The 6:4 Fellowship - Pastors Committed to Prayer and the Ministry of the Word

This was the reality Paul faced as he wrote to his young disciple Timothy, who was leading the church in the city of Ephesus.  The Roman government of Paul’s day was rife with corruption and antagonism.  Rome was ruled by the shameless and murderous emperor Nero.  He actually burned Rome just to create antagonism toward Christians, whom he falsely blamed for the destruction.  Under his rule, the most virtuous citizens of Rome were put to death and countless Christians were martyred.  It was also during his reign that a war broke out between the Jews and Romans, which eventually resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

Nero was the emperor before whom Paul appeared during his first imprisonment at Rome.  His determination to exterminate Christians eventually resulted in the death of Paul, Peter, and countless other church leaders.

Praying in the Shadow of Corruption and Martyrdom

Paul wrote to his young disciple Timothy after his first imprisonment, just a few years before the seasoned leader would be martyred in Rome.  Timothy was seeking to establish the church in the city of Ephesus, which was filled with idolatry and magic.  Paul’s last visit to Ephesus resulted in a riot as he confronted the false religions of the city.

The young church of Jesus Christ in Ephesus and elsewhere was facing constant attack from the pagan culture, the corrupt government, and the devil himself.  Yet the power of the gospel was on the march.  Congregations were being established.  Paul clearly understood the trials of living under the cruel rule of Rome, but he was more convinced of the power of the Gospel, the privilege of prayer, and the promise of peace. 

With this conviction in mind, he penned these words to Timothy:

The Big Question

Clearly, prayer was the first resolve of the New Testament church.  Sadly, it is often the last resort of the contemporary church.  But the query that seems obvious to me is, “Why were these Christians, under such miserable circumstances and pagan rulers, supposed to pray for their political leaders?” Was it to change these Roman emperors? Was it to see the government overthrown? One thing is clear in this passage.  The purpose of these prayers is stated, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (v.2).

With the release of my new book, Transforming Prayer, where I present the life-changing purpose of prayer, discussions like this surface often these days.  Accordingly, I would suggest that the main goal Paul had in mind in this passage is that Christians would be changed as they prayed.  Through their intimacy with Christ they would be empowered to respond to the oppressive circumstances in a powerful fashion – with quiet, peaceable, godly, and reverent attitudes and lives.  They would then advance Christ’s agenda that men would be saved, just as Paul was embracing his call as a preacher of the Good News (vv. 5-7).  He wanted the life-changing power of these prayers to be so authentic that he went on to write, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (v. 8).

Transformed to Live as Light

The problem in our world is not the pervasiveness of the darkness.  It is the failure of the light.  As we pray, we should not focus on praying against the darkness but for a greater experience of the life and light of Jesus Christ.  Light always decimates darkness.  As prayer changes us, we become more radiant and powerful agents of the light of the Gospel.

Sadly, we have often become so misguided in our prayers, always asking God to change things around us, that we have become unresponsive to His power to effect change within us – then through us.  In the end, too many things remain unchanged – in fact, they get worse – in the culture around us as we miss the point of the power of intimate communion with the living Christ through prayer.

Prayers of the Persecuted

In a similar vein, I am reminded of what Jesus said: “Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).  Why should we do this? Jesus gives the clear purpose, “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:45). Again, the focus is the change that needs to occur in us.

Two incredible examples stand out.  Jesus, as He hung on a cross suffering unspeakable injustice and torment, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).  Similarly, Stephen, as his body was being crushed by massive, pain-inflicting stones, looked to His Christ in heaven and prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” then cried out, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:59-60).  The conspirators of both of these death scenes saw light penetrating darkness through divinely-inspired prayers.

The Power of Transforming Prayer

I am convinced that our prayers are misfiring and our testimonies are underperforming.  We need to rediscover prayer as a transforming intimacy that changes the way we think, act, and react.  I do not think our primary problem is Osama, Obama, or our mama.  Rather, contemporary Christians are failing to experience the power of prayer to release “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ...that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).