The Power of Prayer

Read 1 Timothy 2:1-8

In high school I had an acquaintance who wasn’t very nice to me. I remember sitting right behind her in math one day when she was telling a friend about how ugly I was. To justify her comments to her friend, who had started to defend me, she told her stories about me that were not true at all! It continued for the rest of high school, and I avoided her at all costs.

A couple years after college, I ran into her at a coffee shop in our hometown. I wasn’t thrilled, but she kept looking my way, so I asked God to help me and said hi. I was skeptical at first, but she had obviously grown. She acknowledged that we didn’t get along in high school, apologized for how she’d treated me, and wanted to know how I had been. She was so genuine! She told me how God had truly changed her heart since high school. And here I was, years later, and how much had God changed me? I was still holding a 7-year-old grudge. 

In 1 Timothy chapter 1, Paul reminds Timothy about his own past. He calls himself a “blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man” (verse 13) but, like my friend, he was shown the mercy and grace of God through Jesus Christ, who has “immense patience” for sinners (verse 16). And this is where he starts chapter 2, telling Timothy to pray for all people, especially our authorities and leaders. 

I don’t know about you, but some of my feelings about politicians or even certain Facebook friends right now are much stronger than a high school grudge. But we are commanded to pray for our leaders. Even the ones we don’t agree with. As citizens of the kingdom of God, we can expect and hope in Jesus’ grace and power to transform.

For Reflection: 

Has God ever done a work on someone beyond what you expected or imagined? (You, perhaps?)

Is there someone you just don’t expect God to change? Ask God to remind you what He has done and what He can do.

Spend some time praying for people you have a hard time with—petition for them, intercede for them, and thank God for them. 

by Isabelle Lundstrom