You may know him as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, leading the Las Vegas Raiders as a pro-bowl quarterback, yet under the pads, helmet, and gear, Derek Carr is a man of deep faith, strong convictions, and a powerful communicator of the gospel.
Carr was a guest recently on Tauren Well’s podcast, High Note where he shared about the role of faith in his personal and professional life. Carr was blessed to be raised in the faith and it has stuck with him throughout his career. His family consisted of pastors, worship leaders, deacons, and missionaries. Faith surrounded his life and has been the foundation of his life, but it wasn’t until he was in college that he really took hold of it personally.
“We were raised to know what the most important thing is. Even when I strayed, I knew what was right, I knew I was wrong and my parents knew what the word of God said that I would come back to it,” Carr shared on High Note.
Carr explained that his faith became real to him in college (Fresno State) and that’s when he made a personal commitment to Christ and he kept himself accountable to a mentor. He explained that a lot of his success on and off the field comes down to identity – once you know who you are, you have the confidence to stand up to and resist the temptations the world tries to throw at you.
“It starts with identity. Being secure in who you are and whose you are. Once you have that I don’t need the world to give me anything else.”
Carr also said he is disciplined about his devotional life, making sure he reads his Bible, prays, and worships daily.
“When I wake up I read my Bible, when I wake up I pray. I have worship music.”
Just as he strives to be the best on the field, Carr makes sure he is the same person at home as he is around celebrities.
“I strive to be the best husband just like I try to be the best quarterback. I am trying to be that guy all the time – the same authentic person, – give it everything I have in all areas of my life – in the weight room, in my family life, in my football career.”
Carr went on to share an Abraham & Isaac experience where God asked him to lay his football career on down. He felt that God called him to retire and give up his football career to pursue full-time Christian ministry 9 years ago. Carr obeyed, went and talked to his coach and his wife, and told them he was laying his career down and it was time to retire and pursue the call of God into ministry. As he took some time to seek God and spend time with his family, it turned out God was testing him. God spoke in a clear way that he was testing him.
Carr explained God spoke clearly to him, “You don’t know how many people I’ve asked to do this, they all said no. You were willing to give this up, you were willing to do it. It’s not time yet, but there will come a time when I do. Go have fun.”
Carr passed the test, and putting God first caused him to be blessed in his football career, and developed a ministry reaching thousands of people.
“It was at that moment that God knew my heart was his.”
His ministry has taken off as well.
“I’ve seen thousands of people come to Christ, all 15,000 people to 18,000 people preaching the gospel, people set free, marriages restored, kids coming home. “I’ve been able to do both but that was a moment for me where I made a choice.”
Carr shared he’s better equipped to be a father and husband because of his close walk with Christ.
“Now I can teach my boys what’s really important.”
As a husband and father of 4, Carr is now sharing his faith actively with his own family and ministry. Through his own conference ministry called Tribe of Judah ministry and Altar Conference, thousands are hearing the gospel, coming together, and calling men to be leaders in their homes, churches, and ministries. After all, it’s something Carr is living out in his life and career.
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