PHOENIX -- Not many people beat Rajai Davis into work every morning. He's on the field for extra work before some of his teammates are in uniform.

Not many people can beat the consistency with which Oakland's speedy 28-year-old outfielder presents himself, either. Unfailingly polite, respectful and soft-spoken, he's not exactly a clubhouse clown, but he never seems to be down about anything.

He's usually smiling. He's almost always happy. Most important, Davis says, he's always at peace.

Feeling as though something was missing last summer, Davis renewed and intensified his commitment to his religious faith. Since then, he's developed a prayer-based routine that he calls his "system" for maintaining stability in his personal life, and it's no coincidence to him that his professional life is reaping the benefits.

Davis had one of the best stretches of his big league career later in the summer, and after a productive month of perfecting his system while playing winter ball in Venezuela, he's been lighting it up in Cactus League play this spring.

Batting .379 with a .457 on-base percentage overall through Sunday, and on an 8-for-20 tear with two doubles and two triples in his previous seven games before starting in center field for the A's against the visiting Dodgers on Monday, Davis has virtually assured himself of a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Oakland assistant general manager David Forst said as much during a recent appearance on A's radio, and while manager Bob Geren is so cautious when discussing his potential 25-man roster that you'd think Matt Holliday didn't have a job nailed down, he raved about Davis' unique package of skills last year. Davis has only gotten better.

Used as a spot starter, pinch-runner, late-game defensive replacement in the outfield and emergency second baseman in 2008, Davis figures to have a similar role this season. But while talking about his faith in the clubhouse at Phoenix Municipal Stadium before Monday's game, he sounded like a man who's ready to do more.

"I feel very confident at the plate, every at-bat," Davis said before Monday's game. "I feel good on defense. My legs are good. My body feels great. And my mind is as clear and strong as it's probably ever been."

Davis said his renewal of faith was aided largely by his wife, Marissa, and Lloyd DeLong, an elder at Miracle Temple Church in New London, Conn., and the author of "The Fruits of the Spirit: Your Path to Victory."

Marissa, who has worked with DeLong as an editor, facilitated a connection between DeLong and her husband, and the two men have spent considerable time together.

"We had a lot of inspirational talks," said Davis, a former three-sport star at New London High who dropped football and basketball to focus on baseball at the University of Connecticut. "A lot of talk about the imagination, and how powerful our minds are. How we're capable of more than what we think we can do, of more than what other people think we can do.

"Thoughts precede deeds. It's like an invention; it starts in the mind first."

Davis was selected by the Pirates in the 38th round of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, and he made it to the big leagues with Pittsburgh in 2006. But he was traded to San Francisco at the 2007 Trade Deadline, and a 1-for-18 slump to open the 2008 season prompted the Giants to give up on him.

He was designated for assignment, and the A's claimed him off waivers on April 23.

At the time, Davis said he felt as though he'd failed. On Monday, he said he'll never feel that way again, no matter what future struggles he might encounter.

"I don't believe there can be failure in what I'm doing," he explained. "If [bad things are] happening, it's happening for a reason. It's part of God's plan, and I have to trust Him in all things. If I do that on a daily basis, if I stick to my system, read my bible, say my prayers, I'll be at peace with whatever happens."

With the help of a 15-game stretch during which he batted .368 with three triples, two home runs, nine RBIs and six stolen bases, Davis raised his batting average from .237 on Aug. 21 to .260 by the end of the season.

He also finished with 29 stolen bases despite just 226 plate appearances; only four other players in history have stolen as many bases with fewer than 250 plate appearances.

Encouraged by the way he'd turned things around after making his faith more of a focus, Davis decided to sharpen that focus while playing winter ball in Venezuela, and he took Marissa with him.

"I worked on a lot of things there, but mostly it was about my daily routine," Davis explained. "Just being consistent with it, making it second-nature. It was about my personal life more than baseball, and I actually had planned to stay longer than a month. But I felt like I'd accomplished all I set out to, so we went home."

Now he feels at home, virtually everywhere he goes.

"The biggest difference between last year and this year is my confidence," Davis said. "I truly believe that 90 percent of this game -- if not more -- is mental, and thanks to God, I'm where I need to be mentally to succeed in this game."