Dear God… – July 27, 2022
Read: 1 Timothy 2:1-7
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
Dear God…
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“Dear God, please give me a new doll.”
“Dear God, please make me a better basketball player.”
“Dear God, please give me a new Nintendo Switch or a new PlayStation.”
“Dear God, please make sure I get an ‘A’ on this test.”
“Please, God, help me with…”
God tells us that he wants us to talk to him about all the things we need and want. But if we aren’t careful, our prayers can just turn into a long list of the things we want God to do for us. God wants us to talk to him about more than just the things we want.
Think about today’s Bible reading. Look who God also wants us to pray for and talk to him about—all people! Our neighbors, our family, our government, even people we don’t like! Why would God want us to pray for all people? Look again at what he tells us.
God wants all people to be saved. God wants us to pray for others because he wants all people to be with him in heaven. He wants everyone to know what you know—that Jesus is our Savior and has forgiven all of our sins. He wants everyone to know what you know—that Jesus loves us and wants to be with him forever.
So how does that happen? Maybe a good place to start would be to talk to God about it! Talk to God about the people in your life—your family, your neighbors… everyone! Talk to God not only about the things you need, but the most important thing all of us need—a Savior. Then, be bold in talking to people about Jesus and see how God answers your prayers!
Closing Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for wanting me to talk to you about all my wants and needs. Help me to remember to talk to you about all the people you have put in my life. Use me to talk to them about all you have done for them so that they will be with you forever too. Amen.
The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.
Questions for Younger Children
- Who are some people in your life that you would like to pray for?
- List at least one thing you want to talk to God about for each of those people.
Questions for Elementary Age Children
- How many people does God want to come to faith?
- Can you think of anyone who might be hard to talk to God about? What makes it difficult to pray for them?
Questions for Middle School and Above
- Paul encourages us to pray for our government. What blessings or benefit do we receive from good government?
- God want us to pray for all people because he wants all people to be saved. How does this help us pray for all people? What are some things we might pray for the people in our lives?
