Prayer is the Key

1 Timothy 2:1

The word “therefore” pops up in an interesting place. You see, when Paul used it he was basically saying, “Because of what I have just written, this is what you need to do.” Look at what he had just written: Timothy was to put a stop to the false teachers who were wasting time; Paul was saved by God’s grace even though he was the chief of sinners; Timothy was the man for this fight because he was a man of good conscience and faith. What I gather from that is Paul was telling Timothy that there wasn’t anything wrong in this church that a healthy dose of salvation couldn’t cure. No matter how bad it was, no matter how evil certain people can be, God’s grace and church discipline can change everything.

So based on all of this, Paul said, “Your first priority, Timothy, is to pray!” That is the best advice for every Christian and especially for pastors. You remember the old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Well, it applies in this passage but with a slight change. “When the going gets tough, Christians start praying.” Of course, we are supposed to be praying always, but certain situations require intense, fervent, extended times of prayer.

Look at how Paul described his exhortation to pray:

·         Supplications – requests for self and others. He told Timothy to share his needs with God. The root of this word means “to bind,” and Paul was telling us that in prayer, we are binding ourselves to the will and way of God. Since this word is focused on special needs, it comes from a deep burden that moves us to pray and accept God’s will.

·         Prayers – while this is the general word for prayer, it refers to the act of worship that accompanies prayer. Some say that inherent in the word is the position of prostration – falling on our faces before God. Perhaps Paul was talking about those times we simply come into the Lord’s presence just to spend time at His feet because we love Him, so we fall on our face to worship Him. It is imperative that we practice this kind of prayer so that we know God and He changes our hearts.

·         Intercession – this is about taking the needs of others before the Lord. This is bold praying on behalf of others. In Scripture, the word is used of a person who pleads with a king on behalf of a friend. Literally, through prayer, you enter into the situation and stand in the gap to keep the enemy away.

·         Thanksgiving – not the holiday, but praying with an attitude of gratitude. But folks, this isn’t an even or a concept; it’s a lifestyle. It isn’t a ritual; it’s part of our daily lives. The truth is that no prayer is complete – and no life is complete – without spending time giving thanks to God.

So our #1 priority is prayer. It is one of our primary weapons of warfare, and without it, we can accomplish nothing.