Let’s Pray Right, Please.

When Paul told Timothy to pray for those in authority, he said:


“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; for kings and all others in authority, so that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct. This is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.”

— 1 Timothy 2:1–4 (GNB)


Now, not many of us think of this instruction from Paul as a soul-winning strategy. Most times, we take it as a governance prayer guide because of how verses are broken up. Verse 1 is read on its own, verse 2 separately, verse 3 and 4 independently—and we miss the flow and connection.


As a result, when we’re told to pray for leaders, we pray for their performance, not their salvation. We view them as civil servants in need of common sense, not sinners in need of salvation (#Jesus, Yeshuah, The God who saves).


But here’s the truth: common sense even in governance isn't common, and no man is good unless the Good One is guiding them. Remember Jesus’ words: “Only God is good.”


Let’s break Paul’s instruction down clearly:


🔹 The request is for prayer for all people:

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people…”


🔹 But some people should not be excluded coz so many times we do that. These are:

“… kings and all others in authority…”


🔹 The purpose of such prayer is:

“…that we(all people) may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.”


Notice that the goal is reverence toward God which leads to proper conduct — not just better roads, policies, or leadership skills.


🔹 And this kind of prayer:

“…is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.”


That’s God’s desire. Everyone. Including presidents, governors, chiefs, MCAs, MPs— EVERYONE. Even Maina.🤦



Unfortunately, we often pray for leaders to have wisdom, humility, or better governance. Some of us don’t even know how to pray for them because we honestly don’t like them. But according to Paul, that’s not enough.


The real prayer? That they may be saved. That they may revere God and not just a reverend.🤔


Only born-again believers can pray that way. Religious folk won’t. Secular thinkers won’t. If we miss this, we end up praying like any other person—and that shouldn’t be so and that explains why the many prayers have never been answered. We were not praying the will of God, salvation, but our will - better life.


Let’s adjust.

Let’s obey.

Let’s pray right, please.



Comments

Anonymous said…
Glory to God. Very insightful
June 18, 2025 at 9:59 AM
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