I participate in a church intercessory prayer ministry. Volunteers come to a prayer room for an hour each week to pray for our nation and its leaders, among other things. This is important as our national life right now is characterized by bitterness, anger, and division. The church, by contrast, should be characterized by harmonious prayer.
1Timothy 2:1-8 says this. Imagine a teacher explaining these verses to a Sunday school class. He says, “When you come together to pray,” then he pauses. Yes, you think, what comes next? The teacher then continues, “Let there be no anger, no disputing, no arguing!”
Why does 1 Timothy 2:8 say this? Because Jesus taught that quarrels and conflicts are hindrances to prayer (Matthew 5:23-24). Rancor and heated arguments may be the stuff of the rough-and-tumble world of politics. But unlike the world, God’s church must seek peaceful relationships and unity in prayer.
! Timothy 2 teaches us that prayer is the pulse of the church. It says that we should pray for our nation and its leaders.
This kind of praying is an urgent priority. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). All kinds of payers are mentioned, for all kinds of people, especially governmental leaders.
Why this reminder? Had Timothy’s church been neglecting prayer for those outside the fellowship? Had they grown insulated and unconcerned for their neighbors who need Christ? Had they failed to pray for their nation and for the well-being of their city? Were their national leaders ever mentioned by name in their public and private prayers?
This kind of praying is comprehensive and specific. “For everyone” means all kinds of people. Then Paul gets even more specific: “for kings and all those in authority.” In New Testament times, there were despotic rulers such as Nero, Caligula, Herod, and Pilate. Christians may have been tempted to rebel against their oppression, or even hate them.
In America, we do not have a king or emperor, but we do have a president, and congressional leaders, and this means we should pray for them whether we like them or not, “without anger or disputing.”
In my prayers for our president, I ask the Lord to open his heart to the gospel. I pray for God to protect him and his family. I pray that he will not act on his worst instincts, but pay attention to wise counsel of godly advisors. I pray that he will “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). For a long time I have been praying that he will “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).
This kind of praying yields results that are pleasing to God. Internally, the outcome for the church might be peace and protection from persecution (v. 2). Externally, the result might be that the moral influence of God’s people would help steer the culture in a righteous direction. “Godliness and holiness” (v.2) are as much for Monday morning as they are for Sunday morning.
Another result is that the church’s witness would be effective. God wants people “to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v.4). The truth is that there is but one God, not many gods (v.5). There is but “one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (v. 5).
There is but one gospel message. Jesus “gave himself as a ransom for all men” (v.6). As we pray, it is with a growing concern that the people in the world around us might come to the knowledge that Christ died to pay the ransom for sinful people. If we are faithful to this gospel, we will share it, not with the power of political coercion, but with humble persuasion empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In today’s political climate these verses are incredibly relevant. Anger, hatred, and cruel words have been the currency of too much of the political conversation. ! Timothy 2:8 tells us to put aside bitterness, argumentation and anger, and come together in prayer. Our unity is not in a political party or loyalty to a politician. The church’s unity is in Christ. As one writer put it, “Our rallying cry is not ‘Hail to the Chief’ but ‘Jesus is Lord.'”
On that basis, we pray for wisdom and guidance for our political leaders. We pray for the church’s influence on the culture. We pray for the effective communication of the gospel at home, and around the world. We pray for healing for a divided nation.
Pastor Randy Faulkner