“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT)
I absolutely love Paul’s letters to Timothy. Mostly because I can relate to Timothy in that he is young, yet clearly has been set apart and chosen by God for a specific purpose in leading the Church. And this passage that Paul starts this portion out with is such a foundational truth that all believers need to put into practice, regardless of age or status. We must pray for all people. Our first role as a collective Body is intercession.
Christ, our Lord and Savior, is the Mediator on behalf of those who believe in Him. He reconciles God and humanity (see verse 5). We are to model Christ in everything we do. This means that, as Christ’s ambassadors (1 Corinthians 5:20), we must be interceding and mediating here on earth while Christ mediates in Heaven at the right hand of the Father.
Now let’s make sure to emphasize what Paul says in regards to kings and those in authority. He doesn’t draw any distinction between what side these rulers take. He simply refers to them all together. This means that, no matter how you feel about Joe Biden, or how you feel about Ron Desantis, or Donald Trump, or _________, we MUST pray for them and for God’s guidance in their lives as our rulers and governing authorities. Failing do this is to disobey the known will of God. And Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom (Matthew 7:21).
The life of a follower of Christ is rooted in the Foundation of Christ, and upon that foundation the next layer up is prayer. All who believe are called to a lifestyle of prayer.
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