1 Timothy 2:1-8; Psalm 106:1

1 Timothy 2:1-8
Just so we don't forget where we are here, this is Paul's letter of instruction to Timothy as he leads the New Testament church at Ephesus. And we must remember that it applies to all believers and churches in our day as well.

"First of all..." When we begin a statement this way, it puts particular emphasis on what is to follow. So Paul begins these particular instructions with, "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people." v. 1 We know that God is all-powerful and all-knowing and sovereign, and yet He asks us to pray for all people. I won't pretend to know exactly how this works, but I do know that our job is to be obedient to the best of our ability. We are to ask God to help them; we are to intercede on their behalf; and we are to give thanks for them.

Now this is fairly easy to do for people that we love! But read on. We are to pray this way for kings and all that are in authority. Of course, we don't have a king, but we do have a President and many other people in authority. Instead of grumbling and criticizing, the Bible tells us to pray for them "so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth." vv. 2-3

Then Paul goes on to remind us what the truth is. There is only one God and only one way between Him and us, and that way is through "the man Christ Jesus." It's not true according to the Bible that there are many ways to God. There is one God and one mediator between God and man, and that mediator is Jesus. "He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone." v. 6  This does not mean that everyone WILL be saved, but it does mean that Jesus sacrifice was sufficient to cover the sins of the whole world. Each individual must repent and believe in order to receive this gift of salvation.

And then in v. 8, Paul again emphasizes the importance of prayer. "In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy." This reminds us that our bad attitudes or behavior can hinder our prayers. And so we try our best to be right with God and others, and then God will hear and answer our prayers.

Psalm 106:1
Psalm 104 praises God for His creation; Psalm 105 praises Him for His deeds and faithfulness to us; and Psalm 106 praises Him for His forgiveness.

For today, we will meditate on the first verse. "Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever."  These thoughts should lift our spirits and free us from any insecurities!