A praying woman is powerful. A praying woman using her platform in the sports world to shine God’s light stretches that power beyond imagination.

Houston Dash forward Melissa Henderson’s heart was reignited when she stepped away from soccer, soaked in God’s grace, and found her way back to the pitch with renewed purpose.

The Dallas native had always lived her Christian life laying her athletic accolades at the feet of Jesus, focused more on what she gave to Him than receiving what He offered. Last October, stepping into her own plans for the future and slipping away from why she was playing in the first place, she retired from the Women’s National Soccer League, losing herself a little, praying about her future while shrouded in the unseen.

In her downtime, Henderson watched War Room, a movie about the power of prayer, and something sparked within her. She knew God was grabbing her heart.

At the same time, there was another battle brewing inside her. Henderson had been plagued by dark dreams, and as she considered the idea of doing an online Bible study to share with friends on social media, the dreams persisted. One day, she’d had enough and resisted the devil, determined to see God’s goodness, and encourage others to do the same.

“I screamed out on the treadmill in my house,” she said, “‘I am done with you, devil! You are done! You can stop trying to steal my joy! You will not take my happiness or give me doubts—I’m done with you.’”

She has since felt comfort and it has become her passion to bring the same peace to other’s hearts.

Later, Henderson began her War Room study, and the session on a lukewarm heart hit home.

“My entire life I’ve been very blessed to be able to play at a Division I college, play for all the youth national teams, play professional soccer—and yet I didn’t give anything back,” she said. “I never took skills, I never stayed after practice or went before, but I kept going through the motions.”

She had stopped thinking about why she played her sport and wasted energy thinking about the future, which—as God’s Word reminds—is never promised.

In mid-January 2016, Henderson felt God calling her back to the pitch. His call shocked her. She hadn’t had any desire to return to the game, but something took root and, within weeks, she signed again with the Dash.

“I tried to take my own footsteps and lead a different way,” she said. “[God] was like, ‘No, I’m not finished with you here.’”

This time around, Henderson is making sure she’s present in and out of the game, plunging in and serving teammates, coaches, and community with a full heart.

“I’m absolutely ecstatic to be back for whatever role I’m put in,” she says. “It’s a different desire to serve.”

The Word of God has set her ablaze in a short span of time. She’s found a church in Houston and was recently baptized. The fire in her soul is now fueled from finding grace, love and the God-given yearning for so much more.

Life is a battle, she concedes, but the best thing is belief in God’s bigger plan.

“Wherever you are in life, you were strategically placed there,” Henderson said. “There are always aspects that will get in the way and try to steal your joy and happiness, but no matter how far we wander, He just accepts and loves us and is pursuing that intimate relationship.”

She’s using her life to fight for freedom in Jesus’ joy, and is quick to encourage others to do the same. A few keys, she has learned, are choosing grace and love, and living every day with a heart transformed for Jesus.

But what Henderson has been most grateful for in the whirlwind of past months is the grace of God.

“He just keeps sending love, support and comfort, and it’s hard to even wrap my head around the grace He gives all of us, regardless of how imperfect we are,” she said.

Henderson is a force to be reckoned with in the spiritual realm, and she believes this same supernatural strength is in others as well.

“I love when I get messages in my inbox from young people saying thank you for being open with your faith because I feel like I can be, too,” she said. “It’s good to see these young girls who get it, and then go and spread the word and show someone else the love and grace you’re experiencing. It’s infectious.”

Read more about Henderson in the May/June 2016 issue of FCA Magazine.

Photos courtesy of the Houston Dash