1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NRSV)
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Chapter 2First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, Verse 2for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. Verse 3This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, Verse 4who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Verse 5For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, Verse 6who gave himself a ransom for all-this was attested at the right time. Verse 7For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Devotion
There is a saying in real-estate circles that the three most important elements are location, location, location. Paul attaches a similar importance to prayer. In the first verse of the reading, Paul urges "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings;" he exhorts us hearers, literally, to "regular exercise" of "prayers prayers prayers thanksgivings" (we note in the original the absence of any commas and the conjunction and; it's all of one piece).
For sure the translators' word choice captures the varied nuances of the four different vocabulary words all pointing to prayer. While we may appreciate the avoidance of monotony, it comes at the cost of the masking an additional nuance, namely, the primacy and importance of prayer in the believer's life. That nuance is signaled by the word first in the phrase "first of all." It points to prayer as being: in the first place, above all, especially. Note that Paul does not command prayer; rather he is at our side calling us to do as he himself does.
Prayer
Triune God, you invite us to prayer through Paul's exhortation, knowing its importance in our lives, an importance far greater than we imagine. Stir up in us your Holy Spirit, move powerfully among us, and awaken us to life-giving, life-thriving prayer. Amen.