What is needed for church health? Paul tells his younger protégé of the importance of good leadership. This includes shutting down those who would lead the people astray. In the second chapter, Paul gives instructions for the whole church. He urges them to pray. Again, his language is forceful. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving be made for everyone. Prayer is of first importance. What should everyone do? They should pray.

Prayer is a means of grace, i.e., through prayer Christ communicates to us all the benefits of our salvation. The Apostles (in Acts 6) said that their primary duty was the ministry of the Word and prayer. Prayer is of first importance because prayer is communication with the Almighty.

Prayer is like the foundation of a house. The foundation must be laid first. It must be laid correctly. No honest builder will scrimp on the foundation. Even though no one will ever see the foundation, it is very important. Can you imagine a builder planning a big building and forgetting to put in the foundation? Yet that is exactly what we do with our Christian lives if we do not heed the call to lay the foundation with prayer. We plan ministries without the ongoing foundation of prayer. When they falter, why are we surprised?

Paul describes different types of prayer: requests, prayers, petitions and thanksgiving. These are different and suggest that there are different types of prayer. We are told to cast all our cares upon the Lord because he cares for us, but not all prayer is asking for the things we want. Sometimes we intercede for others, wrestling in prayer as if their situation was our own. Sometimes we offer prayers of thanks and praise. We do not want to be like the nine lepers who were healed by Jesus and who did not return to offer thanks. We have had studies of the different types of prayer and have practiced them. We want to be growing in our understanding of prayer and especially in our practice.

Yet Paul is not just telling us that there are different types of prayer. He is urging us to pray, pray, pray. We often hear the call to pray and nod in agreement. We know it is important, yet it is difficult to do. Praying alone can be difficult. Praying with others can be more so. That is why Paul urges us to pray.

There is an old saying: the family that prays together stays together. It is a truism that most people acknowledge and statistics support. Yet the actual practice of families coming together for the express purpose of reading the Bible and praying seems to be vanishing from our Christian culture. Note: it does not say that families who believe in prayer stay together. It is not bare "belief" but belief that is supported by actual practice that has an effect.

If prayer is so important, why is so little of our time dedicated to it? Why is it difficult to gather people to pray? Why, when all are invited to pray do only 2 or 3 show up? Perhaps its is because we do not know how to pray. Perhaps it is because prolonged prayer is hard work and we are not used to such labor. Perhaps it is because prayer, like God himself, is a little scary to us. The most likely reason is that few of us have ever experienced the joy, peace and intimacy with God and others that such prayer gives. Like the disciples, we need to ask our Lord to teach us to pray. This is both teaching us how to pray, but also teaching us the habit of prayer.

Praying together is the key to our spiritual life together. Until we have prayed, we have not begun to do anything in the Lord. Unless the Lord builds a house, they labor in vain who build it (Psalm 127:1). Just as fire needs oxygen in order to burn, revival needs prayer. We are doers who want to be doing something for God. We do and do only to find our efforts fizzle out. Is it not because we have not really prayed?

Paul tells us that we should pray for our rulers so we would not be hindered in living godly lives and may have the freedom to share the gospel. We are to pray that all men may know that Jesus Christ is the one Mediator between God and men. We are to lift holy hands in prayer rather than fight and dispute. How often it is the case that we lack love for one another because we have not humbly come together in prayer before the Almighty, before whom, all petty issues evaporate.

The Church at Ephesus had problems. False teachers were pulling people away from the gospel and bringing division to the church. Paul told Timothy to stop those who were leading it astray. That was the job for the leaders. His first instruction for the whole church was to urge them to pray. This urging is for us as well: to learn of prayer, to grow in prayer and to pray. It is my hope that we will grow as a praying church, that we will be able to pray together as easily as we converse together, that we would be known as a praying church.