1 Timothy 2

 Key verse: 1 Timothy 2:1

Big idea:  The power of a ministry is prayer. 

My parents got our kids a little electric car. Unfortunately, when they wanted to show me how it works, the battery was very nearly dead. So it got slower and slower until it died up the driveway. Of course, they wanted to ride back, which involved Daddy stooped over and pushing. It could not go any farther because it was not connected to a power source. Without me huffing and puffing, it would have been stuck where it was. 

At the end of chapter 1, Paul told Timothy that he expected him to fight a good fight, from which many had been shipwrecked. So how would Timothy endure when others had failed? He needed to stay connected to the power source. How would that happen? Prayer. Prayer for everyone, all the time, because our work is beyond our reach. We need God to change the hearts of leaders. We need God to reach people who are lost and hard-hearted. We need God to strengthen us when we are weary and direct our paths. Without the power of God flowing through us, we are as helpless as the car with a dead battery. But when we are connected to the power source via prayer, we have all the strength of God on our side. 

Discussion idea: Why is the only power source we have often the first thing we neglect? 

Prayer focus: Set aside some time to pray out loud today, experiencing the power of communion with God.