1 Timothy 2:1 Meaning and Explanation
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Before anything else in the life of God's people, Paul asks for prayer, and prayer that reaches out to everyone.
The Context of 1 Timothy 2:1
Paul is writing to his younger coworker Timothy, who is leading the church in Ephesus. Having warned against false teaching in chapter 1, Paul now turns to what the gathered church should do, and the very first thing he calls for is prayer.
What Does 1 Timothy 2:1 Mean?
Paul stacks up four words for prayer, as if one were not enough. Supplications are the urgent asking that rises out of need. Prayers is the broad, ordinary word for coming to God. Intercessions means stepping in on behalf of another, the way a friend pleads a friend's case. And giving of thanks rounds it out, because gratitude belongs in prayer too. Then comes the surprising reach of it: 'for all men.' This prayer is meant for everyone, reaching past our own and past the people we like to take in the whole world, including the rulers named in the next verse.
This wide-open prayer flows straight from the heart of God, who 'will have all men to be saved' (verse 4). When we pray for people we have never met and even for those who oppose us, we are praying in step with the One who gave Himself 'a ransom for all' (verse 6). Jesus prayed for the very people putting Him to death. To lift up the whole world in prayer is to start loving it the way He does.
1 Timothy 2:1 in the Original Language
enteuxis (ἔντευξις), 'intercessions' -- a respectful appeal made on behalf of someone else, like petitioning a king.
How to Apply 1 Timothy 2:1 Today
This verse gives prayer the first place, before our planning and our worry, and it stretches that prayer wider than our own circle. We are invited to bring the whole world to God, the strangers and even the people we find hard to love, and to let thanksgiving sit alongside every request.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Timothy 2:1
What does 1 Timothy 2:1 mean?
Before anything else in the life of God's people, Paul asks for prayer, and prayer that reaches out to everyone.
What is the context of 1 Timothy 2:1?
Paul is writing to his younger coworker Timothy, who is leading the church in Ephesus. Having warned against false teaching in chapter 1, Paul now turns to what the gathered church should do, and the very first thing he calls for is prayer.
How can I apply 1 Timothy 2:1 today?
This verse gives prayer the first place, before our planning and our worry, and it stretches that prayer wider than our own circle. We are invited to bring the whole world to God, the strangers and even the people we find hard to love, and to let thanksgiving sit alongside every request.