Sermon or Lesson:  1 Timothy 2:8 (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

TITLE:  Be Men Of Prayer
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READ:  1 Timothy 2:8, with vv.1-4

BACKGROUND:
- - Believers are to be interceding in prayers for others and live peaceful and godly lives among our authority and community people, which pleases God and serves purposes in the furthering of His Kingdom.  (vv.1-4)
- - Believers are to live, herald, and teach an adequate knowledge of the truth information about Christ Jesus so that unbelieving persons around us can get saved as well.  (vv.4-7)
- - Let's next look at verse 8 to learn what else believers are instructed or appointed to do.

v.8 - READ

[Lesson Question:  Utilize key relating concepts contained in 1 Timothy chapter 1 through verse 2:7 in developing a practical approach to what and how men everywhere are to pray.]

SECTION POINT:  Men, who are believers, are assigned by God to excel at praying, and in particular, everywhere they are.

- - Because Paul has been appointed to be a herald, apostle, and teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles, by extension we believers are likewise to be promoters of the true faith to people around us, which "therefore" necessitates that we be devoted to praying.  (vv.7-8; Strong's #3767 (omitted in NIV))

"men everywhere... to pray"
- - Men are singled-out and cited here as the ones who are to especially excel at this assigned duty.
- - Everywhere they are, in every place or location or situation in life, men are to be stalwarts of prayer, taking the initiative in praying and not shirking (avoiding or neglecting) from opportunities to pray.
- - To be a man of prayer certainly requires that man to firmly possess a Kingdom perspective - comprehensively of everything in life.
- - The man of prayer does not carry on living life each day being oblivious to God, or to God's activities, or to God's purposes.
- - Instead, there is an ongoing awareness and alertness for how the things of God interweave into life.

Within the context of 1 Timothy so far, men of prayer should be regularly praying with "requests, intercession, and thanksgiving" for such things as:  (v.2:1)
- - for peaceful relations with "all those in authority";  (v.2:2)
- - for fellow believers to live quietly in "all godliness and holiness";  (v.2:2)
- - for unbelievers "to come to a knowledge of the truth" and "be saved";  (v.2:4)
- - for those persons who "have shipwrecked their faith";  (v.1:19)
- - and for the repentance and desisting of those persons who are believing, devoted to, and teaching "false doctrines, myths, and genealogies".  (vv.1:3-5)
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[Lesson Question:  Now add the implications of the phrase "lift up holy hands" to the approach you developed from the previous question.]

SECTION POINT:  The men are to pray from a holy spiritual and moral condition that comes from consistently living righteously.

"lift up holy hands"
- - The men are to pray with "holy hands", which means they have been maintaining personal integrity, authentically living righteously before God.
- - As they come before the Lord in prayer, the men are to have spiritually clean hands, living in conformity to God and His laws and not spiritually polluted from engaging in significant sin, wrongdoing, evil, or hypocrisy.
- - Notice the implication that God is less or not inclined to hear, accept, and answer prayers from a person who has 'sinful hands', having been engaging in significant sin.  (cf. Psalms 66:17-19)
- - And conversely, God is very much inclined to hear, accept, and answer prayers from a person who is living in righteousness, with 'holy hands', as stated in James 5:16b "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
- - Therefore, the men are to have appropriate and proper attitudes, thinking, speaking, actions, conduct at work, business dealings, and treatment of their family in order to acceptably pray with holy hands.
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[Lesson Question:  Now integrate the implications of the phrase "without anger or disputing" into the approach you have been developing from the previous questions.  And be sure to include any summary, overall, or conclusion implications.]

SECTION POINT:  The men are to pray also from a calm and peaceful demeanor and spiritual condition.

"without anger or disputing"
- - The men are to pray from a calm demeanor, not holding anger towards anyone or anything.
- - Similarly, the men are to pray from a relational state of condition that is characterized by being at peace with others, and perhaps even to the extent of being appropriately cooperative, collaborative, and agreeable with other people.
- - God does not like our anger or disputing, and clearly He does not want us to pray as men of prayer if we are prone to harboring anger or engaging in disputing.
- - Therefore, to be men of prayer necessitates exerting godly self-control when enduring and reacting to the mistreatment or inappropriateness from others.
- - Essentially, men of prayer will need to personally possess the faith perspective that ultimately God is in control, so entreat every situation to God in prayer and then entrust each situation to Him to deal with however He so chooses.  (v.23 in 1 Peter 2:20-23)
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IMPLICATIONS:
- - For men to make prayer a priority in this manner is good for the people in their group or organization, good for God's Kingdom, conducive for getting God to affirmatively answer their prayers, and good as a witness to other observing unbelievers.
- - Being men of prayer like this is not only submitting to God, but it is also actively participating in God's program and setting a good example and model for others to follow.
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BIG IDEA:  God intends for men to be men of prayer, with personal holiness, calmness, and peacefulness.

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APPLICATIONS:

- - For each of you men who are true believers in Christ Jesus, are you a man of prayer?  If not, why not?
- - By the way, this assignment from God to be men of prayer is not limited to men only.  Each of you women, who are true believers in Christ Jesus, can become a woman of prayer just like the men.

- - Are each of you men and women believers willing to commit yourself to hereafter excel at praying, taking time and effort to pray "for everyone" in the various situations you encounter in life?  (v.2:1)
- - Can you make it a habit to pray for people immediately then and there when they come to your attention, not waiting until later because then you might be too busy or forget?

- - Are each of you men and women believers willing to pursue and maintain personal integrity, authentically living righteously before God?
- - Are you willing to put in extra time and effort to also maintain a calm and peaceful demeanor and spiritual condition, training yourself to no longer escalate into anger and to no longer engage in disputing?  (cf. v.4:7b)

- - For each of you who hereupon becomes a man or woman of prayer, be aware and assured that "this is good and pleases God our Savior".  (v.3)
- - God wants you to do this, so why not start right now and henceforth be a man or woman of prayer.
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[Additional Lesson Question to ponder (optional, if time allows):
- - Have you ever prayed aloud with a person you were angry with or had been arguing with?  Describe the thoughts and feelings you had while you were praying aloud, and while the other person was praying aloud.]
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Works Cited:
Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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File name: 1Timothy2_8-SermonOrLesson.___ (.htm, .doc, .pdf)
Translation used: NIV, quoted or referred to in various places within this document
Source: www.BelieverAssist.com
Updated: September 23, 2016