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Pray for Your Neighbor
Question 1:
When have you seen hours of training and hard work pay off?
THE POINT
Love your neighbors by taking their needs to God in prayer.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
The classic 1985 movie, The Karate Kid, contains a scene so memorable, it’s become a pop culture reference. In this scene, the teenage protagonist, Daniel LaRusso, vented his frustration toward his mentor, Mr. Miyagi, for assigning him seemingly irrelevant tasks—painting a fence, sanding a floor, and waxing a car. Daniel wanted training in martial arts, but instead he heard, “Wax on, wax off.”
Then suddenly it all came together and made sense. Daniel realized all those tedious hours of work were part of his training. What seemed like meaningless chores had been cultivating the skill and building the strength he needed. Mr. Miyagi wasn’t ignoring or even delaying Daniel’s request to learn karate. He was fulfilling it in an unexpected way.
If we are to carry out the Lord’s commandment to love others as ourselves, we must be trained by the Holy Spirit. And one of the primary ways the Holy Spirit grows and shapes us is through prayer. When we pray for others, we are building a spiritual skill and strength we need to love like Jesus loves.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
1 Timothy 2:1-4
1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Paul urged us to pray four different types of prayers: “petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings.” We often use these terms interchangeably, but their meanings carry different nuances that illuminate how we should pray.
- Petitions. A petition points to a need—something a person lacks. It means appealing to God about a matter.
- Prayers. Prayer simply describes communicating with God. The term doesn’t emphasize what we’re praying for, but to Whom we’re offering our prayers.
- Intercessions. This is the prayer we most often think of when we pray for others. It has the idea of a meeting with someone. It’s like an appointment with God.
- Thanksgivings. We express thanksgiving when we express gratitude to God for something He’s done for us or others.
These prayers are of primary importance. That’s why Paul began with “first of all.” Paul stressed that it’s important we pray—and that we pray “for everyone.”
Paul commanded believers to pray for earthly authorities. He wrote these words in a world that didn’t have representative government like in our country. This culture was one in which authorities could imprison, torture, or even kill anyone who fell out of favor with Roman rule. Paul didn’t stipulate between godly rulers and wicked rulers. Instead, he instructed Timothy to instill the pattern of praying for “all those who are in authority.”
Question 2:
What benefits have you seen come from prayer?
But notice why Paul told us to pray for those in authority: “So that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” We are to pray for earthly authorities because their decisions affect how we live out our lives as followers of Jesus. For Paul, how earthly authorities ruled was the difference between peace and persecution. But no matter who sits in that place of temporary authority, God’s eternal authority is still sovereign.
Think about these commands in terms of your growth and “spiritual training.” Some may view such prayers as irrelevant, as if offering petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings for everyone in your world (including earthly authorities) is an unimportant and unnecessary use of time. The reality is that the Holy Spirit not only works through our prayers, but He changes us as we cultivate these habits of prayer.
Having the priority of prayer in our lives is directly connected to our personal growth in God’s love. As we grow in loving others, we’re more inclined to pray for them, and the more we pray for others, God fills our hearts with love for them. Praying for others and loving others are interconnected spiritual postures.
Question 3:
What do you find challenging about prayer?
1 Timothy 2:5-6
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.
Paul anchored his instructions on prayer to what matters for eternity: the salvation of others. We have a responsibility to fulfill the Great Commandment (Matt 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (28:19-20), and prayer plays a role in both.
The Great Commandment and Great Commission we’ve been given puts the interpersonal challenges we have with others into eternal perspective. The conflict we may have with a family member or coworker, or the friction we may experience in a culture hostile to the Christian faith offer opportunities to fulfill our roles as ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-21). You and I are on this earth to glorify God, no longer living for ourselves but for the one who died for us. That includes sharing the good news of God’s kindness and grace with those He has entrusted us to influence.
So often, the very people in our lives who are the most difficult to love give us the greatest opportunities to display Christ. God has put us in their lives to proclaim the free forgiveness He offers exclusively through faith in Christ. But if we’re focused on our situations only, we’ll miss how God wants to use us as His witnesses.
Engage
PRAYER FOR MY NEIGHBORS
We are commanded to pray for our neighbors.
On each prompt, place a mark on the scale to indicate where you are today.
“Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”
How easily we lose focus! We can go about our daily lives and even be part of the ministries in our church; yet, we neglect telling others about Jesus. But this passage reminds us that the heartbeat of God is love, including love for those who don’t know Him. Look at the inclusive words in these verses. God “wants everyone to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4). Jesus “gave himself as a ransom for all.”
God is telling us the desire of His heart. He loves people and wants to save them from the penalty of their sins, from the guilt they carry, and from the meaninglessness of life without Him. And He’s chosen us, His followers, to be His messengers.
We have a choice to make. We can get caught up in trying to understand what we already know is beyond our ability to comprehend fully, or we can just believe it and do something about it! It can begin with our prayers, praying that our neighbors come to Jesus as the only way to salvation.
Question 4:
When have you seen prayer make a difference in the salvation of others?
1 Timothy 2:7-8
7 For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.
As Paul tied it all together, connecting the truth of the gospel with his instructions on prayer, he reminded Timothy of his spiritual authority as “a herald, an apostle.” The word herald means someone who announces a message. The herald doesn’t come up with the message; he simply delivers it to others as a representative of the one who sent the message. That’s a picture of what we do every time we share Christ with our neighbors.
But look at verse 8 and notice how it begins. “Therefore … pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.” Just when it seemed like Paul had moved on to a different subject, he returned to the issue of prayer. But this time, he links his instruction to pray with the desire of God for all to be saved.
According to this passage, there is a direct correlation between our effectiveness in proclaiming the gospel and our relationships with other Christians. Praying with holy hands describes a posture of reverence and a recognition that we are set apart—“holy”—for the Lord’s service. Love and holiness are also interconnected. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul prayed that our love would grow more and more so that we would “be pure and blameless in the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:9-11).
Let’s put all of this together in terms of how we are to pray. Paul tells us not only to prioritize praying for others, but that we must do so with hearts free from wrath and dissension. But in between those two commands, Paul reiterates the gospel and reminds us that God wants everyone to be saved by it.
Don’t miss how this connects to us personally. When we fail to walk in love, we fail to fulfill our purpose as God’s messengers. We can have all the prayer meetings and ministry programs we want, but if we have unresolved conflict and unrepentant anger, we cannot expect God’s blessing.
How can we safeguard our souls against such barriers to God’s blessing? We pray. And as we pray, we will watch God change our attitudes and our relationships. As we cultivate praying for others, our love for them will increase. And as our love increases, so will our witness.
Question 5:
What are some ways our group can pray more evangelistically?
LIVE IT OUT
Love your neighbors by taking their needs to God in prayer. Choose one of the following applications:
Evaluate. Study your own prayer life in light of this passage. Whom do you pray for? What do you pray about? How often do you pray? Ask God to help you in the areas you need to improve.
Plan. Choose a time each day this week to pray for the people you interact with regularly. Use all types of prayer: Petitions, Praise (prayers), Intercessions, and Thanksgivings.
Share. Intercede for one person this week who is a difficult relationship for you. If they don’t know Christ, meet with them for the purpose of sharing the gospel. Either way, let them know you are praying for them.
Prayer at times might seem like a meaningless, repetitious task that has no visible results. However, repetition and resistance are crucial to all strength training. The Holy Spirit is strengthening us to pray for others and to love them as Jesus loves us.
Teachers Notes:
Click Play to Watch
Who is someone you’ve known to be a “prayer warrior”?
What do you find inspiring about them?
THE POINT: Love your neighbors by taking their
needs to God in prayer.
The greatest thing you or I can do for anyone
is to take them before the throne of God in prayer. Hebrews 4:16 tells us we
can come before God with boldness.
“Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace
with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of
need” (Heb. 4:16).
If we are to carry out the Lord’s commandment
to love others as ourselves, we must be trained by the Holy Spirit. And one of
the primary ways the Holy Spirit grows and shapes us is through prayer. When we
pray for others, we are building a spiritual skill and strength we need to love
like Jesus loves.
In chapter 2 Paul began his pastoral charge to
his young friend. This study session will focus on verses 1-8, which emphasize
prayer. We are to pray for everyone, align our prayers with God’s
desire that everyone be saved, and pray with a worshipful attitude that
honors the Lord. What better way to show love for our neighbors than to
pray on their behalf?
1 Timothy 2:1-8
1 First of all, then, I urge that petitions,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,
Pray for People with Variety
Paul urges Timothy to practice prayer as a
pastor and to teach the people he serves to do the same. He speaks of prayer in
four ways. He says that Timothy ought to be talking to God with petitions,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving on the behalf of all men. Petitions
are requests, prayers are expressions of dependence, intercessions are requests
for the well-being of others, and thanksgiving is praise. You and I should pray
for our neighbors with this kind of variety. We ought to be asking for God’s
hand, help, and healing in their lives and thanking Him when we see Him work.
2 for kings and all those who are in authority,
so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and
dignity. This is good, and it pleases
God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of
the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the
man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the
proper time. For this I was appointed a herald, an apostle (I am telling the
truth; I am not lying), and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Pray for People in Authority
Paul’s command to pray for authority is
remarkable considering that Nero was emperor at the time. Persecution among
Christians was high during Paul’s time. Not only were Christians denied certain
privileges in society, but some were also publicly butchered, burned, or fed to
animals.
Paul urges Timothy—and us—to pray for those who
are in authority. Paul says that when we pray for police, mayors, governors, and
presidents it lends to us leading a quiet and godly life in dignity. We are to fight the wickedness
in our world with our witness and on our knees. Marches, protests,
boycotts, sit-ins, strikes, and voting may have their place, but we are
commanded to pray. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual (2 Cor. 10:3-5;
Eph. 6:10-18). When it comes to law enforcement, the criminal justice system,
the congress, senate, supreme court justices, and all the social ills and evils
we face today, our primary means of fighting ought to be praying to our God who
controls all things.
8 Therefore, I want the men in every place to
pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.
Pray for People with Humility (v. 8)
Besides displeasing God, anger and argument
make prayer difficult. Our goal should be to have a right relationship with God
and with others.
We ought to give ourselves to prayer because
prayer cultivates our relationship with God (James 4:8), because God is moved
by our prayers (Heb. 4:16), and because prayer avails much (James 5:16).
James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come
close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your
loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne
of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to
help us when we need it most.
James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a
righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Questions
What benefits have you seen come from prayer?
How can daily prayer impact our spiritual
growth?
The reality is that the Holy Spirit not only
works through our prayers, but He changes us as we cultivate these habits of
prayer.
Having the priority of prayer in our lives is
directly connected to our personal growth in God’s love. As we grow in loving
others, we’re more inclined to pray for them, and the more we pray for others,
God fills our hearts with love for them. Praying for others and loving others
are interconnected spiritual postures.
How can we become more effective in praying for
the salvation of others?
So often, the very people in our lives who are
the most difficult to love give us the greatest opportunities to display
Christ. God has put us in their lives to proclaim the free forgiveness He
offers exclusively through faith in Christ. But if we’re focused on our
situations only, we’ll miss how God wants to use us as His witnesses.
What attitudes can hinder our prayers for
others?
Who is the focus of your praying? Is it only
for your needs? Are you praying that someone be saved and brought into a right
relationship with God through Christ Jesus?
This lesson challenges us to make prayer a
priority. It teaches us to guard ourselves from making prayer our last resort,
and instead make prayer our first response.
Conclusion
Although God is all-powerful and all-knowing,
He has chosen to let us help Him change the world through our prayers. How this
works is a mystery to us because of our limited understanding but it is a
reality. Paul urges us to pray for each other and for our leaders in
government. Our earnest prayers will have a powerful result.
Added Thoughts:
These are the words of Paul to Timothy as
guided by the Holy Spirit. So how does
this apply to US? Even though we are not
individual “pastors” of a church, we are to be pastorally concerned about our
neighbors. The word pastor simply means
“to shepherd” or care for with tenderness and monitor with concern. What if we maintained that kind of
relationship with our neighbors? Our
focus would certainly change our interactions and nurture our relationships
with them. Instead of building fences we would build bridges.
I am beginning to use a website called Bless
Every Home. There is a website and a
phone app. Their web address is www.blesseveryhome.com.
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