Wednesday April, 21 2021 Devotional

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

The Apostle Paul is writing to his disciple, Timothy, giving him instructions about how to organize the local Christian congregations in Ephesus and how they should function. He says, “First of all...” which is to say, the most important thing the local church should be doing, the first thing on the agenda, should be this: “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions.”

The first thing on our agenda should be prayer, especially for those people who are in authority in government. We tend to pray for a lot of things and for a lot of people, but prayer for those in government tends to be an afterthought.

Do you know the names of those in authority over you? (Not just the ones you hear about in the news.). Do you know anything about their background, education, experience, and the needs of their families?

Start today with the ones you know. Pray for them; then start compiling a list of the rest, from the President’s cabinet down to the local school board. Find out what specific things you can pray for, for them, and make it a priority to hold them up in prayer.

We want our country to be a place where we can “lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” The Lord had told us here how to make that happen.

Lord, forgive my lack of interest in the lives of those whom You have placed in authority over me. I’m quick to criticize their decisions but rarely think of them as men and women with real needs. Help me to bless them. Show me how to pray, and help me to learn what I need to know in order to pray effectively for them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles