TITLE: “Prayer without Wrath and Doubting”

In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our text for tonight is from the Epistle lesson of I Timothy 2, with focus on the words, Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men…for kinds and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

This is a time of great turmoil in our country, with the election chaos in Florida continuing like it has a life of its own. No one seems to know what is happening, or what to do in the process. We Americans don’t like to be out of control. It’s much easier when there is a big majority and things are clear and neat. But what about now? What if the wrong candidate gets elected, whichever you consider the “wrong candidate” to be? Will God stop blessing our country? How will we give thanks after such a mess?

These questions were not all that different in the time of Paul, when He wrote his letter to Timothy. Political intrigue, assassinations and fraud were part and parcel of the Roman government at the time. There were times when you had competing factions each claiming to be the legitimate heir of Caesar. How was the Christian to choose what was right and what was wrong? And furthermore, how could a Christian participate at all in a process that seemed so ugly and ungodly?

It is interesting in the light of this that the first thing Paul exhorts young Timothy to do is to pray for all men, but especially for those in authority such as kings. Why is that? When we think of prayer, we often limit God. I don’t want to burden God too much. I mean, He’s a busy man, and He doesn’t have much time, so I want to get to the important things, such as what I need. He can only hear so much. And anyway, how could God get involved in such a mess as politics? But Paul doesn’t see it that way. Paul exhorts us to pray with thanksgiving for all men, not just for some. And he especially says we should pray for our leaders and those in authority over us.

So how can God hear all those prayers? How can He know all of our needs, and make sense of all of it? I mean, He is so vast and infinite, and my problems seem so small by comparison. And yet He calls on me to pray for the big things and for the little. He calls on me to look at my whole life with thanksgiving. That is, God wants me to look at everything around me, everything I have, and everything I am as a gift from Him. That’s what thanksgiving is about, isn’t it?

Martin Luther put it best in His explanation to the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

Think of that list! Everything, big and little, all the way down to the shoestrings in your shoes are gifts from our Heavenly Father. But now think back to that list, and think of how many of them are based on living a peaceful life, with a government and people over you to take care of you. Your body, your health, everything you own, and everything you eat and drink. Defense again danger and evil. This is God’s work. He does it because He loves you more than anything else in the world. His love for you is so great that He gave His Son Jesus Christ as a ransom for all, that will be shown on the Last Day.

But how does He do it? How does God make all this stuff happen that we are so thankful for? He does it through people. Fathers, mothers, teachers, policemen, government officials both appointed and elected, grocers, farmers, and a whole host of others named and unnamed. God uses all of these people as his hands and feet to take care of you.

So it shouldn’t surprise us that our Lord wants us to pray for those in authority over us. He is the One who ultimately is in authority over us, and He uses these others as His instruments to do good and to punish evil. All of this happens on earth so that His Gospel can be preached to the world. Remember, our Lord showers many of His gifts on the righteous and the unrighteous alike. He feeds and clothes the whole world, in His own time and in His way.

So pray without wrath and doubting! Our Lord is in charge, and He exhorts us to pray to Him without ceasing. He promises to hear our prayers, and to answer them according to His good and gracious will. We may look at what is happening as a sign that things are falling apart, and perhaps from our view they are. And yet, God will take care of you, just like he took care of Paul and Timothy and all the saints who have gone before us. Now that’s something to be thankful for.

Let us give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy endures forever. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Thanksgiving Eve (Nov. 22, 2000)

I Timothy 2:1-8