It is our duty to pray for others. This daily devotional looks at the process we use to pray, what our priority in prayers should be, and the results of those prayers.
Nuggets
- There is only one God who created all there is and will rule for eternity.
- Through a mediator — and only Jesus as that Mediator — is only one way in which mankind’s relationship can be restored with God.
- Sin entered the world, demanding the need of a Savior.
- The spreading of the gospel message regarding Jesus’ sacrifice depends on our testimony.
- Prayers are to be offered for all people whoever we find ourselves.
Devotions in How to Love Our Neighbors series
We pray for our neighbors because that is what God requires of us. He wants us to pray for their salvation.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
One Reason for Prayer
“For there is one God …” (I Tim. 2: 5 ESV)
There is only one God who created all there is and will rule for eternity.
We talked in the last devotion about how God is also Savior. He is the One who designed the Plan of Salvation.
Jesus no more had to talk God into forgiving us when we ask than God did to get Jesus to be the sacrifice. Both wanted our relationships with Them restored.
“… and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 2: 5 ESV)
Through a mediator — and only Jesus as that Mediator — is only one way in which mankind’s relationship can be restored with God.
Why is a Mediator even needed? Our relationship with God was broken by the original sin.
We broke it. Adam and Eve made a conscious decision to sin.
We can’t do anything to fix the gulf that spans between us and God.
God didn’t break it. Only He could fix it – and He did. God designed the Plan of Salvation.
It wasn’t easy to resolve what was splitting both sides. Isn’t that when mediators come in – when the two side are polar opposite in the issues that are on the table?
That required someone being in the middle that could represent both sides. Translation – the Mediator had to share the character of both. Jesus was totally God and totally man.
Paul called Jesus “… then man Christ Jesus” (I Tim. 2: 5 ESV). It was imperative that Jesus had our nature as well as God’s.
Richardson put it this way. He wrote, “As His Divinity fits Him to act with God for man, so His humanity fits Him to act with man for God.”
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If He didn’t have our nature, He wouldn’t be making the sacrifice on our behalf. If He didn’t have God’s nature, there was no way He would have been eligible to make the sacrifice.
Some may think that, because He was still God, that He couldn’t sin. Wrong.
While He had the opportunity to sin, Jesus chose not to disobey His Father. As He went through the developmental stages, He followed God’s laws and commandments.
We are called to imitate Jesus’ character. That includes imitating His humility.
Clark brought up a good point. We may tend to think that Jesus fell into the role as Mediator only after His death and resurrection.
Nope. Jesus was our Mediator from before the foundation of the world.
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Glossary
Don’t get this wrong. Jesus needs to be our Mediator when we are still in our sinful state. The Holy Spirit needs to interpret God’s call for us and present the plan.
Once we ABCD, Jesus does not need to mediate for us. We have access to approach God directly once our sins have been forgiven.
“who gave himself as a ransom for all …” (I Tim. 2: 6 ESV)
Sin entered the world, demanding the need of a Savior.
We talked in the last devotion how Jesus came to save us all.
- “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2: 3-4 ESV).
- “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5: 8 CSB).
- “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3: 16 NIV).
Jesus was the atonement for our sins. Atonement is about repayment for a wrong by the shedding of Jesus’ blood. He paid the ransom price for us.
This is all wrapped up in the propitiation thing. Propitiation means that a substitute is offered to avoid God’s wrath.
Glossary
Rowland made an interesting statement. He wrote, “The atonement has sometimes been spoken of as a sort of legal transaction, having no essential bearing upon moral character, which will procure acquittal for the sinner at the bar of judgment without setting him free from the usurpation of sin.
Read that again. Atonement has nothing to do with our character.
Disciples get bit on by worldview people because they think atonement automatically changes our character.
It doesn’t.
Rowland talked about this. He wrote, “Many sneer at professing Christians as men who persuade themselves that they are relieved from the punishment of sin, but who show no signs whatever of being redeemed from its power. But love such as God calls for, and the sacrifice of Calvary demands, is really a strong and active affection; indeed, we are told that ‘love is the fulfilling of the law?’”
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Atonement is about paying the penalty for our sins. It means Jesus was sentenced instead of us.
Because Jesus substituted for us, God can forgive us our sins when we ask Him to do so. Forgiveness is, when we ask, the act of God pardoning us because we have shown repentance for breaking His laws and commandments, which allows us to become holy as He is.
- Repentance is acknowledging our separation from God and expressing sorrow for breaking God’s laws and commandments by making the commitment to changing ourselves through obedience so that we no longer do the wrong things.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
- Virtues are standards of moral excellence.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
Glossary
We can’t say it too many times. Jesus willingly came to die for us. He voluntarily became the Sacrifice.
Jesus loved us that much.
“… which is the testimony given at the proper time” (I Tim. 2: 6 ESV)
The spreading of the gospel message regarding Jesus’ sacrifice depends on our testimony.
Each of us are expected to witness to those with whom we come in contact. We can’t leave it to the Pastor Steve-types.
No, we might not have a conversion testimony that has the Hollywood splash that Paul’s did. No, we may not be the impassioned speaker he was, either.
We all should be the encourager that Barnabus was. We should be able to tell our own story of how loving God has impacted our lives.
The Inclusiveness of Prayer
“For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (I Tim. 2: 7-8 ESV)
Prayers are to be offered for all people whoever we find ourselves.
But what does all of this have to do with prayer?
Jay had a beautiful description of what prayer is. He wrote, “Prayer is the breathing of desire towards God. Words are not essential to it. As words may be used without the heart, so the heart may be engaged where words are wanting.”
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God wants us to pray for everyone.
We are not commanded just to pray for other disciples. We are not to pray for only those who we think are acceptable to God.
We are to pray everywhere. Just as God doesn’t limit whom we pray for, He doesn’t limit where we can make these prayers.
At home. At work. At school. Walking the streets. At sporting events. At weddings. At funerals.
Wherever our feet take us, we can “… [lift] holy hands …” (I Tim. 2: 8 ESV).
Let’s take a closer look at the “… lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (I Tim. 2: 7-8 ESV) part.
Lifting holy hands is an attitude of submission, but it was more than that. Parsons said it included an element of expectation. We are expecting God to bestow blessings on us. We are to expect the results of our prayers.
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We are called to be pure. Remember, pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
Purity is a part of being holy. Remember, holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
We lift hands to God that remind Him of Himself. We are without sin because we have confessed our sins to the One Who forgives us.
Our attitude in prayer is without anger or division. We willingly pray for others. We see those for whom we are praying as part of the Ephesians 4: 4-6 people.
“There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4: 4-6 ESV).
There is unity under God. We must be committed to the whole concept of the gospel.
The King James Version translates quarreling as doubting. I like that as it applies to prayer.
We are called to pray in faith to our Heavenly Father. That leaves no room for doubt.
God will answer our prayers as He sees to it. We need to gain in this confidence.
Remember, we are praying to God through Jesus. Jesus is the Mediator. We are to give them honor.
We are called to show love for those for which we are praying. We have to be praying for them to overcome evil.
Making the Connections
Why is there only one Mediator? “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2: 3-4 ESV).
God wants all to be saved.
Just because the world doesn’t acknowledge Jesus as Savior doesn’t mean He isn’t Savior. God and Jesus have no need of our worship to make them God.
They were long before we showed up; They still are; and They always will be God regardless of what we say and do.
How Do We Apply This?
- Witness to share what Christ has done for us.
- Acknowledge our need for and Jesus’ position as being our Mediator.
- Gain in confidence in our prayer life.
- Pray for others to overcome evil.
Resource
Father God. Your priority is our restoring our relationships with You. You use us to share our testimonies with those who need to hear of Your love. Give us a boldness to spread the good news to everyone we encounter. Amen.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
What do you think?
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