May 12, 2024
The Praying Mother
1 Timothy 2:1
If we were to ask the question of everyone here today, “What makes a great Mother?” we could come up with a pretty good list of attributes that we would want in a Mom. Most of these suggestions would be based on our own experiences with our own Mothers, either something that we saw in them that we highly valued or sadly, it might be something we wish we would have seen in our own Moms. I’d be willing to bet that most of us would mention many of the same attributes as a follower of Christ ― loving, patient, forgiving and being a good listener. We can probably all agree on those, but there is an attribute that I’m not sure would make it to the top of most of our list. I think it should be a Mom who will go to battle for you. Now I’m not talking about the “Momma Bear'' mentality, but rather I’m talking about a Mom who will go to battle for you Biblically. How exactly does one go to battle Biblically? Well, that’s what I want to look at this morning in 1 Timothy 2:1 when Paul shares with Timothy a Christian’s priority when it comes to fighting Biblically.
It is in Paul’s first letter to Timothy that he is instructing Timothy on how he will fight the war that is to come (1 Timothy 1:18) and it is a spiritual war. The language that Paul uses in verse 18 of chapter 1 is not just a singular fight he will be engaging in or even a short battle, but it will be a drawn-out military campaign. Timothy is going to be in it for the long haul and Paul wants to make sure Timothy has the tools to fight for the duration. As Timothy was first reading this letter, he would have been a young man in his late twenties and was someone who has had 10 years’ experience as a male in their twenties. I can just imagine what is going through his mind. As he is reading the opening paragraphs of this letter, Paul tells him he’s going to equip him to be a mighty warrior in the army of God. Maybe he thought that Paul was going to share some secrets on hand-to-hand combat or maybe how to ambush the enemy effectively. Can you imagine his initial response when those were not the things that Paul shared with him at all? Instead he tells him the most important thing. The very first thing he must do if he wants to win this military campaign that he is embarking on is to pray, but it wasn't just any normal praying.
I couldn’t trace its origin, but it seems like this is the Biblical text that we get the term “Prayer Warrior” from (If not, it should have been). “Prayer Warrior” is a very appropriate term that I plan to use when it comes to describing a Mom (or anyone else for that matter) who goes to battle Biblically for others through prayer. I don’t like the connotations that come with the term Prayer Warrior, because the way most of us understand a Prayer Warrior is not Biblical. When we use the term, it seems to carry the meaning that being a prayer warrior is only for certain people, or maybe we consider it to be a spiritual gift of some kind. However it is not a spiritual gift but rather a spiritual discipline. It’s not a calling for just a few select Christians, but rather it is for everyone who is a follower of Christ. So this morning I want to look at what it takes to be a Biblical Prayer Warrior who is ready to go to battle for others.
Prayer Warriors Put Others First. - 1 Timothy 2:1a
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.
The first thing Paul tells Timothy when it comes to fighting well in the Lord’s battles is to pray. Praying is usually easy for all of us, after all it is just talking with God. When we do pray, we usually find ourselves asking God for what we need or want, and there is nothing wrong with that. We see that petition (asking God for what we need) is part of the model prayer that Jesus gave us when He gave us the Lord’s prayer. As a matter of fact, asking God for things that we need usually comes naturally when anyone prays. Paul is calling Timothy to pray in a different way. He is calling Timothy to pray for others. This is where we must start to discipline ourselves to pray, because by nature we are selfish. We usually have no problem praying for ourselves, but praying for others starts to become a little more difficult. When it comes to praying for family, it might not be that hard, but are we praying for them the proper way? In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, Jesus is praying for others. It’s not just for their physical needs, but He also focuses on their spiritual needs as well. We see that He prays for His followers to bring Him glory (John 17:10). He prays for unity among His followers (John 17:11 & 23). He prays for their Spiritual safety because their real battles are not against flesh and blood (John 17:15, Ephesians 6:12). He prays for their holiness (John 17:17). It’s these types of prayers that start to define a Prayer Warrior, but remember we said that it’s easy to pray for family and friends this way, but that’s not all the “others” we are called to pray for. In scripture, there are two other groups we are called to pray for as well. One is found there in 1 Timothy 2 and that is for kings and all of those who are in authority. Notice it doesn’t say just those who are kings or in authority over you, but for kings and ALL in authority. This is a call to pray for those who lead us, but those who also lead others. This is a call by Paul in 1 Timothy 2:2 to pray for those who are persecuting believers abroad. We love to complain about those in leadership, but do we pray for them as much as we complain? Do we pray for their spiritual lives? Do we pray for their salvation? Do we pray that their hearts would be changed and that it will bring peace for other believers as they share the Gospel? Prayer Warriors do. The last group we are called to pray for must be the hardest thought and it’s found in Jesus' call for us to pray for our enemies and those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Prayer Warriors put aside injustices. They forgive when forgiveness is not requested. They pray for the spiritual well-being for those who have hurt them. They pray that they will come to know Jesus as the only one who can reconcile them to God. We might have to get over the feeling that they do not deserve it, but we must remember neither did we. We must pray for others if we are going to be Prayer Warriors.
Prayer Warriors Trust God Fully. - 1 Timothy 2:1b
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf,
The word intercede here does not have the normal meaning of intercede that we are accustomed to because we are already told to “intercede” when we pray for all people. This use of intercede means to approach God with confidence in a way that shows you are well acquainted with them. This is what the first part of Hebrews 4:16 is talking about when it says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.” That’s what a Prayer Warrior does. When they go to God on behalf of another, they go to God with absolute confidence that God will come through and they know this because of their relationship with Jesus Christ. He might not come through in the exact way we ask, but God will come through in accordance with His will, in His timing, and in His perfect way. I’ve heard this referred to as the difference between a “Prayer Warrior” and a “Prayer Worrier”. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our fears upon Jesus because He cares for us. That means we bring everything, anxiety, care and worry to Jesus, then we leave them there because of our absolute confidence and faith in Jesus. We aren’t called to just complain to God about what we are worried about, but rather boldly go into the presence of God through Jesus Christ. We bring our prayers with absolute confidence in a God who is loving, faithful, and will not forsake us. This confidence is required for being a Prayer Warrior, but it is not easy at all. There are times that I find myself being a prayer worrier, I know God is always good, and I know He is always faithful, and I know that all things work for good for them that love the Lord, but I still find myself with doubts and worries. When I find myself in those positions I have to stop and pray for myself asking “I believe but help my unbelief.” The more we walk with Jesus, the more we learn to trust Him with everything and the greater Prayer Warrior we will become, boldly approaching the throne of grace with more and more confidence because we have tasted and seen that Jesus never fails.
Prayer Warriors See Blessings in Everything. - 1 Timothy 2:1
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
There is one thing that Paul still has as he equips Timothy to be a prayer warrior and that is to give thanks for those whom you have prayed for. Do you know any people you consider to be “Prayer Warriors”? As I was preparing this sermon, I couldn’t think of a single “Prayer Warrior” that I’ve known who didn’t have an attitude of thanksgiving that permeated all their lives. Prayer Warriors always have a reason to be thankful! 1 Thess. 5:18 tells us to give thanks not FOR every circumstance, but IN every circumstance because that is God’s will for us. It’s a call to give praise in the storm, to find the fingerprints of God in everything, and thank Him for His presence during those troubles. It’s not an expectation to be unrealistically positive or irrationally happy, but rather it’s a call to bring a sacrifice of praise. It’s a call to grieve but still find reasons to be thankful. It’s a call to hurt, but still find things to be thankful for. It’s a call to be angry at sin, but still be thankful. Giving thanks to God even during unpleasant circumstances will keep our hearts in the right relationship with Him. It saves us from a host of harmful emotions and attitudes that will rob us of the peace God wants us to experience. If you want to be a warrior, you need to start looking for God’s blessings in everything and thank God for them all in every circumstance.
It might seem surprising that prayer would be the primary focus when it comes to fighting for others, but it shouldn’t be. In John 11, we are told that Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them something. Out of everything the disciples could have asked for, they didn’t ask how to preach, they didn’t ask Him how to teach, they didn’t even ask Him how to win souls, but rather they asked Jesus how to pray. There is much more power in prayer than we know. Why did I bring up being a Prayer Warrior for Mother’s Day? Because I was blessed to experience the effects of a Mother and 2 Grandmothers who would go to battle for me in prayer every day and I’ll tell you, it’s something we need more of. We need more Prayer Warriors! We saw that it’s not just for a few select individuals, but rather it’s a call to everyone who calls themselves followers of Jesus. So this Mother’s day, will you commit yourself to becoming a Prayer Warrior. One who prays for others, both for their physical needs as well as their spiritual needs, will you be the one who will approach God in prayer in absolute confidence and when you fall short pray that God will strengthen your faith? Will you start to see blessings that are all around you and thank God for them? Will you commit to being a Prayer Warrior?
