First of All, Pray and Seek the Desire of God

1 Timothy 2:1-8
1 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 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.”

The letter of 1 Timothy, written by the Apostle Paul, is a personal and practical message to Timothy, Paul’s spiritual son and successor. At the time of writing (AD 62–64), Paul was temporarily released from imprisonment in Rome. He wrote to Timothy with the intent to guide him in leading the church of Ephesus and addressing its struggles.

Paul had a close relationship with the church in Ephesus. He spent three years planting and nurturing it. The church experienced miracles, deep repentance, and transformation, as many members turned from idol worship to devotion to Christ. Despite the strong foundation, the church began to stray away from the gospel less than a decade later. Church members drew towards false teachings and cultural myth, causing Timothy significant hardship as the leading pastor. There are two points Paul addresses in his letter to Timothy.

1. The emphasis on prayer
   Paul emphasizes prayer as the first response to spiritual crises. He urges Timothy and the church to prioritize intercession, thanksgiving, and prayers for all people (verse 1), including those in authority. Practicing prayer not only aligns the church with God’s will but also softens our hearts toward reconciliation and grace. It is also important to consider what you are praying about and who you are praying for. It is easy to pray for loved ones, your children, house church members. How about someone that is hard to love? Praying for them is so much more challenging but it is what God desires for us to do. It is often obvious to see if we are praying or not. Living a prayer-filled life leads to living a life following God’s desires. When we are not praying, our lives follow our desires.

2. Seeking God’s desires, not our own

The church in Ephesus drifted because they prioritized their own desires and cultural priorities over the teachings of Christ. Paul reminds Timothy of the need to teach sound doctrine to combat false teachings. As we equip ourselves with the Gospel truth, our lives can be transformed. When the church in Ephesus devoted themselves to Jesus and studying His teachings, they began to get rid of the magical books and idols they had held onto before. Their lives were changed drastically and their motives were aligned with Christ’s.
Paul identifies God’s desire as:

1. For all people to be saved.

2. For them to grow in the knowledge of the truth, becoming disciples of Jesus.

Parallels to ANF

ANF has experienced God’s blessings of growth, answered prayers, and transformed lives. However, ANF has challenges that also need to be addressed:

• Prayer Life: A lack of consistent prayer weakens spiritual life and aligns individuals with their own desires instead of God’s.

• Outreach: ANF welcomes many newcomer Christians and is good at fellowship but lacks outreach to VIPs.

From the sermon we can outline three takeaways and calls to action:

1. Pray First: Commit to a consistent and selfless prayer life, interceding for all people, including those who are difficult to forgive.

2. Seek God’s Desires: Focus on salvation and discipleship as the core mission of the church.

3. Evaluate and Realign: Reflect on whether the church and its members are aligned with God’s priorities.

Reflection: In my prayer life, I’ve experienced differences especially in my mindset and patience. When I am praying consistently, I feel a sense of peace and it becomes easier to appreciate the blessings God has placed in my life. I have an increased capacity for patience and find myself less irritable throughout the day. When I am praying inconsistently, I have less appreciation and find myself grumbling more often. Small annoyances and worries are able to easily influence how I feel for the rest of the day. At the moment, I attribute it to outside factors when in actuality it is a problem with myself and the condition of my heart. The more time I spend in prayer and with God, my life can increasingly reflect Him. By praying for others, God also increases my capacity to show love to others. I hope to take the sermon a step at a time, focusing on the discipline and quality of my prayer life first. I pray that it is followed by a willingness to seek God’s desires and to align with His priorities.

Discussion Questions:

1. Any takeaways from the sermon message?

2. What does your prayer life look like? Have you experienced differences when you are praying more or less often?

3. How is your life currently aligned or unaligned with God’s priorities? Do you feel the need to change your current priorities?

4. What is challenging for you when sharing the Gospel?