Leading with Prayer and Purpose
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:1–6
Prayer isn’t passive. It’s leadership on mission!
Are we praying like the Gospel matters to everyone, or just to us?
If we are truly honest, there are people we don’t want to pray for. The coworker. The political figure. The relative who makes holidays less joyful. We don’t want to pray for them because in our mind we don’t think they deserve our prayers. I get it. It’s challenging to pray for people you are challenged by.
In this passage in his letter to Timothy, Paul doesn’t say “pray for people who are easy.” He says ALL PEOPLE. Why? Because it pleases God. And God’s desire is clear – for all people to be saved and to know the truth. That's at the heart of the Gospel.
Paul's letter(s) to Timothy serve a couple purposes. One, he's giving Timothy good instruction on how to lead the church in Ephesus well. Two, he's guiding him, as a spiritual father to a spiritual son, encouraging and reminding why he (and we) do this – Jesus.
So what's the “aha” here in this passage from chapter 2? Prayer is a frontline ministry. Our personal prayer ministry should be our most consistent and powerful ministry. We don’t have to go across the world to do it. We don’t have to raise money or gather people together to make it happen. Just you and the Lord having sometimes sweet and sometimes rough conversations.
Hear me. I’m not writing this because I’m awesome at prayer. This is as much confession and repentance for me as a call to action for you. I struggle in my prayer life. I have days where I rant more than I pray. But I also know what happens when I stop and genuinely pray. My mind changes. My words change. My heart becomes more like Christ’s.
When we don’t pray, we drift into frustration, cynicism, or apathy. When we only pray for “our people,” we lose sight of God's bigger plan. When we claim to lead but don’t intercede, we’re leading ourselves, not others to Him.
You want to lead with impact? Start with prayer. Not the kind where you rush through names like a roll call, but the kind where you actually plead with God for people, even (especially) the difficult ones. The powerful ones. The lost.
How can you lead in prayer each week?
Pick a time each day—set a reminder if you need to.
Pray by name for:
One person in authority (government, boss, coach, pastor).
One person who’s far from God.
One person who challenges you.
Don’t just ask God to fix them—pray they come to know Jesus.
This isn’t about changing people into who you want them to be. It’s about asking God to bring them into the truth of who He is.
Picture it—one day in heaven, someone you thought would never believe is standing next to you in worship. And maybe—just maybe—your prayer was part of the story God used to bring them home.
Lord, teach me to lead through prayer. Let my words reflect Your heart and my desires align with Your will. I lift up those in authority and those far from You—may they come to know the truth and find life in Christ. And help me, when it’s hard, to trust You with those I’d rather avoid. In Jesus’ name, Amen.