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Petitions, Prayers, Intercession and Thanksgiving

             I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (I Timothy 2:1-2)  

  Yes, we are stuck on politics. But we’re also talking about employers, police officers, teachers, preachers, crossing guards, parents, babysitters, neighbors, and all people. And we’re to pray so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Is your mind hitting the brakes?

What would be required for you to live a peaceful and quiet life? One thing is for the leadership in your society to not oppress you. We need to pray for their salvation, sanctification, wisdom, health, etc. But let’s suppose that the leadership of your society doesn’t oppress you but does not do what your neighbor or you want it to. Your peace is not only contingent on what the leadership does or doesn’t do. It’s also depending on the reactions of those around you and on you.

Petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving are to be made for all people, including ourselves, because unless we pray for everyone, neither we nor they can live peaceful or quiet lives. And since godliness and holiness are impossible for us apart from God (and those people He brings into our lives for our good and theirs), we need to pray for them and for ourselves that God would continue to work in us and them. 

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