Introduction
Are you following Jesus in a way that keeps the main thing the main thing, or have you “lost the plot” by living off sermons, songs, and church activity while neglecting real communion with God? The central teaching I want to press into your heart is this: sound doctrine is meant to lead us into living devotion, and the primary expression of that devotion is prayer.
We’ve been studying 1 Timothy through the lens of what is trustworthy, because churches (meaning people, not buildings) can drift, and God uses His Word to set things back in order. Chapter 1 grounded us in trustworthy doctrine, the “rules of the game,” so to speak: grace not legalism, Jesus not personalities, disciples of Christ not disciples of a brand. But doctrine that never becomes devotion is still missing the point. I’ll give you a picture of what I mean. I took my son to his first college basketball game. He was thrilled: the shirt, the excitement, telling strangers about the game, wide-eyed walking into the stadium. But once the game started, it didn’t take long before he lost interest and asked, “What do you want to do now?” He was surrounded by everything connected to the game, but he missed the purpose of being there. He lost the plot. We do this in life with lawns, careers, even marriages, good things that become crowded by secondary things until we forget the actual purpose. And tragically, we can do this in church too: getting excited about the building, the people, the music, the sermon, the serving… while missing the whole point, knowing God. That’s why 1 Timothy 2 begins where it does. Paul moves from doctrine straight into devotion: “Therefore I exhort first of all…” (1 Tim. 2:1). First of all, before strategies, before structures, before anything else, pray.
Main Points
Are you following Jesus in a way that keeps the main thing the main thing, or have you “lost the plot” by living off sermons, songs, and church activity while neglecting real communion with God? The central teaching I want to press into your heart is this: sound doctrine is meant to lead us into living devotion, and the primary expression of that devotion is prayer.
We’ve been studying 1 Timothy through the lens of what is trustworthy, because churches (meaning people, not buildings) can drift, and God uses His Word to set things back in order. Chapter 1 grounded us in trustworthy doctrine, the “rules of the game,” so to speak: grace not legalism, Jesus not personalities, disciples of Christ not disciples of a brand. But doctrine that never becomes devotion is still missing the point.
I’ll give you a picture of what I mean. I took my son to his first college basketball game. He was thrilled: the shirt, the excitement, telling strangers about the game, wide-eyed walking into the stadium. But once the game started, it didn’t take long before he lost interest and asked, “What do you want to do now?” He was surrounded by everything connected to the game, but he missed the purpose of being there. He lost the plot.
We do this in life with lawns, careers, even marriages, good things that become crowded by secondary things until we forget the actual purpose. And tragically, we can do this in church too: getting excited about the building, the people, the music, the sermon, the serving… while missing the whole point, knowing God.
That’s why 1 Timothy 2 begins where it does. Paul moves from doctrine straight into devotion: “Therefore I exhort first of all…” (1 Tim. 2:1). First of all, before strategies, before structures, before anything else, pray.
Don’t Lose The Plot Of Church
The point isn’t that you arrived at a service, enjoyed a message, or recognized a leader. None of those are bad. But they are not the goal.
The goal is relationship with the living God, real fellowship, real dependence, real love that continues when no one is watching. When church becomes a weekly experience instead of a living communion, we’ve drifted into the same problem my son had at the game: we came near the action, but we missed the essence.
Paul’s flow in 1 Timothy shows a trustworthy church is not merely accurate; it’s alive. Doctrine matters, but the purpose of doctrine is devotion.
Prayer Is First On The List
Paul writes:
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made…” (1 Tim. 2:1)
“First of all” means prayer isn’t an accessory; it’s foundational. It’s one of the primary ways God keeps a church from becoming about secondary things.
When I compare the early church to us, one of the strongest threads in Acts is not their production quality, their novelty, or their platforms, it’s that they gathered and prayed in moments of trial, confusion, and need. Over and over, you see believers unified in prayer.
In contrast, many modern churches treat music as non-negotiable (and singing is a beautiful gift), but we often treat prayer as optional or awkward. Acts mentions singing explicitly far less than it highlights prayer (see Acts 16 for a powerful moment of worship in prison), but prayer is the steady heartbeat of the early church’s life with God.
So I want you to imagine: what would church culture look like if we took prayer as seriously as we take singing? If we prayed every time we gathered, prayed longer, planned around prayer, not just around what can be done on a stage? Part of the reason prayer gets neglected is because sermons, songs, and serving can be done publicly without requiring private devotion. But prayer brings us back to what is personal, unseen, and faith-filled.
Jesus taught that there is unique reward in the secret place, going to the Father when no one is watching (implied from Jesus’ teaching on private prayer, Matthew 6:6). Prayer is where we stop performing spirituality and start practicing relationship.
Prayer Is Not For Sale
One of the most beautiful things about prayer is that no one can corner the market on it.
There’s no special personality who must pray for you as though access to God is a product. There’s no elite class needed to stand between you and the Lord as if you must rent spiritual connection through them. By God’s grace, through Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit, believers are invited into direct communion with God.
That means: you don’t need a building, a stage, or a seminary degree to pray. You need childlike faith that God is real, present, and receptive to your approach.
This is part of why prayer is so trustworthy as a foundation for church order: it decentralizes spiritual power away from performance and returns it to personal dependence on God.
As E.M. Bounds said (paraphrased faithfully): what the church needs is not better machinery or newer methods, but people whom the Holy Spirit can use, people mighty in prayer. The Spirit does not flow through methods but through people; He does not anoint plans but people of prayer.
Prayer Grows From Sound Doctrine
Paul doesn’t treat prayer as vague spirituality. He lists forms of prayer that assume we know who God is:
- Supplications: asking God to supply needs
- Prayers: the broad category of communion and requests
- Intercessions: praying on behalf of others
- Thanksgiving: gratitude that remembers God’s goodness
All of that is shaped by doctrine, because prayer can be “co-opted” by any spirituality under the sun. But Christian prayer rests on revealed truth: God has a name, God has spoken, and God has made a way through His Son. We don’t pray to “the universe.” We pray to the God who has made Himself known and invites His people near.
So I want you to feel this connection: great preaching should produce great praying. The goal of learning Scripture is not to win arguments or become spiritual lawyers. The goal is to respond to God’s invitation into relationship.
Supplication: Asking Like A Child
Supplication means I bring real needs to a real Father.
This only makes sense if I truly believe what Scripture reveals: God is not distant; He is Father. That fatherhood is not sentimental; it is providing, attentive, and wise. Jesus taught us to pray to “our Father in heaven” (implied by the Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9), and He used everyday parenting logic: if earthly fathers supply their children, how much more will our heavenly Father care for us (implied by Jesus’ teaching, Matthew 7:11).
Watch children with their parents and you’ll understand supplication: bold asking, persistent knocking, confident dependence. This isn’t entitlement; it’s relationship.
So I train you gently here: bring your needs to God plainly. Don’t wait until you “deserve” to ask. Ask because He is Father.
Bold Prayer Under The Banner Of Grace
One of the biggest prayer-killers is legalism, the feeling that because you’ve been inconsistent, sinful, distracted, or spiritually “off,” you can’t approach God.
But the doctrine of grace directly fuels prayer. Hebrews says:
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)
We come boldly not because we are worthy, but because Jesus is worthy and sympathetic, our great High Priest (Heb. 4:14–16). Every time you pray, you are taking a doctrinal stand: God is gracious, Christ has opened access, and mercy is available now.
If you haven’t prayed in years, a month, or even a week, the moment you begin again, revival begins, not because your theology became perfect overnight, but because you returned to grace.
Intercession: Joining God’s Heart For Others
As we grow in prayer, God matures us beyond self-focused requests into shared concern for others. Intercession is praying on behalf of people, bringing their needs before God, aligning our hearts with His compassion, and participating in what He loves to do.
James teaches:
“Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16)
And then James immediately lowers the intimidation factor:
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours…” (James 5:17)
In other words, don’t disqualify yourself. Intercession isn’t reserved for spiritual superheroes. God invites ordinary believers, people like us, to pray fervently and meaningfully.
So I want you to practice this: name people, leaders, friends, and those who are suffering. Pray for healing, repentance, wisdom, salvation, endurance. You’re not manipulating God; you’re joining Him.
Prayer With Gratitude And Gospel Purpose
Paul doesn’t only say to pray, he tells us who to pray for:
“…be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (1 Tim. 2:1–2)
We pray broadly (“all people”), and we pray specifically for leaders, even when it’s hard. Why? So society can have stability that allows believers to live with godliness and reverence, and so the gospel can continue to move forward.
Then Paul roots the entire prayer-life of the church in God’s heart and Christ’s work:
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:3–4)
Our praying is meant to harmonize with God’s saving desire and mission.
And the foundation is this:
“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all…” (1 Tim. 2:5–6)
Prayer is not wishful thinking; it is gospel-shaped access. We pray through Jesus, the one Mediator, because He ransomed us. That means prayer is both intimate and anchored: intimate because we come as children; anchored because we come through Christ alone.
Paul ends this section by reminding Timothy of his calling to testify to this truth (1 Tim. 2:7). The church’s praying and the church’s preaching belong together. A praying church should be a proclaiming church, because the same gospel that gives us access to God is the gospel God wants carried to the nations.
Conclusion
A trustworthy church is both doctrinally sound and devotionally alive. The danger is not merely false teaching; it’s losing the plot, building a church life around secondary things while neglecting the primary thing: knowing God.
Paul’s correction is simple and deep: first of all, pray (1 Tim. 2:1). Prayer cannot be replaced by singing, serving, learning, or attending. Those can support devotion, but they cannot substitute for communion with God.
So here is my gentle challenge to you: don’t wait until you “feel spiritual” to pray. Come boldly to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). Ask like a child. Intercede like family. Give thanks like someone who has been rescued. And let doctrine do what it was always meant to do, lead you into devotion.
Father in heaven, forgive us for the ways we have lost the plot. Forgive us for treating church activity as a substitute for knowing You. Teach us to pray, first, truly first, above our habits, our preferences, and our comfort.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the one Mediator who brought us near by giving Yourself as a ransom. Because of You, we come boldly to the throne of grace.
Holy Spirit, awaken our devotion. Make us a praying people, full of supplication, steady in prayer, faithful in intercession, and rich in thanksgiving. Help us pray for all people, for leaders and authorities, and for the spread of the gospel, because You desire that people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
We ask for revival in our private lives, in our homes, and in our church, not for our name, but for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Conclusion
A trustworthy church is both doctrinally sound and devotionally alive. The danger is not merely false teaching; it’s losing the plot, building a church life around secondary things while neglecting the primary thing: knowing God.
Paul’s correction is simple and deep: first of all, pray (1 Tim. 2:1). Prayer cannot be replaced by singing, serving, learning, or attending. Those can support devotion, but they cannot substitute for communion with God.
So here is my gentle challenge to you: don’t wait until you “feel spiritual” to pray. Come boldly to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). Ask like a child. Intercede like family. Give thanks like someone who has been rescued. And let doctrine do what it was always meant to do, lead you into devotion.
Closing Prayer
Father in heaven, forgive us for the ways we have lost the plot. Forgive us for treating church activity as a substitute for knowing You. Teach us to pray, first, truly first, above our habits, our preferences, and our comfort.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the one Mediator who brought us near by giving Yourself as a ransom. Because of You, we come boldly to the throne of grace.
Holy Spirit, awaken our devotion. Make us a praying people, full of supplication, steady in prayer, faithful in intercession, and rich in thanksgiving. Help us pray for all people, for leaders and authorities, and for the spread of the gospel, because You desire that people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.
We ask for revival in our private lives, in our homes, and in our church, not for our name, but for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.