All Kinds of Prayers for All Kinds of People

Note: This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for the most accurate information and meaning.

Summary

In this sermon based on 1 Timothy 2:1-7, the speaker emphasizes that a Christian’s first and most crucial response to the world is prayer. Rather than trying to predict the future or relying on human institutions, believers are called to pray for all people—especially for those in authority and even those with whom they disagree—because God desires all people to be saved through the one mediator, Jesus Christ.

Key Points

• Prayer as a Priority: Prayer should be the very first action believers take, not a last resort or backup plan.

• Praying for All People: Christians are commanded to offer supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone, crossing political, social, and personal divides.

• Praying for Leaders: We must pray for those in authority so that we may lead peaceful, quiet, and godly lives.

• The Purpose of Prayer: Prayer is not a tool to command God to do our will, but a way to align our hearts with His sovereign will and purposes.

• One Mediator: There is only one God and one mediator between God and humanity—Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.

• Cultivating a Prayerful Life: Believers are encouraged to develop a disciplined prayer life using tools like the Psalms or prayer books (such as The Valley of Vision) to expand their focus and consistency.

Sermon Transcript

Introduction and Greetings It is a real pleasure and a joy to be with you. I have been praying for this congregation before it was a congregation. Drew came into the Presbytery just a little bit after me—I came in 1995, and I think it was shortly thereafter that things were happening here. Initially, I had a connection because I came to faith in Christ while at college in Towson, Maryland, in that area where we were both from. It has been a real pleasure to see what God has been doing in this congregation. For a while, I was pastoring a church in Mechanicsburg, New Covenant, and then I pastored a church in Palmyra where my wife and I still live and raised our kids. I have been following what God has been doing here at Hanover Valley. I remember when I first came and saw this very unique building that God had provided for you all and thinking, “Wow, this is really cool,” particularly how it was constructed, restored, and put together. As we kept traveling through it, I just kept saying, “There’s more and more and more!”

I always appreciated Drew. I didn’t get to know him as well as I would have liked, but when we gathered at Presbytery, he was one of those I truly appreciated for the kinds of things he would say and the way he would address issues. I also got to meet Noah, whom I often called Adam. For many years I would see him at Presbytery and I was horrible at this, but he was gracious and would correct and remind me. I have been praying for him for years, and it was a real joy last year when you were ordained and installed, and I was able to give the charge to him at that service. This congregation has been near and dear to my heart for many years.

One of the legislators I have gotten to know well at the State Capitol is your local representative, Kate Klunk. She and I have prayed together multiple times. She has spoken to me on some significant issues when she is in committee—she is the minority chair of the Children and Youth Committee. Sometimes the issues are pretty significant, particularly from a Christian perspective of trying to do what is right and good. She has reminded me on a couple of occasions that she really loves that I am sitting there in the audience during the committee. She said one time when there were serious opposers to what she was trying to promote sitting behind me, it was just comforting that I was there. That is what I do as a missionary to our State Capitol. I am a part of Ministry to State, as Noah was saying.

I simply go and develop relationships with the folks at the State Capitol. I pray—as we are going to talk about prayer this morning—regularly, every 70 days, for everybody at our State Capitol, and I send them notes letting them know that I prayed for them, along with some important comments or Bible verses to encourage them in a world that some of them are completely opposed to. Others are strengthened; like Representative Klunk, when she gets my prayer reminder cards, she tells me it is an inspiration and encouragement that helps her continue on. If there is ever a time you would enjoy having me come to one of your small groups to tell you a little bit about what God has been teaching me about prayer and reaching out in the name of Christ into our civil government, I would be happy to share.

Opening Prayer With that said, let me pray and then I’ll read the text and we’ll move into the passage.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you dearly for the body of Christ, for gathering us here today. We rejoice, Lord, that you bring us from all types of backgrounds and circumstances in life, and that you speak to us. Even though every one of us is hearing the same words, you are speaking to us in personal ways that are important to each of us individually, as well as a congregation in general. So I ask, Lord, that you would do just that. Speak to each of us, to those of us that are hurting, to those of us who are rejoicing. Help us, no matter our circumstance, to be inspired today, to be comforted, to be moved to action in ways that are truly honoring to you. We praise you, Lord, for your gracious love and your eternal care, filling our hearts at times with joy and comforting us in our times of sorrow. Remind us, Lord, of all that you have taught us, keep us focused on Christ our Lord, and enable us today to rejoice and be glad. We love you and thank you in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Would you join with me in looking at 1 Timothy 2:1-7. This is the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy, instructing him on what it really means to establish a church as Timothy was seeking to do.

He says in verse 1: “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. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

First of All: Pray This little letter begins with an important greeting: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, a true child in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul is writing to Timothy with significant understanding and authority. Timothy is urged to stay in Ephesus so he can guide and direct the people with the aim of authoritative instruction—being love that comes from a clean heart, a good conscience, and a genuine faith.

In an age where too often the most important question commonly asked is, “What do you think is going to happen in this or that situation?”—maybe you hear that on the news like I do, with so many people trying to predict what is going to happen, particularly in political arenas—we, as followers of Jesus Christ, need not get caught in that pattern of trying to predict what is going to occur, because this can lead us astray. Rather, we can be focused on doing God’s will as revealed in His word, while leaving the results up to God.

Follow Paul’s direction given to Timothy: First of all, pray. We might even contrast that: first of all, don’t predict. First of all, pray. Develop a praying way of life that rightly sees prayer as indispensable, not as something supplemental. Our tendency at times is that when we’ve done everything else we think we can do, then we pray. Rather, Paul is writing to Timothy saying, before you do anything else, first of all, pray.

God’s Call to Pray for All People We’re going to look at three parts: God’s call to His people, God’s commitment in the midst of this call, and God’s cure.

First of all, Paul says, “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.” God is calling for each of Christ’s followers to keep as first importance—number one on each of our lists—to pray all kinds of prayers for all kinds of people, even kings and those in high authority, so that life can be well for the people living under their positions.

Paul is thoughtfully instructing Timothy to equip the saints in Ephesus—just as he is calling for the saints in Hanover to be equipped—to develop a praying way of life. Praying all kinds of prayers for all kinds of people. Our tendency is that we are glad to pray some kind of prayers for some kinds of people, but here we are being called to pray all kinds of prayers for all kinds of people: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Black, White, people we don’t share the same language with, different religions (Jew, Christian, Hindu, Muslim). These are all the kinds of people that I have met at the State Capitol of which God has given me the privilege to pray for.

Praying is the most important thing God’s people can do. One theologian describes prayer this way: “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to His word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.”

The biggest change God has brought over me in taking me to the State Capitol in Pennsylvania is that I am so much more ready to pray for someone, to ask for that permission. I might be standing in line at the grocery store, waiting at a Phillies or Orioles game, or sitting in the cafe at the Capitol, and someone walks up and sits at my table. It may seem uncomfortable or awkward, but much of that has gone away. I simply look over to them in love and say, after listening to them carefully, “Can I pray for you? Can we have a moment to pray with you?” Almost everybody says yes. We have done that more in our neighborhood when my wife Kathy and I go for walks. That has been the biggest change: thinking about the people in my life more so than I ever have, and praying for them in ways consistent with what God has revealed in His Word.

Paul directs Timothy to offer all kinds of prayers for all kinds of people. One thing is clear: Paul is in no way limiting the kinds of prayers we are to offer, nor is he limiting the kinds of people for whom we are to pray. We are to pray for our loved ones (which is sometimes easy, sometimes harder when relationships are challenged). We are to pray for those we really like, but we are also to pray for those we don’t particularly like—those whose actions, beliefs, or words we don’t agree with. We are called to pray for them and see what God might do with our prayers.

Types of Prayers He tells us a couple of different kinds of prayers:

• Supplications: These are requests to God for His fulfillment of particular needs keenly felt by His beloved. For example, Psalm 86: “Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to you…” I was advised years ago, and it has become a daily habit, to read through the Psalms on a monthly basis. The Psalms are a beautiful place to go to be reminded of how we can approach God, especially in times of struggle when it’s hard to pray and we’re not sure what to say.

• Prayers: Prayer is every reverent address to God. As the best of parents, we welcome our children’s comments. Our Heavenly Father welcomes your comments to Him. Talk to God about anything and everything. Do not hold back. Everything is His gift to His people. Consider asking God to help you read and pray the Psalms.

• Intercessions: These are pleadings to God in the interest of others. This is where we can turn our complaints about someone or something into prayers to God. Most of us could probably come up with a big list of complaints on any given day. Take those complaints and turn them into prayers, because worry is an activity we have with ourselves about things we cannot change, but prayer is offering up to God those things that He can change. We can always pray in the best way we know how according to God’s word, and then in faithful confidence leave the results up to God and His perfect will. We don’t have to be perfect in our prayers. A very young child coming up to a parent doesn’t have to say it perfectly; the parent hears them. Even when we’re not sure how to pray, we are reminded that God is interceding on our behalf.

• Thanksgivings: At the core of our prayers to God are those of thanksgiving. God’s word is clear that all good gifts come from God. He is our maker, redeemer, and perfect provider. It is to Him that we owe all thanks and praise. Psalm 119:89 says, “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations…”

Let us remember as we pray: it is God who decides what is best for His people and what is most glorious for His great name. When praying, we are not trying to convince God to do something He is unwilling to do. Instead, we are joining in with Him, seeking His will. We’re not always sure what we should be praying for in a given situation, but we can pray for the best we understand and rest as God enlarges our vision. That is one of the most beautiful aspects of prayer becoming a way of life—it expands your horizons to see what God is doing beyond what you typically thought or saw. God graciously uses the imperfect prayers of His people to draw them closer to Himself and enact His divine purposes.

God’s Cure and One Mediator How grieving it is when we experience sudden sorrow, like the news that Drew had fallen out of the tree. I didn’t know him as well as you did, but how grieving that is for any of us when sorrow catches us by surprise. It hits us hard. For His glorious purposes, which none of us will fully understand until glory, that is what God brought to this congregation. I started praying for you all, asking what God might do in this seemingly devastating situation.

Please think for a moment about the different people you know—family members, relatives, congregation members, neighbors, co-workers. With a widening circle of people you know about in the media, communities, and civil government, there are people each of us has access to that maybe no one else in this congregation is praying for. You may have people in your life that God has brought specifically for you to engage with for the glory of Christ.

Here is a prayer of an early church father, prayed in the spirit of Paul’s urging to Timothy: “Grant to the rulers and governors of the earth, Lord, health, peace, harmony, and stability, that they may blamelessly administer the government which you have given them. Lord, direct their plans according to what is good and pleasing in your sight, so that by devoutly administering in peace and gentleness the authority which you have given them, they may experience your mercy.”

According to the Apostle Paul, it is safe to say that all kinds of prayers are to be offered for all kinds of people, so that all kinds of people will be saved from their sin by coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ, because He is the only mediator between God and mankind.

Currently, evil forces in this world try to deceive us into believing there are multiple ways to find everlasting peace, true satisfaction, and eternal salvation with God. Every religion in the world, except for biblical Christianity, promotes the idea that you must do it all on your own, or supply some part of the missing work to aid whatever party is assisting you. However, in biblical Christianity, God makes it clear that we have nothing to offer Him that will require or obligate Him to welcome us into His fellowship. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me… I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Salvation and peace with God is only by God’s grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ, and to the glory of God alone. We have no merit that would prompt God to save us; it is only by His gracious and merciful choice that He redeems us.

Living by Prayer This brings us to the end. Praying all kinds of prayers for all kinds of people, or developing a praying way of life, is hard. There are temptations in our own flesh that will draw us away. It is much easier to watch a two-hour movie on Netflix than to sit down and pray for twenty minutes.

It takes time to adjust and prepare. Take time to prepare how you believe God is directing you to develop a praying way of life. There are great resources out there on how to enjoy your prayer life. Consider your personal mission field and get a copy of the daily prayer guide for your county to pray for local legislators. Think about what you will need to give up to invest time in this, and then participate. Begin to pray and don’t give up, even when you make mistakes or think it’s too hard. Keep coming back, asking God to help you be faithful to this precious calling.

I want to share one more story. I developed a close relationship with the chief of staff for a senator. Initially, I approached him because he was struggling in his Christian walk and feeling overwhelmed by the work. I didn’t even know at the time he was contemplating quitting. But he is an excellent man, and I am so glad he is there. We pray regularly and read the Bible on Mondays and Wednesdays. He told me about a significant issue that arose in his office with another staffer. When the crisis hit, he told me, “I wouldn’t have done this a year ago, but the first thing we did was pray with the staffer that was in a difficult situation.” We are seeing more of that happening at our State Capitol among the people.

Many of you might be familiar with the Puritan prayer book, The Valley of Vision. I am in the process of editing it to make it a bit more readable to modern language. One prayer is called “Living by Prayer”:

“O God of the open ear, teach me to live by prayer to you as well as by your providence. For myself, my soul, my body, my children, my family, my church, and my local and world community. Give me a heart frameable to your will, so I may live in prayer and honor you, being kept from evil whether known or unknown. Help me to see the sin that accompanies all I do, and the good I can distill from everything you provide. Let me know the work of prayer is to bring my will to yours, and that without this, it is folly to pray. When I try to bring your will to mine, it is to foolishly command Christ, to try to be above Him, and wrongly think I am wiser than He. This is my sin and my pride. I can only succeed when I pray according to your precept and promise, and to be done with as it pleases you according to your sovereign will. When you command me to pray for pardon, peace, and brokenness, it is because you will give me the thing promised, for your glory as well as for my good. Help me not only to desire small things, but with holy boldness to desire great things for your people, for myself, that they and I might live to show your glory. Teach me that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have out of love, willingly, not of necessity, that I may come to you at any time to lay open my needs acceptably to you. That my great sin lies in my not keeping the savor of your ways. That the remembrance of this truth is one way to the reality of your presence. That there is no wrath like the wrath of being governed by my lusts for my own ends.”

Closing Prayer Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your mercy upon us. Thank you for your wonderful Word that truly is a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path. Lord, I ask that you would truly heal the pain and the hurt that is here at Hanover Valley, and that you would turn these times of sorrow and grief into times of rejoicing and praise, building up your church. Lord, I am excited to see what you will do here at Hanover Valley. We love you and thank you in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.