1 Timothy 2:1-4 – “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m sometimes (okay, 99% of the time) faster to pray for my own needs before even thanking God or praying for the needs of others. It’s not that I’m not thankful and it’s not that I don’t want to pray for others. It’s a skill that I have plenty of opportunity to grow in and being aware of that is helpful for me.

However, when Paul was giving his young friend Timothy some godly advice, he knew what he was talking about. One of the first things Paul told Timothy to do was to pray for and give thanks for all people. Not just for Timothy, Timothy’s needs or his immediate family. For all people. And for all people to be saved and come to know the truth about Jesus.

My mission for myself as much as for anyone reading this is to spend a couple of minutes thanking God for the blessings in our lives, as well as offering up some prayers for others and what they are going through. If nothing comes to mind, reach out to a friend and let them know that you’d like to pray for them and how can you pray specifically for them.

God is so pleased when we go to Him and spend time in prayer with him. Let’s start our week by doing so.

Photo credit: Jack Sharp via Unsplash