These verses from 1 Timothy 2 where posted in my GoTandem daily bible readings this morning.  The timing of these verses was exceptionally well timed for me. I was not sure how to digest the news unfolding in Paris with over 100 dead and hundreds more injured, all resulting from AK47 fire and suicide bombs.

The answer for me was simple.  I need to pray first before I do anything else, pray every way I know how, pray for everyone I know and pray for our leaders and our governments to rule well.

Along with prayer, live quietly, simply and humbly.

And; He wants everyone to be saved, learning the truth “that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free.”

The verses close with a reminder to pray first and not raise angry hands but holy hands to Him.

I will close with a quote from a commentary on these verses (here is a link)

“It suffices that we know God longs to rescue us from undesirable circumstances. We need no more know those circumstances exactly than we need to know exactly what married life would be like when we venture upon it, or to know exactly how miserable we would be to betray our beloved.

Faith knows that God delivers us from a worse condition — a condition so much worse as to require Jesus’ life to save us.”

1 Timothy 2:1-3 The Message (MSG)

Simple Faith and Plain Truth

2 ^1-3 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.

^4-7 He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

⁸ Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. 

1 Timothy 2:1-10 (NIV)

Instructions on Worship

2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. ⁷ And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

⁸ Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.

More learnings about 1 Timothy 2:1-10 @ Textweek.com