After urging Timothy to stay on task and to teach the Word properly, Paul urges him (and us) to pray.
People in all cultures pray. The thought that there is no need to pray is a very foreign idea, indeed, and goes to show how depraved out culture has become! Even the pagans long ago felt the need to pray, and although they misdirected their prayers to a wide variety of deities, or to trees, sun, moon, or other created things, they still knew the natural need to pray.
Paul tells Timothy to teach people to pray prayers interceding for others and giving thanks for God’s blessings. He says to pray for the government so that life can be peaceful and quiet. This serves God’s purpose because He, “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” It is far happier to work with the government’s blessing than without it. Either way, though, our task is to share the Good News that God has sent a mediator to make it possible for us to come to God, and that mediator is Jesus.
In fact, it is the very mediation of Jesus – giving himself as a ransom for all - that makes it possible for us to pray. He makes it possible for us to enter into God’s presences with thanks, praise, and requests knowing that we are forgiven, and confident that God loves us and cares for our needs.
Paul indicates that God wants all people to pray, just as he wants all people to be saved. The two go hand in hand. Forgiveness is what makes us worthy to pray. Salvation makes us certain that God hears our prayers and answers them. Faith finds that God pours out his blessings on all people and provides for our needs.
However, there are some words that may cause troubles to our hearts and minds as Paul begins to talk about women in the church. Paul is not saying that women should just shut up and do nothing in church. However, worship is also not the gossip hour during which the ladies could sit around and chat about what is going on in everyone’s lives. There is a recognition here that God created men and women differently, and some of what we struggle with in our walk with Christ is different from the other gender. There were many women in the early church who did much. Jesus’ ministry was also strongly supported by women, and he held them in great esteem. This passage should not be pushed aside as a sign that Paul was a misogynist as some have charged. Rather, there should be recognition that men and women are different. We should not denigrate that difference, but rejoice in the various honors that God bestows on us.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of prayer. What an honor it is to be able to enter into your presence with supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings! Lord, when I don’t completely feel comfortable with your Word, help me to turn to you. Guide me by your Spirit to embrace what you say. And never let me think that you love me more or less than someone else, but help me to see how much you love all of us in Jesus’ cross. Amen.
People in all cultures pray. The thought that there is no need to pray is a very foreign idea, indeed, and goes to show how depraved out culture has become! Even the pagans long ago felt the need to pray, and although they misdirected their prayers to a wide variety of deities, or to trees, sun, moon, or other created things, they still knew the natural need to pray.
Paul tells Timothy to teach people to pray prayers interceding for others and giving thanks for God’s blessings. He says to pray for the government so that life can be peaceful and quiet. This serves God’s purpose because He, “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” It is far happier to work with the government’s blessing than without it. Either way, though, our task is to share the Good News that God has sent a mediator to make it possible for us to come to God, and that mediator is Jesus.
In fact, it is the very mediation of Jesus – giving himself as a ransom for all - that makes it possible for us to pray. He makes it possible for us to enter into God’s presences with thanks, praise, and requests knowing that we are forgiven, and confident that God loves us and cares for our needs.
Paul indicates that God wants all people to pray, just as he wants all people to be saved. The two go hand in hand. Forgiveness is what makes us worthy to pray. Salvation makes us certain that God hears our prayers and answers them. Faith finds that God pours out his blessings on all people and provides for our needs.
However, there are some words that may cause troubles to our hearts and minds as Paul begins to talk about women in the church. Paul is not saying that women should just shut up and do nothing in church. However, worship is also not the gossip hour during which the ladies could sit around and chat about what is going on in everyone’s lives. There is a recognition here that God created men and women differently, and some of what we struggle with in our walk with Christ is different from the other gender. There were many women in the early church who did much. Jesus’ ministry was also strongly supported by women, and he held them in great esteem. This passage should not be pushed aside as a sign that Paul was a misogynist as some have charged. Rather, there should be recognition that men and women are different. We should not denigrate that difference, but rejoice in the various honors that God bestows on us.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of prayer. What an honor it is to be able to enter into your presence with supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings! Lord, when I don’t completely feel comfortable with your Word, help me to turn to you. Guide me by your Spirit to embrace what you say. And never let me think that you love me more or less than someone else, but help me to see how much you love all of us in Jesus’ cross. Amen.
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