Prayer and Its Purpose

turn your Bibles to Second Timothy chapter I mean 1 Timothy sorry 1 Timothy Chapter 2 1 Timothy Chapter 2 and uh when you get there would you please say Amen First Timothy Chapter 2 verses 1 to8 is where we'll be tonight let me start by saying this prayer is the lifeline of the Christian and the heartbe of the church and without it we lose sight of what truly matters prayer is very important when it comes to us individually as Christians but then also when it comes to the church as a whole Paul is writing to Timothy and as we've learned Timothy is this uh young preacher not young as a teenager but young in a sense of in comparison to those that he's actually leading he is probably in his 30s

and he's teaching these people here in Ephesus and trying to make right what is now being uh made wrong and the things that were Happening Here in Ephesus but as we read in 1 Timothy chapter 1 Timothy is actually reluctant to stay he he just wants to be with Paul and he wants to he wants to leave and he wants to go but Paul actually had to urge him to stay and continue to uh teach and preach and and train teach the thisch Church how to live Godly and how what how to do things the way that they should be doing but this church was struggling there's a lot of things that are happening there's false teachers that are coming in that there's a Mis misuse of the law uh there's just a lot of things

that are happening in this church that Paul is needing to correct that ultimately goes uh to Timothy's shoulders to be the one that actually is the one correcting and so there's a lot of struggles that this this church is facing um just imagine a church that is losing its focus on what truly matters and I believe that's what Timothy that that's what Paul is actually going to address in our passage today um you have people who are focusing on the wrong things you have people in the church who are just focusing on the dues and the dones of the law you have people that uh just have their roles reversed uh women in the church men in the church uh there's people that are maybe focused on the

programs of the church and this and that there's people focus on maybe their preferences and what they what they prefer over another preference uh and you also have Strife so you have people getting mad at people a as they're part of this church this is the church that Paul is writing to and through Timothy he gives guidance to bring them back to what truly matters and in our passage today Paul is going to address prayer as the number one thing that this church need to needs to refocus Focus back on or to to bring their attention to so in today's passage we're going to read through uh verses 1 down to verse number8 and I want us to discover how we can realign our our lives and and our church

with the priorities that Paul is mentioning in in verses 1-8 which is prayer but not just prayer as in general but prayer specifically when it comes to the gospel and reaching the world and reaching the LW and so let's pray and then we'll we'll we'll Dive Right into our passage tonight father we love you so much and we thank you for prayer uh first of all we want to thank you for Jesus Christ coming to uh this world and we celebrate that in in during the Christmas season but we're so thankful that he came ultimately to die so that we could have access to you by way of prayer and so father we're so thankful that we can come to you and talk to you and and worship you and and uh make requests

and things like that and I pray father that you would help help us as we read your word tonight help us to learn something help us just to be able to be challenged be encouraged and then help us just to become a stronger church because of your word father we love you in Jesus name we pray amen verse number one we'll we'll jump right into it 1 Timothy chapter number 2 verse number one Paul says this I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made made for all men I want you to notice that word exhort Paul says I exort therefore uh the word exort means to strongly urge or to encourage and so this isn't just some light suggestion that Paul

is saying oh you know your church I I I suggest that you guys are doing he's not taking it lightly Paul is actually making a a clear statement here and he's telling this church Timothy I want you to tell the Ephesians the Ephesian Christians to take notice of what I'm about to say and so he says I exhort therefore um and I I like that he says first of all and instead of talking about all the other roles that all the other problems that that are arising in this church Paul goes right into it and addresses the main problem and the main problem is that it seems that this church is not praying that this church is not supplicating that this church is not going to God and because of that that's

why all the problems are happening that's why there is strife and that's why there's confusion and that's why the roles are reversed and that's why all of these things are happening in this church and so Paul says first of all I exhort therefore first of all and then he goes into four types of prayers so he he he mentions these four types of prayers and the first one he mentions is supplications supplications uh really just means prayer for needs or prayer for our own needs or prayer for other people's needs needs but it it's really just a petition so it's it's like a beggar that goes to beg for food in the street or or it's like um it's like you asking your neighbor uh for sugar I I was

thinking I was I asked my wife the other night I believe and we have neighbors downstairs and we ran out of sugar and I was just going to be like would it be weird if we go down and ask them for sugar and like in exchange gave them like coconut water or something like that I didn't do it because I just felt awkward but back in the day that's what we used to do actually back in chuk uh we did that when we would run out of um sugar or flour because we made bread we like bread bread coffee coffee and bread dipping your bread with mayonnaise dip it straight into the coffee is the best thing if that's if that's gross to you I'm sorry you're not living but uh but we would ask our neighbors and we

would ask uh like make make requests for things like that and so prayer is really just going to God and asking or making a request and asking for something that that's what supplication is it's when we ask God God we invite you to be part of our service or we we pray to God during our service that's that supplication in Philippians chapter number 4 verse number six the Bible says this be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God so supplication is just having your requests or having a petition to God and then the second uh word he uses is the the word prayer which is what prayer is so prayers is here um in in

Matthew chapter number 21: number 13 the Bible says this and said unto them Jesus it is written my house shall be called The House of Prayer but ye have made it a den of Thieves remember when the the people were selling stuff outside of the synagogue outside of the temple and they're setting up shop and they're selling it to the people and Jesus came and he put pulled out the whips and he started like just overthrowing the tables and he he got mad at what the people are doing and so this is this is where we pick up with Matthew 21:3 he's saying this is a place where people come so they can talk to God the father that where they can talk to God but you have made it a place where you're

selling stuff instead and so prayer uh the definition of it is just a gen it's a general term for prayer which often refers to an act of communicating with God so these are more uh General prayers more uh worshipful prayers when when we go to God and we worship him for who he is uh this is what uh prayer here means and so uh usually it's it's praising God for his Mercy or his wisdom or his power or his grace and so this these types of prayers it it's good to use scripture as as a way to pray these prayers just go to a Psalm and and start praying a Psalm it's the this that's how you can use uh this type of prayer the next prayer he mentions is intercessions and uh intercessions is really just

pleading on behalf of others it's pleading on behalf of others and it's it's approaching God on behalf of others um the the Greek for this is actually um interview um it's an interesting uh word there interview to mean um intercession but what it means is you're you're in with God and you're speaking on behalf of somebody else so you're you're asking God for whatever it is for someone and you know who knows intercession prayer parents parents are really good and interceding for their children you know why because they love their children and they also very much care about the outcome and what happens to their children and so parents are really good at interceding and you might be really good

at this if you're praying for somebody else whether you're you're interceding because of of Salvation and you're praying that I really want this person to come to know you as the Lord and Savior so you're you're interceding for them or whether it's just something else that's a need or a want and and you're you're you're asking ing God for things on behalf of somebody else uh a good example of this is Abraham you guys remember Abraham when he was interceding for his nephew lot lot went down to S Sodom and Gomorrah and he's it's about to be destroyed an angel comes to Abraham and says hey this is this is what's going to happen your son is going to be destroyed because he's living in this place

this place is going to be destroyed and so Abraham starts to intercede for lot and even for Sodom and Gomorrah and he starts to say hey if there are 50 people that are righteous would you spare Sodom and Gomorrah and then he keeps going down 45 40 35 30 20 10 if there's just 10 would you and obviously we know Sodom and Gomorrah is destroyed but this is Abraham interceding for lot because he really cares about his family and and he wanted him to be saved um so intercessory prayer mirrors Christ's role as our medeor this is what Christ does for us he intercedes for us he is at the right hand of God he's he's praying for us even at this moment as as we sit here in this church um Exodus chapter

number 32: 11- 14 talks about Moses interceding for uh Israel after they worship the golden calf remember Moses was up on the mountain and he he is talking to God for about 40 days and 40 nights and this was after they had left Egypt they've been saved there's so many things that are happening and God showed up miraculously I mean he showed himself to be God and these people like when when God came to Moses and said hey these are the rules and these are the things that I want you to know and ask the people if they would want to follow this and when Moses went to the people the Israelites the people say yep we will follow God wholeheartedly and then Moses is like Mia for 40 days and 40 nights

he comes back and they're worshiping a golden calf and and after that God's anger was was kindled and he just got mad at these people and Moses was the one that actually stepped in and said God please do not destroy these people Moses was interceding for the Israelites um the next prayer that Paul talks about is giving of thanks and this is just expressing gratitude I mean we just passed November where we celebrate Thanksgiving uh but Philippians chapter number one verses 3 to5 Philippians 1 3 to 5 the Bible says this I thank my God upon every remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now

this is just Paul being thankful as he's writing and he's speaking of people but Thanksgiving keeps our prayers balanced and aligned with God's goodness when we're thankful it just allows us to be in balance with with what God wants for us and what is what is actually right and so uh 1 Thessalonians chapter number 5:18 the Bible says this in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you and so giving thanks is just giving thanks but these are the four types of prayers that Paul has mentioned here and these are the prayers that should be a regular part of our lives but Paul doesn't just Define prayers so we understand what it is he defines it and then he

tells us what the purpose of it like he tells us an end goal and uh before I get to that end goal first though I want to set up the context Paul here is writing to Timothy and and the setting is that Paul is writing about corporate prayer so he's he's writing to Timothy here in 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 1 to8 and he's telling them this is how you guys should be praying together so what Paul is mentioning here isn't is exactly just about individual prayer you can go it's biblical to pray supplication on your own to give thanks to the Lord on your own to do these kinds of prayer intercession prayer on your own but the bigger picture is Paul teaching this church how to pray together in a

corporate setting in a church service and so this is this is the context that Paul is setting up here but I want to take you down verse number three and four before we get back to verse number two uh if you go down there the Bible says this in in 1 Timothy 2:3 the Bible says who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth so here's here's the purpose of what Paul is writing about prayer Paul is writing about prayer because he wants this church to be mindful of the Salvation of souls he wants this church to be praying for people in light of the Gospel so's he's not just saying you can pray for people for you know what they want and whatever it is that you can

pray for them but he is specific in saying saying you as a church your heart your goal obviously is to preach the gospel but it's also to pray so that others would receive that gospel Paul wants us to pray for all people in light of the Gospel he says in verse number two be made for all men in verse number verse number one be made for all men uh the context here Paul's own testimony um he says it in in chapter 1 verse number 16 where he was the the chief Sinner and yet God was willing to save him and and the gospel reach him and because of the Gospel he was able to be saved and the the reason why Paul gave his testimony about how how horrible he was as a person that was not saved and yet

God's grace still reached him and turned his life around and was able to save him the the reason why he said that was so that the church in Ephesus would understand that nobody cannot be reach that our goal as a church is to be to have a heart that wants to reach every single person in this world now that's why we need more laborers that's why we need more churches so that way that way the mission can continue and we can reach more people but our goal is to reach the the loss and that's why the Great Commission was given but here it's Paul's heart is coming out in prayer as well and he's saying you when you pray as a church you should be praying for the Salvation of people if God showed

Mercy to Paul a former blasphemer then prayer should be should Encompass all people you shouldn't just pray for people that you like to get saved you should pray for people that you don't like to get saved you should pray for your neighbor the one that gives you trouble every single person matters to God and and we'll we'll find that out in verse number four but verse number two the Bible says this just in case we're not clear on who all people are Paul gets specific and says for kings and for all that are are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and Peaceable life in all goodness and honesty Paul expands prayer to include even those in governmental positions regardless of their personal

belief or faith uh this would have been especially challenging for the Ephesians because they were under the Romans rule um the emperor during that time was Emperor Nero uh he was the he reigned from ad 54 to 68 and was known for his oppressive rule especially to the Christians um his Reign was marked by increasing persecution for Christians so imagine Paul telling you to pray for your king who is hurting your people that that's that's tough and if I was to just connect to us imagine if our current president did what emperor Nero did that'd be horrible that would not be good but that was the context in which Paul is telling this church to pray for their King this was an evil King and I know

we all have our our beliefs and what not on who our leaders are but the Bible doesn't say pray for your king if he accepts Christ as his Lord and Savior it doesn't say pray for your king if he is kind to you pray for your king if if your king sets up good rules or laws for your country that's not what Paul says he just says prayers should be made for all men including Kings and then he goes on to say and all that are in Authority uh this phrase extends Beyond just Kings but including the people that are in charge of people and so those are people whether they're uh military leaders or Governors or judges or just local leaders um these are people that are in authority and Paul says or Paul

emphasizes that the importance of praying for anyone who holds Authority is it's important because their decisions impact us so the reason why we pray for our president and we pray for our Governors and we pray for the ones that are in charge is because they make the rules and they make the laws and they're the people that are in charge of this country and this state or whatever and we pray so that hopefully God can affect their heart to get saved but if they don't get saved God is still in control and judgment is still there so maybe God will judge them and set up a good leader we we don't know that's that's God's role our role is just to pray so that so we know that we're doing what our

part and then God will be the one that does his part he goes on to say that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty when I first read this it didn't make sense to me at first how does praying for all men including those in Authority like kings and presidents and people like that how does that help us to have a quiet and Peaceable life the the word quiet here uh it means free from unnecessary conflict or disturbance and then the word Peaceable here means marked by harmony with others and so quiet and Peaceable has that has an image of somebody that is Meek humble kind of has that that idea there prayer helps us to not be involved in unnecessary conflicts and prayer

helps us to Le to live in peace with others when we pray we align our hearts with God so when we pray we are able to see people for who they truly are when we pray we see what is actually happening behind the scenes the Bible says in Ephesians chapter number 6 and verse number 12 he says for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against Powers against the rulers of the darkness of the world against spiritual wickedness in high places here's what that means the real battle happens in the spiritual realm and so even though this person that is in charge is wicked there there's something he's he's being influenced by the devil or he's being influenced by by demonic

forces and and when we pray we notice that and because we notice that it helps us to react in such a better way because it helps us to understand that okay this person might be attacking me but I know who's actually in control and it's because they're being influenced by something else and they're not being influenced by they're not saved so they're going to act unsaved so when you pray all of that comes to realiz and that just helps us to have a a life that is free from conflict because we unnecessary conflict because we understand what is going on and it also helps us to live in peace with people because you're able to have compassion and Grace because you know what is truly going on in

this world when Paul says to pray for all people so we may live in all godliness and honesty he's saying our prayers should help create an environment where Believers can live in so our prayers should be to be motivated to see a a world a a country that is full of Peace we should be praying that our president gets saved so that hopefully he can make rules that are Godly that are in according to what scripture says that's up to God to do we we should be praying so that we could live in peace in this country and praise the Lord that we live in this in a country that gives us the freedom to worship but we should continue that that freedom would we should continue to pray that that freedom would

still be here when our children grow grow older that should be our motivation when we pray because that's it affects the way it'll affect our attitude and it'll affect the way that we live and then also the way that we live should imitate that we are Christians so if we're praying but we're living in a way that does that is contrary to what what we're saying and then it it doesn't it doesn't match up and so there should be godliness there in in how we pray verse number three the Bible says this for this is good and acceptable acceptable in the sight of God our savior uh it's good meaning it's the right thing to do he says it is acceptable meaning that it is pleasing to God and and that's

amazing Paul is writing to this church and he's saying this is what I want to see this is what God wants in this church that the Christians of this church are praying for more people to come to know the gospel to come to know the Savior um and it's good because God is pleased when that happens it's like um when your children are getting along it's it's it's you just feel good about it because oh they're actually they actually you know they're playing well and then they fight and then you just want to spank them for doing that but but it's it's pleasing when you actually see that they're they're getting along but then not only that when they get along with other people it it's just it it's

pleasing to you because you see that they're they're uh they're having a good testimony they're holding your name up high or whatever it is so it it's good and it's pleasing to God and then in the sight of God our savior it just means that God is watching that we're doing this that God cares that we pray for people praying for all men including leaders pleases God but we pray not just for everything else but spec more specifically for the Salvation of of these people verse number four the Bible says this who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth God Wills for all men to be saved um God wants everyone to be saved the Bible says in second Peter chapter

number three if you would turn there second Peter chapter 3 verse number n the Bible says the Lord is not slack concerning his promise says some men count slackness but as longsuffering to us were not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance God Wills for all men to be saved in Luke chapter number 19:10 the Bible says for the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost God desires for all men to see his love for them and Paul defines what that means he says that all men would come unto the knowled of the truth and that's ultimately what we want people to do not only that they receive the Gospel but that as they receive it they understand what that

means they understand that Jesus Christ is the one that came down and died for them and in John chapter number 8 verse number 32 the Bible says and he shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free when when you understand the gospel and you understand what Jesus Christ did for you there's just so much Freedom that comes from that because now you're free from your sin you you understand what what truth is and you understand what your your your life has a purpose because you're living for the Lord and so there there's um your your eyes are just open when you when you actually get saved verse number five Bible says this for there is one God and one mediator between God and Men the man

the man Christ Jesus so praying for all people fits God's Universal Plan of Salvation but Salvation is not exclusive iive to just one people it's for everybody and that's why Paul is saying in verse number five for there is one God and one mediator between God and man one God just means that there is one true God there there is no other God beside God the F God himself and because there is only one God and he is the one that has given us his word and his word says that this is how you get saved then that is truth and if he's the one that's saying truth then the only way to come to a relationship with him is by what he says and so that's why he's saying we pray for everybody because the

Salvation is for everybody and because it's for everybody God is the one that's saying it that God himself is the one that's saying this in uh Acts chapter number 4 verse number 12 the Bible says this neither is there salvation in any other neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved so there is one God and then he says there is one mediator um there's one mediator between God and man and this is Jesus this is what he did what he does he's the one that is sitting on the right hand of God he's the one that is speaking to God the father on our behalf he's the one that is interceding for us um I remember having a uh

a gospel uh receiving a gospel track and on this gospel track you probably seen this before but on this gospel track there is a um a hill on this side and there's a hill on this side and there's a large gap in between but in order for you to get from one side to the other there needed to be a cross I remember seen that and just it's it's really what that's what the Bible says and I know back then when I when I first saw that my mind was saying okay if I accept Christ I'll go to heaven and I emphasize Heaven more than I emphasize the relationship I have with Christ but in in in context what Paul is saying here is that once you accept Christ who is your mediator once you accept Christ you now

have access to God so it isn't talking just about the destination that you'll go to it's talking about the relationship that we have with Jesus Christ because of what Jesus did we have access to the father uh John chapter number 14:6 says Jesus said unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me verse number six we're going to go through these uh verses last few verses here the Bible says who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time so obviously we know Jesus Christ is the one that gave himself for us um but in to be testified in due time what that means is God had a God had a a plan God has perfect timing and in his perfect timing Jesus

Christ came and 30 years later Jesus Christ died you got to understand when you read the Bible there's a long time from Genesis to the gospels but then from the gospels Jesus Christ came and ever since then we have the church age that we live in and there's more that you can learn about in eschatology and the timeline there but but now we live in the church age but God's perfect timing is sending Jesus Christ in the time that he came to die for us to be able to be a ransom for all the word Ransom means the payment that was needed for our sin uh Galatians 4: number four the Bible says this but when the fullness of the time was come God sent forth his son who was Jesus Christ so in God's

perfect timing he sent his son Jesus verse number seven in God's timing Paul was entrusted to be the one to share the gospel with the Gentiles in verse number seven Paul say where unto I am ordained a preacher and an apostle I speak the truth in Christ and lie not a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and Verity so what Paul is saying is look Jesus Christ came at the right time and in in him coming at the right time in this time he has ordained me to be this this to play this role in the church and so Paul's roles are simple he is the preacher which means he proclaims the truth of Jesus Christ he is an apostle which was uh special to those 12 and and Paul to to those in the beginning uh when

Jesus was the one that ordained them so an apostle is one specifically chosen by God and then he's also a teacher to the Gentile and that's um specifically what Ministry he was given by uh God himself by Jesus Christ and so Paul's role in his timing in this in this time was to be a preacher an apostle and a teacher um and then in verse number eight Paul says I will therefore I will therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting verse number eight not only concludes Paul's thought on prayer but it connects us to the next part of our study which is the roles of men and women in the church if you want to hear more about Paul's comments on women you'll have

to come back the next time we uh we teach about first Timothy Pastor surfus has the uh privilege of doing that so he's going to do that um I'm not talking about women tonight so we we we'll go on but uh verse number eight I believe shows us What men's role men's role is in prayer and I know this this verse is I will will therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without without wrath and doubting and that's applicable to everybody we can pray everywhere and we can just talk to God and and you know lifting up holy hands is an expression of dependency on God and so you do that you're you're you're calling out to God and you're praying to him it also signifies that there your

hands are holy so it's your you should be clean um if you're coming to God and there's sin in your heart then you it's good to go to God and say hey I have this I I have sin in my life and confess but in public worship it should be clean but what I believe Paul is actually talking about verse number eight I believe Paul is talking about the role of men leadership when it comes to public worship so when there is a public prayer time or a gathering like this men should be the one that are leading not the women and he goes on in verse number nine to Def to Define describe that even further but in in as far as the men goes he he says here I will therefore that men pray everywhere the word

everywhere here um in context it means at every Church Gathering or at every Gathering where people are pray are worshiping god um the word men here is specific to males in verse number two in verse number one or two he says um he Wills for prayers should be made for all men and that that Greek word there is people so it's all people men and women but in verse number eight Paul is actually very specific and he says he uses the Greek word for uh M like for Mel so he isn't actually being General in a sense but he's saying that in public worship Gathering there should be men that are leading and and the reason why I say this as well is because he says lifting up holy hands without wrath and

doubting this church is known to have problems and there's these false preachers that are coming in and arguing and talking and and things like that so there's anger and there's bitterness and there's things that are happening in this in this church service and Paul had to bring it all back down and say Timothy tell the church that what is most important is prayer prayer for all people but specifically prayer for all people so that they would come to know Jesus Christ as their lord and savior but also in your public worship time as you're gathering together as a church and he defines the roles later too as you gather together as a church make sure that the men are leading it but they're

leading it with a good testimony that they're not just here up there could you imagine going to a worship Gathering a prayer meeting maybe and the person that is leading that prayer meeting you know for a fact did something unspeakable last week that would not be a man that is worshiping with holy hands and could you imagine going to this prayer meeting and this person is praying with wrath and what that looks like is just he's praying and he's praising God but he's like God I pray that your fire and brimstone will go upon this person and and there's just anger in his in his prayer and maybe he's praying and say you know God I I worship you I thank you but you know that he has beef with

someone else in the church that there's there's Strife between them but he's the one that's leading this worship that that is ineffec like you would not want to be in that prayer worship because of that but then could you imagine also listening to a person that is praying with out a a leader that should be leading should be an example and yet he's praying like God I pray for this but you know God I I don't think it could happen that doesn't give you any confidence When you pray because how can you you pray after somebody that is just has no confidence has no faith as they're leading this worship and so it's very important this is this is what I think Paul is saying here it's very important

that people that are leading the worship that leading the prayer match this later on he talks about deacons and trustees and the the requirements that are needed in that area but I believe that Paul is actually talking to the men here first and saying guys you are the example and you should set that example there shouldn't be any Strife or confusion or things that are happening because you're leading those confusions should be set up should be gone because you're leading in in faith and because you're leading with peace and graciousness and humility and so Paul here is saying I will therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting in verse number nine he

says in like manner also women should do this should and all this there's so much problems that are happening at this church the roles are being reversed and there are things that are being taken advantage of Paul just needed to nail the hammer down and say hey that's enough prayer is very important and so as a church make sure that it is important but make sure that it's done right and that you're praying for people to come to the knowledge of Christ