First, pray on behalf of all

1 Timothy 2:1-8 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

A Call to Prayer

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. ⁷ For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸ Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

In today’s text it says:   I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.   We, in the church, we who are believers need hear, to understand and to heed Paul’s instruction and exhortation. We need to respond to his urging. Many people pray that the Lord would heal our land, that He would rise up and give us victory over our enemies. We pray against the circumstances and situations of violence and evil throughout our nation, our region, our cities and our neighborhoods. Rather than continuing to pray about the circumstances, which are really symptoms of the problem, we need to pray, to make petitions to God on behalf of people. God can and will change our circumstances, but if we want our nation, our region, our neighborhoods and even our families to change and to be healed, we need to pray that God would heal the hearts of people.

If we are unhappy with Godless laws that are passed by Godless politicians we should pray for the politicians hearts to change. If we want to stop the epidemic of drug addiction we should pray that God would save the drug producers and dealers. Rather than only fighting against the evil of human trafficking we should pray that those who are engaging in the evil would be saved. Romans 12:14-21 says:  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.      When we attempt to battle the evils of the world with the systems of the world, we are trying to overcome evil with evil. We should instead seek to overcome evil with good. We should overcome evil with God. In Matthew 5:43-44 Jesus says:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”   In John 16:33 Jesus says:   “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  Jesus didn’t overcome the world by changing the political or social systems of the world. Jesus overcame the world by dying on the cross so that the hearts of people could be saved. He changed the world saying:     “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)    We too, if we would overcome evil, must ask that the hearts of people would be overcome by God’s love.  

The text says:  This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.    God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, that only through Christ and the cross can we be reconciled to God. If we pray against people, we pray against God’s will and His desire. In the text Paul says:  Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.   Our prayers should be prayers of blessing, without wrath and dissension. We should pray that all people, even those who are our enemies, even those who are engaged in evil, would be blessed with the blessings of God; that they would know His kindness. Romans 2:4 says:  Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?   Rather than praying that evil people would get what they deserve, we should pray that like us, they get what they don’t deserve, the love of God demonstrated in the cross; the forgiveness of their sins.

Today think of every situation that needs to change. I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit; I pray that Your kingdom would come and Your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. I pray that You would bless people. I pray that even those who are against me would be overcome by Your goodness, Your kindness and Your love, that they may come to know the truth and so we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity, in Christ.   Amen.