Pray for All People: Especially Your Enemies

1 Timothy 2:1–8 ESV

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;

Intro

In this passage, Paul reaffirms his Apostolic authority. He is reminding Timothy, and those causing issues at this church. In doing this it is emphasizing the importance of prayer that it needs the direct stamp of this authority.

Pray for All

The first of all here could be order or importance. I think its both. Its first in the order of things to talk about, because regardless of anything else coming before God is most important.

Supplication - making requests for specific needs

Prayers - bringing those in view before God

Intersession - appealing boldly on their behalf (Abraham before God for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah).

Thanksgiving - Thankfulness for them

Pray for Authority

on behalf of

Pray for their best

Pray that they show us peace. “in order that we may live a tranquil land quiet life in all godliness and dignity”

Pray that they may be saved

It Pleases God

All of this pleases God. Praying for all people. Seeking Him.

Side not: When this says that God desires all to come to faith. If He willed it, then it would be so. We do not believe in a universalist faith that all are saved. Rather this means all people, there is not type of person this saving knowledge is reserved for.

1 Timothy 2:4 ESV

4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Christ Our Mediator

We must see that we get to bring these prayers to Christ because he is our mediator. We can come to God only through Christ. Without Him, we would still be undone as the Prophet Isaiah describes.

We need to understand the gift we have in prayer through Christ.

He gave himself to give us this gift.

Without Anger

We should not do this praying in anger. When we come before God, we must remember that we are changed. With this anger in our heart .

We do not have the right to defile the testimony of God by coming before him in anger against another. We should never pray against someone.

We should always put things to the side in prayer. Any disagreement within the family of Christ should end in prayer.

We can do this because of who God is. He is the one who gives us clean hands. In all things let us go to the Lord in prayer. Not to convince Him, but because by doing so, we will be changed by Him.