1 Timothy 2:1-4 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. 2 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. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
Prayer can become personal because there is so much pain and heartache in the world. It’s easy to make petitions only for loved ones and oneself. But the apostle Paul encouraged the young preacher Timothy to pray for all people, asking God to help them, wherever they may be in the world. This week, we witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, as it barreled through many island nations and left a broad swathe of destruction in the lives of so many and death.
We are asked to pray for leaders, even if we didn’t vote for them, for they have the power to influence the peace and quietness in our lives. Surely, we see the aftermath of the government shutdown, and we pray for everyone impacted by it, particularly those who may lose access to food aid and those who trust tired air traffic controllers to do their jobs so they may travel safely.
Prayer is meant to give God praise and thanksgiving, to share our needs and wants with God, and to ask for covering over our loved ones. But, we are reminded to also pray for those we don’t know, to make intercession for people whom we will never know. We know that prayer still works, though sometimes in ways we cannot anticipate. Let us pray for everyone, believing that God will hear and respond in appropriate ways.
Amen.
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