That We May Be Church

# 56 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 2:1,2, “ Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. (1 Tim 2:2,) As we gather for prayer and worship, we should be mindful of praying for the authorities. We ask that the One who placed the authorities in office, allowing them to rule, would cause them to allow the Church to “be church” We pray that we can conduct “kingdom business, “undisturbed.” We desire to live our lives in godliness and reverence. Godliness means holiness and so in this prayer we ask God to give us leaders who will not dictate morality to us so that are free to follow the guidelines for living as spelled out in Scripture. We don't want a government that paints us into the corner that Peter and John found themselves in Ac 5:29. They were ordered by the authorities to not teach in the name of Jesus, “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.” The trend of encroachment by the government into the realm of biblical based morality is evident and ought to have us all on our knees asking for the Lord's intervention. The courts and legislatures are passing laws that give license to sin, even bordering on demanding that churches forsake the Word of God and perform acts that are contrary to the Word of God! It is also the desire of the church to be able to live in such a way as to reverence God. The word reverence here is the idea of having the ability to perform one's duties as a citizen well. And we are not talking about citizenship in earthly kingdoms, but rather our citizenship in the kingdom of God. In short, “Father give us leaders that allow Your church to be church!” This matter of praying for those in authority has been neglected in the church for far too long. We spend far more time talking to others about it, rather than talking to the One who can truly do something about it!