St. Paul reminds Timothy: “I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.” Notice that the emphasis is on everyone and kings and authority figures are especially pointed out.
Too often we pick and choose for whom we will pray. Sometimes we may even eliminate people from our prayer list because we feel that they are undeserving of prayer or that we simply do not like them. But St. Paul is clear: we should pray for everyone. Implicit in singling out kings are those whom we really do not like.
There is an old saying: “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Putting that in a spiritual context: we should pray for those whom we love and pray even more for those whom we dislike.
Perhaps you may wish to create a list of those you would like to remember in prayer. If you have such a list already, who is on it? Does your prayer list only have people that you know and like or those whom you feel are deserving of being remembered? How many of your “enemies” or “rivals” are on that list? Do you pray for those who are causing you problems or difficulties? Do you pray for those whose ideas or politics differ from your own?
Now re-read the quote from the letter to Timothy once again. Is there anyone you are excluding from your prayer intentions this week?
