January 26, 2025

716 I Urge That Prayers Be Made For All People and Leaders, A Guided Christian Meditation on 1 Timothy 2:1-4 with the Recenter With Christ app

19 minutes

The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.

Get into a place where you can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tensing or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes. Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation: Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Scripture for Meditation

1 Timothy 2

NABRE

1First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, 2 for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. 3 This is good and pleasing to God our savior, 4 who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.

ESV 1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Meditation on Scripture:

In the earliest days of Christianity there were severe conflicts with those who professed God to be the King, and the Roman government who held their emperor to be not only the king but also a god. These Christians suffered for their beliefs and they ultimately hoped most for a system that would allow them to be left alone to worship God as they saw fit. They desired the freedom to live out a peaceful and quiet life. Many early Christians would tried to establish the difference that they would not pray to the emperor but they would pray to God on behalf of the emperor that he would make good decisions. Tertulian is often seen as one of the greatest early western theologians and the first Latin theologian. He said the following regarding the Roman leaders of the time:

We pray for life prolonged; for security to the empire; for protection to the imperial house; for brave armies, a faithful senate, a virtuous people, the world at rest, whatever, as man or Cæsar, an emperor would wish. These things I cannot ask from any but the God from whom I know I shall obtain them,

How grateful we should be that we have exactly the kind of freedom that those early Christians longed for. They recognized that it was God alone that could grant peace. As the free nations of the world have the opportunity to participate in selecting their leaders, as early Christians did not, may we remember to pray to God for their success because true and lasting success can only come from God. God is the one in control of salvation and eternity. This scripture says God wants all people to be saved. Our greatest interest should be to share God's goal of bringing the love of God to all, and to prioritize the things of God, even as we live in a fallen world. May God allow us to live, as it says in this scripture, a quiet life of peace.

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.

Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:

This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast

Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?

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