Job One

1 Timothy 2:1-8

I. The Priority Of Prayer 2:1

= First In Importance

* Prayer Ought To Be The First Priority In Life Of Believer

= JOB ONE

* No such thing as successful Christian, or church where Prayer is not Job 1

– "The Kneeling Christian" by the Unknown Christian

* If going to be effective ministers of Jesus Christ – if our church is going to be "present and active, positive influence in our community, city and world," then we must make prayer our priority.

- When other things threatened to crowd out prayer in Apostles lives – they appointed deacons to lighten the load.

* Recognized that the power for ministry came through prayer.

Martin Luther: " I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer."

John Wesley: "God does nothing but in answer to prayer."

* Every Great Revival In History Has Been Preceded By The Church Making Prayer A Priority.

* Modern Church not take prayer serious enough.

E.M. Bounds - "No man can do a great and enduring work for God who is not a man of prayer."

* If want effective - spiritual ministry – if we want to do something for God - We Must Make Prayer Job One. First Priority.

II. The Pattern Of Prayer 2:1-4

* How to go about prayer. A pattern.

* 4 Aspects Of Effective Prayer

Gk. = to need or want

Warren Wiersbe: " Offering A Request For A Felt Need"

* Prayer Begins With A Sense Of Need And Dependency On God

- sense that we need God’s help – can’t do it on our own.

* We ask God to meet our need with His boundless resources and to replace our weakness with His strength.

** God loves you – He wants you to come to Him with your burden and in your weakness, and in your time of need and say, "God Help Me." – And believe that He will.

- Interesting Word Gk "prosecucas"

– Always Refers to Prayers That Focus upon God

* Idea of Worship and Reverence. – often forgotten aspect of prayer.

– Not simply bring our needs — also an act of worship where we centre our thoughts upon God and worship Him.

Illustrate: One day in my office at 8 am thinking I would pray and bring the needs of the church before God. Almost immediately I began worshipping God, and sang a number of worship choruses (joyful noise). Before I knew it, it was 9:30am and I hadn’t even brought one need before God. Yet there was a confidence that God was taking care of the needs.

* Other important idea from this word "proseuchas" – When you lose yourself in focussing on God – you begin to see your needs and circumstances from His perspective. And the peace of God that passes all understanding begins to fill your heart and mind – inner peace in midst of trials.

* Exciting Word – can’t help but get excited.

Gk = to meet with or to fall in with

Also idea of interceding on someone else’s behalf.

"To draw near to a person and converse confidently with him"

Chuck Swindol - "This word implies familiarity and intimacy. It speaks of the kind of communications that is common between close friends."

* It means that we get into the presence of our friend Jesus, enjoy His presence and reveal to Him our deepest longings, our thoughts, feelings, needs, struggles, and desires – just as we would with our very closest friend and confidant.

* And when you get into the presence of our friend Jesus and commune with Him, we begin to plead with Him on behalf of others. You begin to talk to your best friend Jesus about the other people you know who need His help.

You see, it is much more than just spouting off a group of names. It is getting alone with God and because He is your friend, you plead with Him to help those you care about.

* To offer thanks is to declare our gratitude to God.

* Grumbling, complaining, anxiety, and irritability are foreign to thanksgiving.

* An unthankful heart is a sinning heart

* When we go to God - we should go with thankful hearts.

III. The People Of Prayer 2:1-4

* NO ONE IS OUTSIDE THE INFLUENCE OF PRAYER.

- no impossible cases with God

* Context: "Supplications" - a burden – Cannot possibly pray for every person in world.

Real Prayer Means That We Have To Have A Burden For What We Pray About.

1. Pray For The Unsaved

2. Pray For Fellow Christians

* Christians ought to be the very best citizens

1. Pray For Government Leaders

- regardless of whether they are your party.

- Stephen Harper - John Cannis - Michael Thompson - Mayor Miller

* When Paul wrote this letter - Nero - was Emperor of Rome. – corrupt and shed the blood of many believers – yet Paul says we are to pray for government leaders.

2. Pray For Civil Authorities

- Police - Fireman - Emergency Workers - Hospitals - Soldiers -

3. Pray For Teachers

- extremely difficult job – Especially pray for Ch. Teachers in public system trying to salt and light in a dark world.

4. Pray for Church Leaders

* Pray for all those who have authority over us.

- respect those in authority.

** Praying For Those In Authority Has Three Results

1. Peaceable Life

2. Pleases God

3. Produces Salvation

- note direct connection between our prayers and people being saved.

IV. The Practice Of Prayer 2:5-8

* Reason we can come to God is on basis of work of Christ on Cross.

– Only Christians Can Come To God In Prayer - on basis of Blood

* Jesus is the mediator between God and Man

- He paid ransom

* Great Honour of Christian - any time, place, reason can come to God

 (More detail should appear by Dec. 8.07)