I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4
This afternoon, I sat through a two-hour seminar addressing the idea of communicating effectively in the workplace, appealing to the emotional and analytical parts of the brain. I usually like to apply what I learn in these meetings to my life as a Christian.
As I’ve been thinking about the topic of influence, I came across an article penned by theologian John Stott on the importance of Christian influence in the world –
“The word influence can sometimes be used for a self-centered thirst for power, like in Dale Carnegie’s famous book How to Make Friends and Influence People. But it can also be used in an unselfish way of the desire of Christians who refuse to acquiesce to the status quo, who are determined to see things changed in society and long to have some influence for Jesus Christ.”
John Stott
Let’s consider the unselfish side of influence, don’t you agree?
Later in the article, Stott lists four different areas or disciplines where Christians can have an influence on the world and the first of those is referenced in the verses above.
Prayer is not a last-ditch effort in our lives, at least it should not be. Prayer as Paul wrote to Timothy was a first priority, not a second thought, to be made on behalf of all people, both the powerless and the powerful so that we can lead lives that point others to God, “who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
If you don’t have a prayer list, you should. Have a blessed weekend!
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