Pray, Pray, and Pray Some More

-

 

Pray, Pray, and Pray Some More

Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (ESV)

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Devotion:

            Paul’s letter to Timothy contains encouragement for Paul’s young disciple Timothy. Here in chapter 2, we see Paul using just about every word for prayer in the Greek language in an effort to urge Timothy to be a man of prayer. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians urges them to “pray without ceasing”. Why does Paul insist that the Christian be person who prays? After all, doesn’t God know what we need without our having to ask for it?

            We see that Paul here is collecting four different words for prayer. These words are so similar in meaning that it is almost impossible to separate them. What Paul is doing here is encouraging Timothy and us to use every kind of prayer to reach out to God. Eugene Peterson’s Message translation captures the meaning well:

            “The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.”

            This captures well, I believe, what Paul is trying to get across here. This translations brings out the priority prayer is to have for the believer. The first thing that we should be about as Christians is prayer. The Christian is to pray every way they know how for everyone they know and indeed those that they don’t know personally.

            The reason for this insistence on the Christian being a person of prayer is that God wants us to pray. A relationship with God works in this way like a relationship with any other person. The more you communicate the better the relationship is going to be. Prayer seldom changes God’s mind, but it frequently changes our mind. God of course knows our needs, but he is delighted for us to ask him for our daily needs so that he can answer that prayer.

            Paul stresses the need to pray for our leaders in government. Who can deny that in America at this time we need leaders who seek to be led by God rather than be led by their own selfish desires for power or prestige. There is even a promise attached to such prayers “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” Who can deny that this world needs this right now. So often our leaders these days seem to be sowing the seeds of discontent and division. Perhaps if we made praying for our leaders a priority things might change for the better.

Prayer:

            Lord grant us the desire to pray more. As we see in the scriptures even Jesus went away to lonely places and prayed. Help us to communicate our wants and needs to you frequently. May praying without ceasing become a way of life for us. Help our leaders see the good path of your way and seek to walk in it. May they acknowledge that they are the servants of the people and you Almighty Father that they in humility might guide the nations in paths of peace and cooperation. Amen.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more