good, god-pleasing prayer (1 tm 2:3)
"Authority was given you by the Lord and sovereignty by the Most High, Who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels!" —Wisdom 6:3
Paul told Timothy: "First of all, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for all men, especially for kings and those in authority" (1 Tm 2:1-2). Prayer for those in authority should be our top priority and the first thing the Lord calls us to do. It is "first of all."
"Judgment is stern for the exalted...the mighty shall be mightily put to the test" (Wis 6:5, 6). "For those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends" (Wis 6:8). Therefore, those in authority desperately need our prayers that they may:
- hear, understand, learn, and obey what the Lord is saying to them (Wis 6:1-2),
- judge rightly (Wis 6:4),
- "keep the law" (Wis 6:4),
- "walk according to the will of God" (Wis 6:4),
- "learn wisdom" (Wis 6:9),
- "not sin" (Wis 6:9),
- "long for" God's words (Wis 6:11), and
- be holy (Wis 6:10).
If we pray Wisdom chapter 6 "first of all," we will have the best context for all "to be saved and come to know the truth" (1 Tm 2:4). Therefore, prayer for those in authority "is good, and God our Savior is pleased with it" (1 Tm 2:3).
Prayer: Father, as never before, give me the grace to pray daily and perseveringly for those greatly influencing our world.
Promise: "He threw himself on his face at the feet of Jesus and spoke His praises." —Lk 17:16
Praise: As she grows as a Christian, Sylvia becomes quicker to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Reference: (For a related teaching, order our tape Lord, Teach Us to Pray on audio AV 57-3 or video V-57.)
Rescript: †Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 3, 2007
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