Prayer is an essential part of life for God’s people.  Paul urged Timothy to make sure that prayer remained his priority and an essential part of the church’s life.  Not just praying for themselves, but for everybody in the community especially those people who had power.  Even though the rulers at that time did not believe in Jesus, God still had the right to direct their behaviour.  

It is tough at the top of any organisation, and especially for those with political and military power.  Although they may not know it, they act as God’s agents (Romans 13:1-7), and He wants communities to be good places to live, where peace provides space for the church and the Gospel message to grow.

God wants the governing authorities to let people hear the Gospel, so that the people may turn to the Lord and be saved.  Although the church does grow under persecution, there is blessing for a country when the government allows the people of God to worship and teach the Bible publicly.  God is not just interested in Christians; He loved the whole world and sent Jesus to pay for the sins of every person in the world (John 3:16).  So, God is pleased whenever someone repents, giving their lives to Jesus.

We should pray for community leaders that they will not obstruct the Gospel.  It is right to ask God to take action to soften the hearts of the power-holders, and pray God’s blessing on them.  It is right to thank God for all His blessings which come to the community and the church through the government.  Christians who do not pray for the local, national and global power-holders need to take Paul’s instruction to Timothy as a personal message to revise their prayer life.