“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. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
– 1 Timothy 2:1–4
1 Timothy 2:1–4 could not be any clearer. God has called us to pray, intercede, thank God for all people, including … And he specifies kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified. This is good. Praying like this is good. Living like this is good. It pleases God our Savior because God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
This passage exhorts us to pray for everyone. May we as followers of Christ be faithful to pray for leaders and those in high places and also pray for those in low places all over the world.
This Verse Wants Us To Pray For All People
So, let me just ask the question: is this command reflected in your prayer life? Are you praying? Am I praying continually for all kinds of people, including and especially for kings and for those who are in high positions? Are we praying for these people, for these purposes, so that we may live peaceful quiet lives, godly, dignified lives? Praying in light of God’s desire for all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
So, I want us to pray like this and encourage one another to pray like this continually.
O God, we want to obey this command in 1 Timothy 2:1–4 right now. We want to pray for all kinds of people around us. Even right now and maybe after we finish this prayer podcast, we pray that you just bring a diverse array of people to our minds that you are calling us to pray for. People that we work with, people that we live next to, people that we live with, people from all kinds of different backgrounds. So God, we pray for all kinds of people, and we pray especially for leaders in high positions.
1 Timothy 2:1–4 Wants God To Give Us Wisdom
God, I pray for those of us who are in the United States. We pray for our president. President Trump. For our vice president. Vice President Pence. For leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives. We pray for governors. We pray for legislatures, politicians, judges, people you have put in high positions. God, we pray that they would know your salvation. God, we pray that they would know you as Savior. You desire all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. So God, we pray that they would know your salvation, they would know your love for them in Christ.
God, we pray that you would give them wisdom to lead well, to lead with righteousness, to lead with justice, to lead for the good of those whom they lead. So God, please help them, personally and in their leadership roles, to look to you and to trust in your ways over our ways. God, to trust in your Word over the ways of this world, and to carry out your governing authority under your governing sovereignty, with humility, and goodness, and grace, and wisdom so that, O God, we might lead peaceful quiet lives, godly and dignified in every way.
This Verse Wants Us To Reflect God’s Character
God, help us to reflect your character. In fact, help us to spread the good news of your grace under the leadership of these who you have put in high positions.
God, we pray for this, not just in the United States. We pray for this around the world. So God, we pray for kings and prime ministers, leaders in high positions around the world. God, we believe you desire for them to be saved. Draw them to knowledge of you as Savior. We pray and plead for that. Above all God, we pray that you would help your people, under their rule, to live peaceful quiet lives, godly and dignified in every way.
So God, help us to pray like 1 Timothy 2:1–4 exhorts us to pray: for all kinds of people. For those in high positions, for those who have never been reached with the Gospel.
1 Timothy 2:1–4 Prays For The Northern Luri In Iran
God, we pray for the Northern Luri in Iran. 1.8 million of them. No known followers of Christ! God, we pray you desire all of the Northern Luri to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, please bring it about, we pray! Please bring Northern Luri people to know Jesus as Savior.
So God, we pray for leaders in Iran. We pray for grace and wisdom for them so that your church in Iran might lead quiet peaceful lives, godly and dignified in every way, and that the good news of your grace might be freely spread there.
O God, help us to be faithful. To pray like 1 Timothy 2:1–4 calls us to pray: on a continual basis.
Hear our prayers now, according to your Word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
