Pulpit Message Notes Pray for your leaders
My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 31st July 2022. Preacher: Reverend Munengi Mulandi, NBC Senior Pastor. Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Topic: Pray for your leaders: Tuesday 9th is a BIG DEAL.
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
under bondage and now they are being ruled by Caesar after Caesar. They are under foreign rule and have been given some puppet kings like Herod and those who took over from him. Those are now their kings and rulers. It is in these difficult circumstances, in that context, Paul writes to them with these words of passion, ‘therefore I urge you’, to make this leadership issue of first priority.
1. PASSION 2. PRAYER 3. PRICE
You and I many times say that we are being governed in the county, the ward, etc. we are being ruled by thugs here, by corrupt people, but is it anywhere close to what these people are going through? And yet Paul urges them, by the grace of God, therefore - passion - “I urge you, first that we make Paul in similar circumstancthese prayers. I am calling the church now for time of concerted es that we are in Kenya shares I wonder if you personal prayer to go into the theatre room until we three things to Timothy. have allowed Tuesday the have birthed for this nation, leaders, not chanters, not 9th to be a big deal for you promisers, not just people who are adequate in their Passion that it would drive you to abuse. People who can create an environment where this kind of passion, but 1 Timothy 2:1a you and I can live in peace and quiet. secondly to this kind of prayer. Passion is expressed by the language we see God having Paul to pen down. “I therefore urge, first of all that these prayers be made for all Prayer people then, emphatically, for kings and all those in au1 Timothy 2:1b-2a thority.” Do you see the passion in those words, “I urge” and then that word, “first” of all”? Do you see the passion in his writing that this is so important, it is of first priority? It is such a big deal. He uses passionate words. First, make it a priority. Secondly, “I urge you”. It is not just something that Paul is telling, if you had time, could you consider, perhaps. No. He is saying, “I urge”. Other translations use the word, ‘I appeal’, ‘I exhort’, ‘I encourage’. But you see there is a push from Paul. It is not something casual. Then he goes on to the prayers.
A prayer that one commentator in the Message Bible says, ‘Pray every way you know how.’ There are four kinds of prayers listed; “that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority,…” Calling us to pray and it is not the kind of prayer that you can prescribe one type of prayer, no. This one needs all-wheel drive, four by four prayer. First because we recognise how leaders are unable to do anything without the help of God. So they don’t need one kind of prayer, but four kinds of prayer. The last one is a prayer of thanksgiving.
Paul is writing to a people who are not in self-governance, since the days of Christ, the people of God are TT 163 | August 2nd - 8th | 2022
