1 Timothy 2:1-7 – “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.”  NKJV

Frequently I will have someone castigate me because I am involved in the world of politics and am a preacher.  I have been told that I cannot have a dissenting view or expression concerning those in leadership because God said we were to submit and pray for them.  He did both, in a measure, and to fully dissect that would take more time and space than we have for this devotional.  But, I want to take this passage and make a statement that I hope will help in understanding ‘life’ and how ‘life’ touches all dimensions of our world.

The apostle Paul instructed his son in the faith, Timothy and anyone who would hear to ‘make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks for ALL MEN (women included).’  He did not stop there he included kings and all who are in authority, “that….”  There was an objective, ‘that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.’  This was an objective not a conditional promise that if we do this that will be our lot.  No it was an expression that we have a responsibility and duty to pray for those who have authority that they might walk after God’s will following His precepts and thereby a condition exist that we could live peaceably in godliness and reverence.  Hopefully you realize that this is sometimes not the outcome in life?

The ultimate objective in Paul’s message was SALVATION!  When those in authority reject or disregard God’s word and precepts there will be no peace or tranquility and we who live in those situations, seeking to live godly reverent lives will face severe persecution as the Bible warned and has been evidenced in human history.

If you take Paul’s instruction to the full you will find that just uttering a quite prayer for the leaders falls far short of the directive.  The instruction is ‘supplications’ [petitions], prayers [indicates our worship of God and even oratory in public], intercessions [interview and pleas] are to be offered.  We must also not omit the ‘giving of thanks’ for ALL MEN not just the leaders and realize that it is God’s desire not for us to become mere puppets to human despots but that we pray for their enlightenment and their salvation.

I have no desire to be political in this devotional only to say, LIFE is LIFE and involves EVERYTHING you face and that touches you and your family.  So if LIFE is important and valuable is it not worth engaging in ‘supplication, prayer and intercession’?  I pray for the leaders of my nation and my world that they SEE THE LIGHT of God’s Word and allow Him to become LORD of their lives.  My prayer is not one of concession but intercession battling hell for their souls and the lives they affect in their execution of their authority so that we might realize the objective of ‘peaceable lives in godliness and reverence’ that the Gospel could be preached freely to all in peace.

So as you consider your world, social, material, political, and spiritual ask God to guide you in your response to Paul’s declaration and direction.  May God be with you as you go through your day!