1 Timothy 2 was written by Paul to Timothy. In this letter, Paul instructs Timothy on how to best lead the church of Ephesus. There had been false teachings that concerned Paul that had led him to write this letter. One of the key themes in this book is that when a person is living a gospel-led life, it will produce holiness in that person’s life. We see that there is a firm connection between one’s belief and one’s behavior.

One behavior or action that Paul first brings to our attention in chapter two is prayer. The chapter begins with, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.”

Prayers for all people.

All people.

If you continue reading, verse six goes on to say that Jesus came to pay the ransom or debt for all.

There it is again, that three letter word that I certainly forget sometimes, “All.”

God did not send His son just for the Jewish people, just for those who attend Venture, just for Americans, or just for whoever we deem worthy of Christ’s love. Jesus came for every soul who has ever lived on this earth.

That means the people in countries you didn’t even know existed, people who have done horrible sins that you and I may think are unforgivable (spoiler alert: as long as a person repents, nothing is unforgivable for our Savior), and for that person who you quietly think of as your archnemesis. And yes, that includes those who have a different political alignment.

Prominent pastor, Steven Cole, once said, “Prayer is not a nicety, but a necessity. God is sovereign, yet His sovereign plan includes the prayers of His people.”

In Matthew 18, Jesus said that when two or more are gathered together in His name, He too will be there.

Prayer can be intimidating for anyone. I’m just now at a point where I find myself wanting to pray aloud with other Christians around, but praying aloud and praying together is a vital part of our faith and our community. Praying with my kids in KXP, my girls at The MVMNT, and with friends and mentors has shown me the power and confidence that praying can give.

I hope we can all find a person who can keep us accountable with our prayer life and who can remind us we need to be in prayer for all people. Not just ourselves and those in our immediate vicinity, but for anyone God has allowed your path to cross.

And remember, if you ever get in a slump or at a loss for what to pray, Matthew and Luke both have the Lord’s Prayer that we can pray out loud as our own.

Reflection:

• Who can you ask to be your prayer accountability partner? It could be a friend, a family member, or someone from your House Church!
• When you find that person, I challenge you to make a habit of praying with them often.

Family Content: 1 Timothy 2

By: Carrington Stuart

• Today, we’re reading a passage from the book of 1 Timothy, and it teaches about worship and prayer. Worship is how we show God that we love him! We can worship God in a lot of different ways. We can worship Him by praying. We can worship Him by obeying what the Bible says. We can even worship Him by singing songs about how good He is!
• Worship is a way that we can tell God thank you for all that He does for us. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for us so that we can live forever with Him in Heaven! He wants everybody to know the truth about Jesus so they can spend forever in Heaven too! It’s our job to tell other people about Jesus and about how much God loves them.
• We can pray to God and have a conversation with Him about anything and everything. He wants us to pray because He wants to be our friend forever! He likes for us to tell Him about what makes us happy and what makes us sad. He wants us to ask Him for help when we need it and to tell Him thank you for the things that we love, like our families and friends! He also wants us to pray for other people when they are sad or hurting, or even when they need God’s help. It makes God happy when we pray for others, too!
• He wants us to think about serving other people more than we think about having fancy clothes or lots of money. He would rather us be kind to others than be rich and famous. We should spend time telling other people about Jesus and being a good friend to everyone instead of worrying about these things! Money and fancy things won’t make us happy forever, but Jesus will!
• How can you remember to worship God and pray every day? How can you be a better friend to others and pray for them, too?
• Prayer: God, please help me to learn how to pray and worship You every day. I’m so glad that You sent Jesus so that we could spend forever in heaven with You! I want You to be the most important thing in my life. Help me to love You and others more than money, clothes, or fancy things. I want to be grateful for what I have instead of wanting what others have! Help me to be a good example to others and to pray for my friends, family, and even people who don’t know You. Thank you, God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.