DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL: The Prayer Ministry of The Church

 

Text: 1Timothy 2:1-15

It is a marvelous joy to witness the beginning of the 'ember' months in this peculiar year 2020. The lord has been extravagantly merciful over us and the entire world. He did not allow the unprecedented challenges the world witnessed this year to overwhelm us. May all glory, honour, power, majesty, blessings and wisdom be ascribed unto him forever in Jesus name, Amen! 

Beloved, it is not coincidental that God is starting us off  on this topic of prayer. He is intentionally pointing us to the right direction. When we take a look at the prayers said by Jesus, by the apostles in the Acts of Apostles and by our brothers Paul and Peter in their various epistles, it gives us a glimpse of what praying in the will of God should be. These days our prayers are selfish. Our love is not large enough. It has waxed cold probably due to the evil happening all around us. But we must bear in mind that the apostles faced more terrible situations than we do. They were being hunted on every side, yet they kept praying in the manner in which we see then pray in verses 1-2. 

Consider verses 3 and 4: "for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth". This understanding was what propelled the elders. They knew that the world around them was in a firm grip of the powers of darkness. That only the light from the message of the gospel could break this yoke of slavery of sin. It is the Lord's primary intention that the whole world will come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved.  Hence, they advocated prayers for people in authority, and everywhere, not minding their religious affiliations.

They are well aware that God's power is greater than the thoughts and arrangements of men, so they prayed confidently. Their prayers turned things around where God approved a change in the direction of a governmental decision. Where God allowed governments to have their way even against the brethren' prayers, it was for the furtherance of the gospel. This is the kind of prayers that are lacking in our own churches and fellowships today. The teachings that allow carnality to rule over the spirit had been embraced everywhere today that almost all of us are victims of this wrong teaching. Our prayers are borne out of hard and unforgiving hearts. We pray down fire upon our perceived enemies and we hardly pray earnestly for our nations and communities, rather we end in discussing and analysing the ills. 

Today's reading contains so much, but I wish to lay emphasis only on this pattern of prayer Paul requested of Timothy, here. As we usher in this new month, let us change our prayer patterns and begin to pray the way new testament elders prayed. Their prayers were borne out of love and complete understanding of the fact that Jesus gave himself a ransom  for all  and became the mediator between God and men, hence we are ordained preachers to make known this message to the whole world no matter their status, political  or religious standing. 

May God pour out his love afresh on us, heal our aggrieved hearts and grant us grace to pray for the salvation of the world around us. Happy new month of September!

Read also: The Lord's Grace

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