Praying for Those in Power (1 Timothy 2:1–4)

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

Oh, that’s so good and so straightforward. This is God calling us in his Word to pray and intercede and give thanks for all people, meaning all kinds of people. And you just think about even that perspective on your life today or tomorrow if you’re listening to this at night.

So what would it look like just to make an intentional effort today to pray for everybody you interact with? Or everybody you see around you? Just to make a very intentional effort to pray for all people in your life today. What a great way to spend the day. So I want to encourage you to do that.

1 Timothy 2:1–4 exhorts us to pray for those in high positions.

And then 1 Timothy 2 specifies that we should pray for kings and all who are in high positions. So we should specifically and intentionally be praying for leaders in government so that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. So it’s interesting.

We pray for leaders in high positions in ways that lead to good for us and glory to God, and this is good. It’s pleasing in the sight of God our Savior. I love this because we get the same phrase again, who desires all people to be saved. God desires every single person you’re praying for to experience his love, his salvation, to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

So pray for them in light of God’s love for them, for every person around you, and specifically for leaders in your government, whether that’s local government or state or regional or provincial government or leaders of your nation. I do want to lead us to pray for those specific leaders in all the places where we live. So I just won’t use names, but I want to lead us to pray for all people, including and particularly for kings and all who are in high positions, in light of 1 Timothy 2.

So God, we pray right now for every person that we will see today. And we ask you to help us carry out this instruction in 1 Timothy 2, and to pray specifically for all the people we see around us today, that we interact with. God, we pray for all of them to come to the knowledge of the truth. We pray for all of their salvation.

God, we pray that all of them would be saved by you in light of your love for all of them. God, help us to pray for all people. And we pray specifically for those who are in high positions of government. Wherever we live, God, we pray for presidents, prime ministers, kings, leaders, rulers in different positions.

1 Timothy 2:1–4 encourages us to pray for the salvation of our high officials

We pray for lawmakers. God, we pray for judges. We pray for local leaders, state leaders, and national leaders. God, we intercede for all the names, the faces, the pictures that are coming to our minds. Most of whom we don’t know, but you know them, God. You know them inside and out, and you love them. And based on your word in Romans 13, you have appointed them to govern for the good of people, to promote good, and to protect against evil.

So God, we pray that they would do that. We pray that today they would promote good and protect against evil. God, we pray that all of them would know your love for them. We praise you for your love for all of them. We pray that you would draw them to salvation in you, to the knowledge of you, and the truth that is found in you. God, we intercede for that.

We pray for this among all the nations, especially nations where there are so many unreached people, nations that are, in many cases, working to keep the gospel from spreading to unreached people. God, we pray that you would bring about change in governments and government leaders, that our brothers and sisters in Christ in those places may lead peaceful and quiet lives, godly and dignified in every way, and that your salvation, your love might spread.

A Prayer for the Yoruk People

God, we pray specifically today for the Yoruk people of Turkey, for half a million Yoruk men, women, and children. We know you desire their salvation. We pray that you would bring all the Yoruk to hear God.

The good news of your love and your grace and your mercy. And Jesus, we pray for their salvation. And God, we pray for the leaders of Turkey. God, we pray that you would help them to govern for good, to protect against evil, and to lead in such a way that the good news of your love has freedom to spread in Turkey. We pray for this among all the nations of the world. God, all of this straight from your word in 1 Timothy 2, which we love. Help us to be faithful today to pray for all people, including and particularly for those who are in leadership positions of government. In Jesus’ name, amen.