Life,” which explores spiritual issues confronting women.

“I believe in prayer because God is there to love you,” Hinders said. “I have accepted Jesus as my savior and Lord.”

Hinders spoke about her physical ailments, her therapy and depression treatment. “How have you made it this long without Him? With all the stress and strain in life, you have to stay close to the shepherd and return to a spiritual discipline,” Hinders said. “When my stress overload button lights up, I ask the Lord for help.”

Stump, a licensed minister, has been counseling athletes for more than 30 years.

The church was part of his life growing up, but he had to make his own decisions.

“The greatest change in life is becoming a Christian,” Stump said. “I no longer had to see my failures through my own eyes, but through the eyes of a loving God. It has changed my life and focus each individual day.”

Stump spoke about athletes, their faith in prayer and their intense competition.

He then turned the dais over to his friend Stenstrom, who got a good laugh with his opening comments: “My family had a drug problem,” he said. “They drug me to church every week.”

In his introduction to Christianity, Stenstrom started to read several verses in Philippians and Peter.

The thoughts he found in those books have stayed with him all his life. “It’s my short account with God. I talk to God like I talk to my wife because it’s peaceful.”

Stenstrom said he would be making his eighth move in five years when he reports to the Detroit Lions this coming NFL season.

“That’s a lot of moving, but we try to pray about everything and achieve a peace from it,” he said. Stenstrom said when he was with the Chicago Bears and the 49ers, a group of players prayed before and after each game.

“We would gather in a shower stall and hold hands and pray. We prayed for good health for both teams and to watch over our families.

“Then we would ask God to help us perform our best. Both teams would recite the Lord’s Prayer after the game.”

Stump said the first year he started as mentor to Stanford athletes, only three players admitted being Christians. Once he held prayer, eight more joined the circle.

Does God answer prayer? Stump offered many examples of athletes who have talked to God.

“You need a God to communicate with,” Stump said. “I spoke with one of our back-up quarterbacks as a friend.

“As a result of our conversations, he has been practicing and playing in games as if God is his only audience - the pressure is significantly removed.”

Christians celebrate Good Friday, the Friday preceding Easter, as the anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion. The day is dedicated to prayer.

The sixth annual prayer breakfast, organized by local residents, offered an opportunity for Christian fellowship and religious inspiration.