Remember, First of All, to Pray for All :: 1 Timothy 2:1-6

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[Introduction]

Saint Paul begins our text with a word that should give us pause. It’s a huge word, an all-encompassing word, and it’s all over our reading. I’m talking about the word “all” ... as in all people and all times and all places ... for everyone and in everything. Six times in three sentences, Paul gives priority to God with the word “all.” 

Paul writes, I encourage, first of ALL, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for ALL people, on behalf of kings and ALL who are in authority, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in ALL piety and dignity. This is beautiful and pleasing before God our Savior, who wills ALL people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For [there is] ONE God and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom on behalf of ALL, the witness for the proper time (vv 1-6).

1. Prayer, therefore, is one of the most primary things all Christians are called to do.

But we’re most comfortable praying for ONLY ourselves, aren’t we? ... For our people ... and our family ... and our friends ... especially when we are worried. We’re most comfortable praying ONLY for those and with those who share our values and our hopes and our dreams. 

When we focus ONLY on us ... what’s near and dear to our heart ... we are misunderstanding the nature of prayer. Prayer is not our lifeline or a wishline to make us feel better. God is not a genie in a bottle waiting to grant our every prayer ... to relieve us of our unique anxiety. He doesn’t answer our prayer JUST BECAUSE our 911 call concludes with the words “in Jesus’ name.”

Prayer is part of a relationship ... a fellowship ... a communion with God and one another ... with everyone. Prayer is the natural tongue of the Christian ... or at least it should be. Prayer is for ALL of us, with us, and through us ... in good times and bad. It is an ongoing conversation with our Savior. When we are praying in accord with the will of God, we are praying ALL the more all the time. And our prayers should include ALL kings and ALL who are in authority. 

In Timothy’s day, that meant praying for Nero ... of all people. 

Have you prayed for the Nero in your life? ... The Nero, who used Christians as human torches to illuminate his gardens. ... The Nero, who relished watching people being attacked by dogs as sport. ... The Nero, who happily killed his mother, his stepbrother, and two of his wives. ... The Nero, who looked out ONLY for himself? 

Have you prayed that God would open his ears, just like yours, to hear the ONLY Gospel ... to open his heart, just like yours to have faith in the ONLY Gospel ... to open his mind, just like yours, to be changed by the Gospel of the one true God?

In our day, that means praying for presidents you didn’t vote for because you think they are morally bankrupt. It means praying for the people who accuse you falsely ... who persecute you ... for those who just want you to go away! We prefer to pray AGAINST our Nero rather than FOR him. We prefer to pray that God changes HIS heart, not OURS ... that our will be done ... and not God’s. 

And that is a serious problem! We should instead be praying for ALL ... you and me ... just like Jesus did on the cross, saying, Father, forgive them. Jesus said this prayer on the cross because God is concerned with all. His will is to save ALL. He, therefore, calls all of us to pray the same way, too. He gathers us to pray the same way. He enlightens us in prayer and has sanctified our prayer so that he will hear our prayer ... in his name.

2. Have you ever noticed how often and all the ways we pray this way? 

Our Lord teaches us to pray at least a dozen times in the Divine Service. 

Check it out ... beginning on page 184 ... We begin in prayer with Confession. Then we pray the Kyrie, the Gloria, the Collect of the Day. After our readings and confession of faith, which frankly is a prayer ... I then pray for you and me that our ears, hearts, and minds are opened to hear and have faith in the Gospel that gives peace. Then we sing the Offertory, which is prayer, and we unite in the Prayer of the Church at large, which has eight different petitions today. Then we receive the answers to our prayers of the Proper Preface, the Sanctus, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Agnus Dei as God gives us our daily bread to sustain us in holy living ... in all piety and dignity. Finally, we conclude with two more prayers ... the Nunc Dimittis and the post-communion collect ... giving thanks to God. This is beautiful and pleasing before God our Savior, who wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

And that’s why we are here! 

3. God has answered ALL of our prayers by providing salvation for ALL. 

He didn’t wait for the world to become ‘worthy’ before he listened to our prayers and saved us. He didn’t wait for us to confess our sins first. Nor did he wait for us to set ourselves on the right path. Instead, He interceded for you and me through Christ, who prays for us. 

In Christ, he has answered and continues to answer all prayers of all Christians through the millennia. True God and True Man himself has come from heaven above to earth below for this reason ... to give himself as a ransom for ALL. 

To use Paul’s word from Galatians, when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father! (Gal 4:4-6).

Yes ... brothers and sisters in Christ ... even he prays for you! 

Because Jesus lived without sin, died for your sin, and rose from the dead free from sin, he hears our prayer. His life, death, and resurrection makes us right with God. And we who are baptized into this have faith in this ... the very truth we spoke about last week. He has declared us righteous by faith, and therefore we have peace ... true peace ... real peace ... heavenly peace ... the only peace that matters ... the forgiveness of sins, and therefore life and salvation ... a gift that is for ALL men ... even you.

4. So now ALL can pray, just as our Lord has taught us. 

We don’t need to worry about finding the right words. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us. He hears our groans, searches our hearts, and acts according to the will of God, delivering, as promised. Amen, Amen, means yes, yes, it shall be so!

Therefore, as Luther teaches, “every one of us should form the daily habit from his youth of praying for all his needs. He should pray whenever he notices anything affecting his interests or that of other people among whom he may live. He should pray for preachers, the government, neighbors, household servants, and always (as we have said) to hold up to God His commandment and promise, knowing that He will not have them disregarded” (LC III 28).

[Conclusion]

So, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, take up that bold blessing, that privilege God has bestowed on you ... and pray that we all may know and always receive the truth of his forgiveness that restores his fellowship with us, and our fellowship with one another. By centering our prayer lives in this all-encompassing way, we align our hearts with God’s universal desire to deliver salvation to all. 

This is good and pleasing to our Lord ... in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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