Pray For All People: A Devotional Sermon on 1 Timothy 2:1-2

1 Timothy 2: 1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. ESV

First, this is a sermon/devotional.  So let us turn to the Larger Catechism of the Westminster Assembly to understand the proper way to pray.  It is relevant to this text because it is about the duty of Christian prayer.  Before we go to the Catechism, may we understand several principles with meetings with God, and that we may rightly comprehend that prayer is an awesome tool that God most assuredly uses as a means to accomplish His purposes according to His good pleasure. 

The following points are taken from RC Sproul’s book In the Presence of God:

(1.)  Prayer is an eternal and priceless treasure which He has given to His beloved ones.   First, we are to understand the One to whom we commune with.  Calvin understood that we are to pray with the spirit of reverence and abortion.  Calvin wrote, “Let the first rule of right prayer be, to have our heart and mind framed as becomes those who are entering into converse with God.”  I think Calvin is speaking of how frail we are that are minds wandered in prayer.  I think as Christians we sin by becoming people who are easily bored with the One with whom we speak.  We become inattentive.  We must realize that God’s glory is insulted when we become inattentive.  When this happens I think the right counter-response against sin, is to ask God to revive your heart. Calvin wrote, “Let us know, then, that none duly prepare themselves for prayer but those who are so impressed with the majesty of God that they engage in it free from all earthly cares and affections.”  Secondly, we must only ask for those things that God permits.  When we prayer we can easily blasphemy our Lord.  We can do this because we want God to cooperate with our sinful desires.  Calvin wrote, “I lately observed, men in prayer give greater license to their unlawful desires than if they were telling jocular tales among their equals.”  Does your line up with the first two of rules?  Is your heart and mind properly framed when you enter communion with God in Christian prayer?  Have you asked for things that God would not permit and are considered unlawful in His sight? 

(2.)  Christians should be people who prayer with genuine feeling.  Dr. Sproul wrote, “Prayer is a matter of passion.”  Calvin wrote, “Many repeat prayers in a perfunctory manner from a set form, as if they were performing a task to God…They perform the duty from custom, because their minds are meanwhile cold, and they ponder not what they ask.”  Fourth, our prayer should have repentance.  Calvin wrote, “God does not listen to the wicked; that their prayers, as well as their sacrifices, are an abomination to them.  For it is right that those who seal up their hearts should find the ears of God closed against them…Of this submission, which casts down all haughtiness, we have numerous examples in the servants of God.  The holier they are, the more humbly they prostrate themselves when they come into the presence of the Lord.”  When we speak of haughtiness we are referring to a proud spirit.  When we approach prayer we are to be conscious of what we say, and when we sin.  God will forgive us when we sin if we ask Him.  In conclusion, we are to remember who God is, and who we are.  In remembering this we will be in adoration and confession. 

Let us hear the divine Scripture:

Psalm 109:4:  For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. KJV

1 Corinthians 7:5: Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.  NKJV

Ephesians 6:18:  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—NKJV

Philippians 4:6:  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; NKJV

James 5:16:  Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  NKJV

1 Peter 4:7:   But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.  NKJV

The Valley of Vision represents prayers that are most appropriate and rich with meaning.  Here a prayer from this Puritan book:

Meeting God

Great God, in public and private, in sanctuary and home, may my life be steeped in prayer, filled with the spirit of grace and supplication, each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood. Help me, defend me, until from praying ground I pass to the realm of unceasing praise. Urged by my need, invited by Thy promises, called by Thy Spirit, I enter Thy presence, worshipping Thee with godly fear, awed by Thy majesty, greatness, glory, but encouraged by Thy love.

I am all poverty as well as all guilt, having nothing of my own with which to repay Thee, but I bring Jesus to Thee in the arms of faith, pleading His righteousness to offset my iniquities, rejoicing that He will weigh down the scales for me, and satisfy thy justice. I bless Thee that great sin draws out great grace, that, although the lest sin deserves infinite punishment because done against an infinite God, yet there is mercy for me, for where guilt is most terrible, there Thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep. Bless me by revealing to me more of His saving merits, by causing Thy goodness to pass before me, by speaking peace to my contrite heart; strengthen me to give Thee no rest untiI Christ shall reign supreme within me in every thought, word, and deed, in a faith that purifies the heart, overcomes the world, works by love, fastens me to Thee, and ever clings to the cross.

Now let us understand what points the Catechism states about Christian prayer:

Q. 178. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.

Q. 179. Are we to pray unto God only?
A. God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfill the desires of all; and only to be believed in, and worshiped with religious worship; prayer, which is a special part thereof, is to be made by all to him alone, and to none other.

Q. 180. What is it to pray in the name of Christ?
A. To pray in the name of Christ is, in obedience to his command, and in confidence on his promises, to ask mercy for his sake; not by bare mentioning of his name, but by drawing our encouragement to pray, and our boldness, strength, and hope of acceptance in prayer, from Christ and his mediation.

Q. 181. Why are we to pray in the name of Christ?
A. The sinfulness of man, and his distance from God by reason thereof, being so great, as that we can have no access into his presence without a mediator; and there being none in heaven or earth appointed to, or fit for, that glorious work but Christ alone, we are to pray in no other name but his only.

Q. 182. How doth the Spirit help us to pray?
A. We not knowing what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities, by enabling us to understand both for whom, and what, and how prayer is to be made; and by working and quickening in our hearts (although not in all persons, nor at all times, in the same measure) those apprehensions, affections, and graces which are requisite for the right performance of that duty.

Q. 183. For whom are we to pray?
A. We are to pray for the whole church of Christ upon earth; for magistrates, and ministers; for ourselves, our brethren, yea, our enemies; and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter; but not for the dead, nor for those that are known to have sinned the sin unto death.

Q. 184. For what things are we to pray?
A. We are to pray for all things tending to the glory of God, the welfare of the church, our own or others' good; but not for anything that is unlawful.

Q. 185. How are we to pray?
A. We are to pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, and deep sense of our own unworthiness, necessities, and sins; with penitent, thankful, and enlarged hearts; with understanding, faith, sincerity, fervency, love, and perseverance, waiting upon him, with humble submission to his will.

Q. 186. What rule hath God given for our direction in the duty of prayer?
A. The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in the duty of prayer; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which our Savior Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord's prayer.

In prayer we can speak to God.  God speaks verbally to us through His Word.  He also speaks nonverbally through His clear providence.  When we pray we commune with God.  I think what Charles Hodge says is quite true: “prayer is the converse of the soul.”  By the tool of prayer we express our adoration and reverence to the Lord.  When we speak to God we do so by contrite confession to Him.  We are to empty our hearts before Him with thanksgiving.  And we most assuredly offer petitions and supplications to Him. When we pray, and in the aftermath of our prayers, we experience God in a personal fashion and experience Him as powerful.  God hears His people and He acts in response to our prayers.  He uses our prayers as a means to accomplish His purposes.  When know that God says in His Word of foreordination and the efficacy of prayer.  That is, God has ordained whatsoever comes to pass.  And the efficacy of prayer; means prayer is effective.  When we think of this it is not at all inconsistent.  God ordains the means and the ends for His blessed purposes. God uses prayer as a means to bring His sovereign will to pass in time and space.  We are told that prayer is to be given and directed to Him alone.  We see in our day that people use prayer to saints and angels.  This is contradictory to the divine Word and I would argue from common reason.  There is no example in Scripture that gives us reason to pray to angels or saints.  We Peter forbidding worship in the book of Acts, and we see John being rebuked by the angel; not to worship him.  I think the testimony of Scripture is clear: we are to pray to God alone.  We can address all Three Persons in prayer or each person individually.  That is, within the Godhead of the three distinct persons.  If someone prays to a creature it is idolatry.  We are not to worship images or creatures.  When we prayer, let us consider several requisites.  First, we need to approach God with sincerity.  We ought not to use empty and insincere prayers to Him for it would be a mockery.  It is a stench in His nostrils and a serious offense against Him.  Second, we ought to approach Him with sincere and genuine reverence.  We are not to worship God with high esteem in a sinful way in front of people get a reward from them.  We are not to be like the hypocrites of the days of Christ.  Those hypocrites are still around today and they are in the church.  We ought to address God with familiarity.  If we came before a king we would have respect, and with God we ought to reserve the highest esteem to Him alone.  Third, we need to approach God with humility.  We need to keep in mind who we are and who He is.  We are to come boldly to Him but we are not to come arrogantly.  We are to be people who are earnest and fervent in prayer for God’s glory.  Prayer is an action of submission.  We are to be engaged in reverent submission.  We ought to say to the Lord “Thy will be done.”  It is a statement of submission but it is not a statement of lack of faith.  We are to sing:

        My God and Father, day by day, far from home in life’s rough way, O teach me from my heart to say, “Thy will be done.”

Though dark my path and sad my lot, Let me be still and murmur not, Or breathe the prayer divinely taught, “Thy will be done.”

What though in lonely grief I sigh, For friends beloved, no longer nigh, Submissive still would I reply, “Thy will be done.”

If thou shouldst call me to reign What Most I prize, it never was mine; I only yield thee what was thine, “Thy will be done.”

Let but my fainting heart be blest With thy sweet Spirit for its guts, My God to thee I leave the rest, “Thy will be done.” (TH, Hymn 575).

When we pray we ought to pray for the Lord’s will to be done for all people in all the earth.  We ought to submit to His blessed will.  The Lord knows best in all cases.  Sometimes it is hard to understand why the Lord does not grant prayer that we pray, but He doesn’t because He loves us to much to give it to us, or because He is not in a hurry to grant us it.  But above all things we must submit to His will because He is always right.  Christian people are to be people of prayer.  We are to understand that God hears our prayers.  But when He says, “I love you too much to give you that” we are too trust His wisdom.  We must assume God’s wisdom when we pray.  The Lord Jesus is our Mediator.  When we pray in His name we acknowledge Him as such.  Christ is our great High Priest and He is also our Intercessor with the Holy Spirit who is also our Great Intercessor.  We are called to pray in the Christian Bible.  We are to pray for all people:  for the rich, for the poor, for the lame, for the blind, for the problems in family life, for the church.  As a Christian, do you find yourself committed to daily prayer?  Are you committed to stedfast prayer?  Do you find yourself having a passion for prayer as a prayer warrior for God?  Are you on your knees to God praising and thanking Him, adoring and blessing Him, making requests and boasting in His good?  We are called to prayer in the Christian life.  Here Paul urges God’s people to lift up supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings.  We are to commit ourselves to prayer for people in authority and high positions.  We are to pray for our President and people who are in authority in our nation.  We ought to pray for their wisdom for them and commitment to justice, peace and mercy, and for the good of our country. 

Matthew Henry wrote:

Here is, I. A charge given to Christians to pray for all men in general, and particularly for all in authority. Timothy must take care that this be done. Paul does not send him any prescribed form of prayer, as we have reason to think he would if he had intended that ministers should be tied to that way of praying; but, in general, that they should make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks: supplications for the averting of evil, prayers for the obtaining of good, intercessions for others, and thanksgivings for mercies already received. Paul thought it enough to give them general heads; they, having the scripture to direct them in prayer and the Spirit of prayer poured out upon them, needed not any further directions. Observe, The design of the Christian religion is to promote prayer; and the disciples of Christ must be praying people. Pray always with all prayer, Eph. vi. 18. There must be prayers for ourselves in the first place; this is implied here. We must also pray for all men, for the world of mankind in general, for particular persons who need or desire our prayers. See how far the Christian religion was from being a sect, when it taught men this diffusive charity, to pray, not only for those of their own way, but for all men. Pray for kings (v. 2); though the kings at this time were heathens, enemies to Christianity, and persecutors of Christians, yet they must pray for them, because it is for the public good that there should be civil government, and proper persons entrusted with the administration of it, for whom therefore we ought to pray, yea, though we ourselves suffer under them. For kings, and all that are in authority, that is, inferior magistrates: we must pray for them, and we must give thanks for them, pray for their welfare and for the welfare of their kingdoms, and therefore must not plot against them, that in the peace thereof we may have peace, and give thanks for them and for the benefit we have under their government, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Here see what we must desire for kings, that God will so turn their hearts, and direct them and make use of them, that we under them may lead a quiet and peaceable life. He does not say, "that we may get preferments under them, grow rich, and be in honour and power under them;" no, the summit of the ambition of a good Christian is to lead a quiet and peaceable life, to get through the world unmolested in a low private station. We should desire that we and others may lead a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, implying that we cannot expect to be kept quiet and peaceable unless we keep in all godliness and honesty. Let us mind our duty, and then we may expect to be taken under the protection both of God and the government. In all godliness and honesty. Here we have our duty as Christians summed up in two words: godliness, that is, the right worshipping of God; and honesty, that is, a good conduct towards all men. These two must go together; we are not truly honest if we are not godly, and do not render to God his due; and we are not truly godly if we are not honest, for God hates robbery for burnt-offering. Here we may observe, 1. Christians are to be men much given to prayer: they ought to abound herein, and should use themselves to prayers, supplications, &c. 2. In our prayers we are to have a generous concern for others as well as for ourselves; we are to pray for all men, and to give thanks for all men; and must not confine our prayers nor thanksgiving to our own persons or families. 3. Prayer consists of various parts, of supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings; for we must pray for the mercies we want, as well as be thankful for mercies already received; and we are to deprecate the judgments which our own sins or the sins of others have deserved. 4. All men, yea, kings themselves, and those who are in authority, are to be prayed for. They want our prayers, for they have many difficulties to encounter, many snares to which their exalted stations expose them.

Prayer is not boring or irrelevant.  We need people aware of the presence of the Lord.  If people are aware of it, they will not find prayer boring or irrelevant.  When we are in God’s presence we should always be in reverent submission and awe in His presence.  Fortunately for us we love to be in His presence, but for the reprobate it is an absolute horror.  When we are in God’s presence, whether in church or on our knees in secret in our rooms, we could tremble at His presence; weep in mourning; express our abundant joy or remain silent at His presence in awe at Him.  In these reactions we never find the reaction of boredom.  If you know that God is there, it is impossible to find a bored person in His presence.  People may find their encounter with God an irrelevance, but if we truly think of about no one has more relevance then the Holy Trinity.  So I ask: do you find prayer boring or irrelevant?  Those who do find it as such ought to pray for a renewed understanding of the presence of God. 

Calvin wrote,

In the second chapter, he enjoins that public prayers be offered to God for all men, and especially for princes and magistrates; and here, in passing, he likewise makes a remark on the advantage which the world derives from civil government. He then mentions the reason why we ought to pray for all men; namely, that God, by exhibiting to all the gospel and Christ the Mediator, shews that he wishes all men to be saved; and he likewise confirms this statement by his own apostleship, which was specially appointed to the Gentiles. Next, he invites all men, whatever may be their country or place of abode, to pray to God; and takes occasion for inculcating that modesty and subjection which females ought to maintain in the holy assembly.

We are to pray for all people.  It is not wrong to pray for ourselves.  We ought to make requests unto the Lord for all things and be committed to Him in the pursuit of prayer.  Are you prayer-focused?  Do you live a prayerless life?  Can you remember when you lived a prayerless?  Can you remember in the past week—was a great time pouring your heart out for the Lord?  With all diligence we are to commit our ways of prayer unto the Lord.  We know that Satan hates prayer, and the world sees little value in it.  But we are to stand in prayer against Satan, and forsake the faithlessness and prayerless of the world, and be committed to ceaseless prayer.  We are to be devoted to prayer and committed to a life of constant prayer to our Triune Lord unto God’s glory.  We are not to forget the great saints we have gone before us who were committed to prayer to God alone.  We ought to follow in their example.  Let us be people of ceaseless prayer in worship of our great God and King.  Amen.