First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and acceptable before God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For
there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth; I am not lying), a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth.
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
It is noteworthy when looking through Scripture, the difference prayer makes. “Thoughts and prayers” are not enough by themselves, but that is where people of faith need to start. And those without faith, calling on the name of the Lord to enter into the salvation that is theirs in Jesus.
Simply pray and pray simply. No ornamentation required or desired, though if that is natural or comes, of course that’s fine, either way a gift from God. From the heart. Sometimes muddling through as something we do no matter what our inner experience is.
I have been woefully bad at not keeping people in governing positions in prayer. That is definitely something I want to change. As for the rest, I’ve tried to stay faithful in that, hopefully expanding in scope as well as Spirit-helped prayers. But again, I can’t emphasize this enough: we just keep doing it as something we do in all our weakness, stumbling, and lostness in how to do it.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
And we do this not stopping, myself while being just as simply in Scripture, as well. God’s help to others through that, as well as to us when others pray for us.
Jesus community 