Prayer, Of The First Order

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

3 For 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 between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

1. Introduction – Like many of you, I woke up Monday morning to a string of text messages … “Did you catch what happened in Vegas?”

   It seems that for the better part of my adult life now I find myself waking every morning and looking at the news feed just to see what horrible thing(s) happened the night before. I don’t know about you, I feel terrible that these things happened, but I almost feel more terrible the I’m not surprised anymore by them anymore.

   And like every major tragedy, within minutes now it’s the common response to change your social media cover photo to represent solidarity with those affected. And 90% of the time that response is a cover photo with the #PrayFor_____.

   It’s intriguing. Even people who aren’t necessarily religious, their response is “Pray for … Boston, Paris, London, Manchester, Nice, Orlando, Vegas.”

   What is it about such things that urge us to respond with prayer?

1. The passage before us this morning urges us to do just that … to pray.
1. This passage tells us that the apostle’s (and ergo God’s) desire is that we pray.
2. It tells us the kind of prayer we should pay.
3. It tells us that our prayers should not be for ourselves only, but for others as well.
4. It tells us that our prayers are not only private, but public.
5. It tells us the people we should for.
6. It tells us the focus of purpose of our prayers for such people.
2. Now the context of this exhortation is important and clear.
1. 1 Timothy 1:3 ~ As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 
1. The entire first chapter dealt with the place of proper teaching and doctrine within the church.
2. Now as we move into chapter 2, Paul moves from proper preaching to proper praying.
1. In the context of the church, which Timothy was now pastoring in Ephesus, Paul says, “I want you to establish right practices in the church. Establish that the overseeing elders of the church preach and teach sound doctrine. And accordingly that…”
2. “I exhort … that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made…”  (v. 1) (exhort is the same Greek word as “charge” in 1:3 — παρακαλŒ≠ω parakale≈ç) 
   
   
1. Point 1 — Public prayer should be of significant importance in the church. 
   
   
1. Paul says “first of all”
1. One of the products of proper preaching is the primacy and priority of prayer.
2. Prayer should be high on our priority list as a church.
1. And in many ways it is at Cross Connection. Every week we put a high priority on our prayer cards in our service, and every week we make it a point as a staff and leadership to pray for your prayer needs and requests.
2. But we certainly could (always) do more and do better in the area of prayer.
3. Prayer should be high on our list of things to do, but often it is over looked
1. John Bunyan — “You can do more than pray, after you’ve prayed, but you can’t do more than pray until you’ve prayed.” 
2. Now I say that “public prayer should be of significant importance in the church” because the context here is not the private life of the Christian, but the public life of the church.
1. Timothy was the overseeing elder (pastor) of the Ephesian church. It was his role and function as the pastor to order the public life of the church body. Therefore, he was to oversee the preaching and teaching of the church, but he was also to order and establish the public prayer of the church.
1. Which meant that if prayer were to be a priority in the Ephesian church, it had to be a priority in Timothy’s life.
1. I’ll be the first to admit that prayer needs to be a higher priority in my life personally!
2. Thus the apostolic exhortation was “I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made” and then later (v. 8) “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere.”
3. Before we really even get into the specifics of prayer, there are many who simply object, “Why should I pray?”
1. God is so far away, can He even hear me?
2. God has bigger things to deal with than me and my issues.
3. God only listens to the prayers of important people, not little people like me.
4. God doesn’t give me the things I want or ask for anyway.
5. Prayer doesn’t seem to make a difference.
6. God is sovereign, He is just going to do what He wants to do.
7. I don’t need God or prayer, I have everything I need and want.
8. I can do it all by myself. I don’t need His help.
4. Paul doesn’t even spend time on such objections. To Paul, God was (and is) intimately interested and involved in the things that cause us concern, or that we need, or that others need, or that are pressing in on us. And where did Paul and the early Christians get this view and understanding? From Jesus. Jesus taught His followers to pray to the Father for our daily cares, needs and desires. Therefore Paul exhorts that…
1. “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made…”
1. Here we have 4 distinct aspects of prayer — or maybe 3.
2. “Prayers” seems to encompass the three others. Prayer is the overarching catch-all concept of verbal interaction with God. So while all supplications are prayers, but not all prayers are supplications. And while all intercessions are prayers not all prayers are intercessions.
3. What then are the differences?
1. Supplications are generally considered to be personal requests for needs (i.e. “Give us this day our daily bread”)
2. Intercessions then are requests and petitions for the cares and needs of others.
3. Giving of thanks is the expression of gratitude to God for His care and blessing in our lives, and the lives of others.
4. There are, of course, other forms of prayer (confessions, praise/ adoration, consecration/dedication, imprecation). But Paul here exhorts that the lives of individual Christians and the life of the church should be characterized by prayer.
1. Jesus’ life was certainly was … and if the life of our Lord was characterized by prayer, then ours should be too.
5. But who should we be praying for?
3. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, …” (v. 1-2) 

1. Point 2 — The church should pray for all without distinction. 
   
   
1. Now lets just quickly get the gender specific language question out of the way.
1. There’s a lot of sensitivity in our culture today about gender specific language (pronouns), but when we read prayer “for all men” … understand that Paul is speaking of men as in humanity. So don’t get all bound up over it.
1. Though if you have a problem with the Bible’s view and position on gender and gender roles, just wait till next week … you’re bound to be all riled up.
2. Sure, we could commit to pray for all humanity without exception (i.e. every individual person), but that would take awhile, as there are an estimated 7.5 billion people on the planet right now.
1. Paul’s exhortation is that we pray for all humanity without distinction.
1. In other words, there is no one beyond the scope and focus of our prayers. We should not be ethnocentric, or monocultural, or demographically divided in our prayers.
1. Lea & Griffin — our prayers should include all groups of human beings. All needy sinners—without distinction of race, nationality, or social position—must receive our prayers.
1. In many ways (intercessory) prayer for another individual is an expression of love and devotion. And if you only love those who love you (or are like you) “what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”
2. We are exhorted to pray for anyone and everyone … even “for kings and all who are in authority”
1. Among the many people we could and should pray for are those who are in authority over us as rulers and powers. We should pray for our leaders.
1. Donald Guthrie — The Christian attitude towards the State is of utmost importance. Whether the civil authorities are perverted or not they must be made the subjects for prayer, for Christian citizens may in this way influence the course of national affairs, a fact often forgotten except in times of special crisis. 
2. And Paul’s stated goal in our prayer for our leaders is an interesting one…
4. “for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (v. 2) 

1. Point 3 — The prayer warrior should seek to be a peacemaker. 
   
   
2. When this was written (AD 63-64) this was the hope of the Apostle Paul for the Church, that she might lead a quiet and peaceable life…
1. Spence — The prayer for the rulers is recommended … in order to obtain for Christians a tranquil life, undisturbed by persecution and molestation, in spite of their peculiar way of life. Their wish was to be allowed to live in the faith and obedience of the gospel, “in godliness and gravity,” without being interfered with by the heathen magistrates. 
1. But this was a hope that would not be realized. At least not in the near-term. And in many places in the world it is still not realized.
1. Almost 10 years prior to the writing of this letter a man of not 17 years old became Emperor of Rome. His name was Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. He would only reign until 68 AD, but From 64 until his death at in 68 he would unleash virtual hell upon Jews and Christians in one of the first mass waves of Christian persecution.
2. During the summer of 64 AD (probably very near the writing of this letter) there was a great fire in Rome. Some historians believe that Nero himself was to blame for the fire, as his ambitions were to remake much of Rome after his desire and for his honor. Only four of the 14 quarters of the city escaped damage. Suspicion immediately fell upon the Emperor, so to deflect it he made Jews and Christians his scapegoat.
1. Tacitus (115 AD) — Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. 
1. The Roman persecution under Nero gave new and gruesome meaning to Jesus’ exhortation to “Be a light to the world” and “Let your light so shine before men.”
2. The prayer warrior is to wage war only with God in prayer. For…
1. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 ~ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
   4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 
1. Prayer is a weapon and it is powerful. It is not to be trifled with.
2. The Christian soldier, fighting the good fight wages war with mighty weapons of prayer…
1. This is challenging for us, because it is our nature to wage war with earthly strength and weapons … but waging war in the spirit and by prayer…
5. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 ~ For 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. 
   
   
1. Point 4 — Acceptable prayer aligns my desires with God’s desire for the salvation of all. 
   
   
1. What do you pray for when you have an anti-Christ ruler like Nero?
1. My desire—in the natural—is to pray for their death and damnation! (i.e. imprecation)
1. But we are directed to pray for their salvation.
1. Therefore, if I am going to pray in accordance and alignment with God’s nature (He is “God our Savior”) and His will (He “desires all men to be saved”) then I must pray for the salvation of all men.
1. All men includes anti-Christ men.
2. Since we are exhorted to pray for the salvation of any and everyone, we can therefore expect that God’s heart and desire is for the salvation anyone and everyone.
1. It is my conviction that any teaching which limits God’s salvific work to a chosen few is not in alignment with Scripture or God’s revealed nature and will.
2. Not only should we pray for the Salvation of all men, we must also work for the Salvation of all men.
1. And we work for the salvation of all men by bringing them “the knowledge of the truth” …
1. God’s desire is for the salvation of all. Therefore He has dispatched us to preach and bring the knowledge of the truth.
2. 1 Timothy 2:7 ~ for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 
2. What truth are we working to bring them?
6. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 ~ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
   6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 
1. The truth we work to bring is that there is one God and one way to God, and Jesus is that way. And He made the way open by laying down his life for all!
1. Not for some … for all!
7. 1 Timothy 2:7-8 ~ for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 
   8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 
1. God desires humanity’s salvation, thus Paul writes, “I desire therefore that men pray everywhere.” 

1. Point 5 — God’s desire for salvation compels our desire for prayer. 
   
   
2. Prayer without anger or arguing. Prayer without dissension and disputing. Prayer with faith and holy hands.
1. What does it mean with holy hands lifted?
1. Isaiah 1:15 ~ When you spread out your hands,
   I will hide My eyes from you;
   Even though you make many prayers,
   I will not hear. 
   Your hands are full of blood. 
2. Isaiah 59:1-3 ~ Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
   That it cannot save;
   Nor His ear heavy,
   That it cannot hear.
   2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
   And your sins have hidden His face from you,
   So that He will not hear.
   3 For your hands are defiled with blood,
   And your fingers with iniquity;
   Your lips have spoken lies,
   Your tongue has muttered perversity.