Men meet on the first Saturday of every month to enjoy a hearty breakfast, biblical devotional, and a special time of prayer together. In September, they focused their prayer efforts on our government.

About 15 men gathered to eat, learn, and pray for our elected officials at the national, state, and local levels. They also prayed for law enforcement, education, families, and the church.

The devotional was from 1 Timothy 2:1-2: "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, [2] for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."

The overarching purpose of government is to maintain peace and order. Government is somewhat of a tangible image of the law of God in that it is used to identify and punish sinful behavior and there is peace and order when we function within the parameters of the laws.

Paul reminds us in chapter 1 that the law of God is good (1 Timothy 1:8-9): "But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers."

We see elsewhere in scripture that we are to be in subjection under these authorities that God has put over us. (See Romans 13, 1 Peter 2.) God is a god of peace and order.

It is through the natural rhythms of life that God uses circumstances to point lost image bearers to Himself. As with everything that God sets in motion, Satan cunningly uses that template and twists it to instill chaos. This has played itself out throughout time since creation, the garden, until now.

What God has called His church to do is to use this mechanism of prayer to call on Him with the most urgent and pressing need for men, their salvation. For it is only through salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus, that men can know God.

We need to remember that our purpose is not to pursue and create a peaceful and tranquil society as the end-all. A peaceful and tranquil society is a result of men’s hearts being turned toward God through faith in Christ Jesus. If the society in which we live is chaotic, it is simply a result of the evil in men’s hearts manifesting itself.

The Church, and we as men, are called to go to God on behalf of all men, kings, and all in authority.

Join us next month on October 2 at 8 a.m.!