1 Timothy 2:1–4 (NASB95)
1 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.
On Thursday mornings, at 7:00am, a group of us gather together (in person at my house when allowed; recently online via Zoom) to pray for the missionaries, church planters, and outreach ministries of The Bridge. I used to call it “Sweet Hour of Prayer” because we would take about an hour to pray through the list that I update each week. But lately it has been “Sweet TWO Hours of Prayer,” as the people we pray for have been sending more and more prayer requests. I must say that it is one of the highlights of my week! Praying with dear saints from our church for the dear saints serving Jesus all over the world, for two hours, is refreshing and invigorating. Hearing from these dear missionary friends the specific answers to our prayers motivates us even more to devote ourselves to intercede on their behalf. Please let me know if you would like to join us for all or part of our Sweet Thursday morning time of prayer.
The passage above in 1 Timothy 2 is intended to be a guide for one of the things the church does when it gathers together for public worship. Praying for our governing authorities is certainly a top priority right now during the elections, but it should be a top priority whenever we gather together. We know that the Lord answers our prayers in relationship to human government (see Daniel 1-2; Nehemiah 1-2; Esther 4:15-16; Is. 37; Acts 12). He is able to direct the thoughts and decisions of kings (Prov. 21:1; Ezra 6:22). He is able to transform a wicked king and bring him to saving faith (Dan. 4:28-37).
The elections in the U.S.A. should make it crystal clear to us that the work of the church is far from done. Millions of people need the life-transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. They need new hearts and renewed minds. They need a new worldview guided by Scripture. They need what we, the Church, have been commissioned to give to them (Mt. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 5:17-21). But we can’t do it on our own! Only God can open the eyes of the blind (2 Cor. 4:4), give life to the dead (Eph. 2:1-7), cause people to be born again (John 3:3-8; 1 Pet. 1:3), grant repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 2:24-26), and give faith that appropriates God’s saving grace (Eph. 2:8-10). Brothers and sisters, we must pray!
To that end, I will be taking a break from the Psalms to preach from 1 Timothy 2 at our outdoor worship service this Sunday afternoon at 4pm (weather permitting). The prediction is for cool temperatures and strong winds. Please bring warm clothes, warm blankets, and warm hearts, and join us in worship of our great God and King. He alone is ruler over all (1 Chron. 29:11-12), and He delights when we gather together to worship Him, seek His face, cry out to Him in prayer, and trust Him for everything. He will go before us and prepare the hearts of people everywhere to receive the life-changing message of Jesus.
If the weather is so extreme that we cannot meet outside, please find a warm place at 4pm to get on your knees and pray for our nation. Ask the Lord to so work in the hearts of our governing authorities that we might lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity, and that we might faithfully proclaim the gospel to all people groups so that all may have the opportunity to be saved.
11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
(1 Chronicles 29:11–12 – New Living Translation)