“First Of All…” – Rhapsody Of Realities TeeVo Devotional April 1st

(Pray For All People And Wage A Good Warfare)

TO THE BIBLE: 1 Timothy 2:1 AMPC
“First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men”

LET’S TALK
“Pastor John, why do you always start out praying for all people, especially the leaders in our nation, before making any other request? Is that prayer for all people so necessary?” Adrian quizzed.
“Yes it is, Adrian! That’s how the Bible teaches us to pray. We’re instructed to pray “first of all” for all men.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 communicates very clearly what our priority should be when we pray. But when you read this portion in context, you would appreciate even better the reason for this divine instruction.

In the previous chapter, Paul had written, “This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18).

He then went on to give the charge in 1 Timothy 2:1 and stated, “Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.”

So we see that he was actually showing Timothy how to wage a good warfare. “First of all” here means you start by praying, not for your personal requests, but for all men.

This is important in waging a good warfare. For a long time, a lot of God’s people weren’t praying with this in mind. They were more concerned about personal agendas and what they wanted from God, and the adversary took advantage of this to wreak havoc in different nations.

But thank God the Church is now awake to her responsibilities and acting on the Word, praying first for all men.

You’ve been called to war a good warfare, and the instruction is clear. He says, “First of all,” meaning before you pray for other things—your family, academics, or finances—pray for all people!

This is such an important foundational teaching for the Church. As we lead souls to Christ and bring them to Church, we ought to let them know they have an enemy whose goal it is to destroy them. We must teach them to pray as soldiers, not for their personal needs, but for all men as Scripture instructs.

Go Deeper
Ephesians 6:18; 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Pray:
Dear Father, thank you for pouring out your Spirit on all flesh all over the world so your truth may be effectively known by all men. I pray for as many as will be reached with the Gospel today, that the light of the Gospel will shine in their hearts, resulting in their salvation. Thank you for this grace, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading
ONE YEAR
Luke 9:1-17, Joshua 10-12
TWO YEAR
Romans 5:12-21, Psalm 104

Act:
Join billions of Christians praying together at the same time and effecting global changes through the “PastorChrisLive Global Prayer Network.” Simply visit https://pastorchrislive.org/ to participate in the ongoing live prayer stream. Alternatively, you can join in by following @PastorChrisLive on KingsChat (available on the LoveWorld Appstore, https://lwappstore.com).