Prayers and thanksgivings for kings and all who are in authority

1 Timothy 2:1-8 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

A Call to Prayer

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. ⁷ For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

⁸ Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

There is a selfish reason for us to pray for those who are in authority. The text says: First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  We should pray for them, not against them, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus says:  I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.  In Luke 6:28 it says:  Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.   Again in Romans 12:14:  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  We should pray that those in authority would be blessed. The natural result of them being blessed is that our lives may also be better, that we will experience the overflow of their blessing; that we might live in peace and tranquility. We also though pray in alignment with God’s will. Jesus is our example, in Luke 23:34, when He was on the cross, Jesus prayed for the very ones who crucified Him saying:  “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”    The text says: This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.   Jesus taught us that we should pray saying: Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  How better to accomplish the will of the Father; to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, than to pray that all those in authority would be forgiven and come to know the knowledge of the truth.

The text says: Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.  Again, it is God’s blessing and favor, not His wrath that we are to seek for those in authority.  In Matthew 12:25 Jesus says:  Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.  Remembering that it is the kingdom of heaven coming to earth that we are to pray for, we cannot pray against the kingdom with wrath and dissension, instead we pray for peace and unity. Just as the angels declared in Luke 2:14, on the night that Jesus was born:  “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, I pray that all people and particularly those in authority would come to know the knowledge of the truth; that through Jesus Christ and the cross, they are forgiven. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. With the angels I declare:   “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men.”  Amen.