“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1 KJV).
Have you ever had a crisis in your life? Have you needed an immediate answer to a situation? What did you do when you didn’t know what to do? Well, in 1 Timothy 2:1 you will find a prayer that will work for you.
The first prayer is supplications, which involves a written agreement. This is a prayer written down on paper. As you study the Word of God, you will see that people in the Word wrote their prayers (Act 4:2).
You must find the will of God in the Bible regarding your situation in order to pray the prayer of supplication. Jesus said in John 8:32, “If you continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
The Word does not say that the truth will make you free. It says that you shall know the truth and the truth that you know will set you free. Knowing the will of God means knowing what God’s Word says.
The word “prayers” in 1 Timothy 2:1 mean spiritual worship, which deals with the known and the unknown. We are to pray in known and unknown tongues.
First Corinthians 14:14-15 tells us: “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also….”
Praying with the spirit means there’s an entreaty by the Spirit. When we pray with the understanding, we are praying in our native or known language. Both prayer methods are necessary.
When we do not know how to pray for a person or in a crisis, the best option is to pray in the spirit, in unknown tongues. This way, we pray God’s perfect will be done in each and every situation. You see, the Spirit helps us pray when we don’t know what to pray. We can start out in our known tongue, and end up in unknown tongues, allowing the Spirit to help us pray.
This is the prayer that gets the job done. As we pray, God is working on the situation to work out in our favor.
Scripture References: John 8:31-32; 2 Tim. 2:15; Rom. 8:26-28
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).