‘Christ Must Increase’: Chelsea F.C. Defender Looks to This Bible Character’s Example

Published: June 16, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

Chelsea F.C. defender Trevoh Chalobah shared a powerful prayer about following the example of John the Baptist.

“Heavenly father, thank you for the life and ministry of John the Baptist, who spent his life pointing people to the trust of the Gospel of Christ, the Word made flesh and light of the world,” the defender prayed, per Christhlete. “Thank you for the testomony of John the Baptist and his example of humility and grace, despite being great in the eyes of men…He was able to proclaim with all his heart that Christ must increase, while he must decrease.”

“Lord, please help me to follow John the Baptist’s example and every day be ready to testify that Jesus is the Savior of the world and that He must increase in importance and influence, while I must decrease. In Jesus’ name, amen,” Chalobah concluded.

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Chalobah is a big spiritual leader for his club team in West London, England.

“When you see us in the huddle, I do a quick prayer for the team. Not many people know this about me, I’m saying it now. Sometimes you see the huddle is a bit longer, obviously players will talk what they want from the game, and then obviously I’ll just close off with a prayer,” he said in a video shared by Chelsea Football Club.

Chalobah grew up in a Christian home, where he learned the importance of faith in his life.

“…it’s helped me a lot,” he said of his Christian upbringing. “My life itself has been hard, and it’s my faith that’s carried me through,” he declared. “For me, I carry it everywhere I go, when I wake up, when I go to sleep, when I’m out, anywhere, like, if I’m away, if I’m home. For me, it’s number one, it’s what gives me that peace, you know, through all the setbacks, the tribulations and obstacles.?

“As I said, everyone’s going to go through something, no matter what job you’re in, and it’s just about staying calm, knowing where you want to go, and then for me, I just always had in my head the direction I want to go in, no matter what you go through, because you won’t learn if you don’t go through setbacks,” he continued. “That’s the only way you can grow as a person, because if you just get everything easy, you’re not really going to cherish that moment. The peace and gratitude I have, just to be humble and knowing where I am, it’s not because of me. It’s because of my faith, because of God. I’m just enjoying every moment, not getting too high for the highs, not getting too low for the lows, you know, just steadfast in what I’m doing.”

Chalobah relies on his deeply rooted Christian faith to remain humble, navigate the obstacles of professional football and lead his Chelsea teammates both on and off the pitch.

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