1 Timothy 2:1-4 
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” (NLT)

“The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.” (MSG)

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As you make out your To-Do list for today, you might want to start with the Apostle Paul’s To-Pray list. Notice some of his primary prayer concerns:

1. Pray for everyone.
2. Ask God to help each individual. 
3. Seek God’s highest and best for every person.
4. Give thanks to God for everyone, yes, even him or her.
5. Pray for elected and appointed authorities. 

Why should we pray like this for all these people? “So that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”

Also, “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.”

* It’s good for them and for us.
* It pleases God.
* It benefits everyone along the way toward salvation.
* It helps everyone understand the truth.

Peaceful and quiet lives sound pretty good, don’t they? I mean, come on, have you been to a mall lately? Have you watched the evening news? Have you driven in traffic around construction sites? Malls, news media, and traffic each provide ample opportunity for prayer. 

Let us pray as we begin our day and as we navigate along our way.

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I will pray for the kind of world where we can all live in godliness and dignity.

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Our Father, help me see others the way you see them and pray according to your will for their highest and best outcomes. Thank you for this privilege of prayer, of joining you in distributing your grace, mercy, and peace. Thank you for teaching us what to pray for regarding authority figures. Bless us with peaceful and quiet lives through how we live and how we pray. Amen.