Havasu Christian Church
September 21, 2025
I Timothy 2:1-7
“Let’s talk about Prayer.”
INTRO: Prayer at it’s most basic is simply “Talking to God.” But we are going to dig a little deeper than that this morning.
Paul writes to Timothy, and one of the many important things he speaks to Timothy about is prayer.
As we’ll see in a minute, he “urges” Timothy to get the people in Ephesus to pray! He doesn’t “order” him… He’s writing to a “son in the faith…” not an employee!
Sometimes, I think that we get so used to the idea of praying to God, so much, that it becomes commonplace to us.
But we are entering into the Throne Room of the Creator of the Universe! God is our Father, but He is still the God Who is everywhere, knows everything, and has the power to do anything!
He is all that and He lets me talk to Him!
I Timothy 2:1-7 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
3 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 also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, 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) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
- We are called to pray!
- Entreaties
- In the KJV it’s translated Supplications.
- This is a prayer that is a request for a deeply felt need to be granted.
- This is something that weighs on your heart… something that you really feel strongly about…
- It isn’t a prayer for a parking space close to the grocery store door.
- It may be more like “God I really need groceries and I have no idea how I’m going to get the money to pay for them! HELP!”
- This may be a prayer for healing of a certain condition or illness we are suffering with.
- Prayers
- This is the “generic” word for prayer.
- This is prayer for ongoing help that we need…
- Requesting more wisdom, or for God to help us to be more devoted to Him.
- These may be our daily prayers for food, shelter, and other ongoing needs.
- Petitions
- This word has the idea of pleading for help, particularly for others.
- This pleading can be FOR someone.
- “Lord, you know how much this person I care about is suffering. Please help them.”
- It can even be pleading AGAINST them.
- “Please God, stop this evil person from doing this harmful thing!”
- Our prayer chain comes to mind when thinking about this kind of prayer.
- “God, this person really needs help right now!”
- Thanksgivings
- This is a prayer of Gratitude to God.
- This prayer may be a “thank you” for a petition or an entreaty that has been answered.
- It may be a prayer of thanks for a blessing that God has given us, that we never even asked for!
- These various “types” of prayer can certainly all be present when we “talk to God.”
- We don’t have to say “Now I’m moving on from entreaty to petition… After that, I’ll get around to thanksgiving.”
- God KNOWS what we are doing!
- Who are we to pray for?
- All men!
- This word “all” is pretty “all inclusive.”
- He wanted Timothy to teach people to be ready to pray for anyone.
- These instructions may have been given in part, because in the Jewish way of thinking, praying for gentiles wasn’t likely to happen.
- Paul could have stopped here, but he didn’t.
- Kings and all those in authority
- Our citizenship is in heaven, not here.
- But we are still affected by what goes on in the world that we live in.
- These “authorities” back then would have included the Roman emperor, The Roman senate, Procouncils, Kings of various areas, Asiarchs, Politarchs, Town clerks, lictors, tax collectors, Judges, etc.
- These “authorities” today would include our President, congress, courts, State Governors, State representatives, right down to the local mayor and the city council.
- How and why do we pray for these authorities?
- How?
- That would depend a great deal on what those authorities are doing.
- “Oh Lord, please help the Roman Government to hunt down Christians and stamp out Christianity!” certainly isn’t what Paul has in mind.
- If the government is doing well, we should pray for them to do even better.
- If they are not, we still pray for them.
- To do better.
- To be thwarted in what they are doing is wrong.
- Why?
- It’ s the right thing to do.
- The Holy Spirit led Paul to write this.
- We should do what the Holy Spirit says we should do.
- But there is more to it than simply “following orders.”
- So that we can lead a tranquil and quiet life, in Godliness and dignity .
- If the government doesn’t mess with our true country, we can live more easily, a life that serves our Lord!
- Free from persecution.
- Free from government interference.
- There is an objective to be achieved by praying for “all men,” including those in authority.
- God will do His will in our lives and in the lives of those we pray for.
- God does not have to do what I ask Him to do, any more than a parent has to bend their will to a child’s wishes.
- This means that sometimes, God will say “NO!”
- Does this mean that our prayers have no effect?
- NO! God does hear and answer our prayers.
- Fortunately, God does what is best!
- This “tranquil life” will allow us to do our job without interference.
- To be a witness!
- People need to know the “knowledge of the truth” so they can be saved!
- They need to know Who God is!
- They need to know about Jesus.
- The Mediator between us and God.
- The One who gave up His life to be our ransom.
What should I take home with me today?
- We Christians are to be people of prayer: all the ways that we Can pray!
- Men, we should be leaders to our families, showing them what it means to be a Godly man who prays.
- Ladies, you also have the responsibility to model Godly behavior, and to pray!
- We are to pray for everyone!
- Ourselves
- Our fellow Christians
- People in need
- Whomever we can.
- We are to pray specifically for those who lead our nation.
- In whatever capacity they lead.
- Whether they are good or bad.
- Pray for them to act in a godly way.
- Pray for their actions to be stopped when they do not act in a godly manner.
- Realize that God is not a vending machine.
- Just because I ask…
- In Jesus’ name.
- In faith.
- Doesn’t mean God will say “yes.”
- I’m often better off when God says “no.”
- I don’t always ask for the right things.
- I don’t even always know what the right things are to ask for.
- I need to learn to trust God, whatever the outcome may be.
- I need to do my best to live a life that allows me to share Jesus with others around me!
- Don’t let my behavior turn anyone away!
