The two Epistles to Timothy speak in a particular way concerning praying and dealing with the word of God for the exercise of our spirit. First Timothy 2:1 through 3 say, “I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; on behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God.” Verse 1 speaks of all kinds of prayer, including general prayers and special prayers for particular needs. These prayers should be made not only for one class of people but for all men. Verse 2 indicates that this prayer for all men is related to godliness. In order to exercise our spirit, we need to pray in many ways. Ephesians 6:18 says, “By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.” Prayer and petition must be made in the spirit. To pray in all these ways is the true exercise of the spirit and the real priesthood.
First Timothy 2:8 continues, “I desire therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and reasoning.” Sometimes we are unable to lift up our hands in prayer because they are not holy, separated unto God. To have holy hands requires the exercise of our spirit. Wrath is in the emotion, and reasoning is in the mind. To pray without wrath and reasoning requires that we exercise our spirit, not our natural emotion and mind. However, sometimes we exercise our mind and emotion much more than we exercise our spirit. To reason, question, and dispute is the exercise of the mind. If we would deny our natural mind, our reasonings will not trouble us. We will not care for questions; we will care only for praying in every place.
Questionings come from Satan as the serpent (Gen. 3:1). When a serpent rises up to strike, we may say that he takes the shape of a question mark. Satan as the serpent stirs up questions in the mind. The first time the serpent came to contact human beings was when he stirred up the mind of Eve in Genesis 3. He suggested something to Eve, causing her to exercise her mentality. For this reason, the apostle Paul did not allow women to teach with authority in the church. In 1 Timothy 2:8 Paul says simply that men should pray in every place. In the following verses, however, he instructs that the women also should pray, but he adds some further requirements. Verses 11 through 14 continue, “Let a woman learn in quietness in all subjection; but I do not permit a woman to teach or to assert authority over a man, but to be in quietness. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived; but the woman, having been quite deceived, has fallen into transgression.” Eve was deceived because she improperly exercised her mind. Because teaching requires the proper exercise of the mind, it is better for sisters simply to pray. The sisters do not have the ground to teach, because it requires the exercise of the mind; rather, they have the ground to pray, which is to exercise the spirit.
Several books of the New Testament contain teachings concerning prayer, but the Epistles to Timothy are unique to show the practice and practical instructions concerning prayer. Second Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” This verse does not encourage us to pursue with those who merely study the Bible for doctrinal learning. We need to come together not merely for teachings or study but to call on the Lord with a pure heart. To pray by calling on the Lord is the real exercise of the spirit. In order to pray with every kind of prayer, intercession, petition, and thanksgiving on behalf of all men, to pray in every place by raising holy hands, and to pray without wrath in our emotion or reasoning in our mind, we need to exercise our spirit.
We need the practice of prayer that is according to the instruction in 1 and 2 Timothy. If a brother speaks to us out of the reasonings of his mind, we should not respond with an answer, argument, or suggestion. We should simply say, “Brother, let us pray.” We should not exercise our natural mind over what he says. Rather, we need to exercise our spirit to bring his matters in prayer to the Lord. We should know only to contact the Lord by exercising our spirit. Then we should pursue the things that are pleasing to the Lord with all those who call on Him out of a pure heart. In order to exercise our spirit to minister as priests, we need to learn to pray in this way. I long to see the day when all the brothers do not care for discussing, debating, arguing, or even merely studying. Rather, whether in their homes, in the meeting hall, or in any place, they know only to pray. If we all practice this kind of prayer, we will have the real priesthood among us. Then we will see the move of the Lord in a powerful and prevailing way. The Lord is recovering the priesthood of prayer by the exercise of the spirit.
We should not exercise our natural mind to discuss, debate, argue, question, or doubt. Likewise, we should not have a wrathful emotion. We should do only one thing: pray with every kind of prayer, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving not only for one class of people but for all men. We are too indifferent concerning many things. How many times have we prayed for the President, the governor of our state, and the world situation? We need to pray that we may have the opportunity to lead a peaceful life in godliness. However, I am not encouraging you to pray mainly for certain things. I am encouraging you to exercise your spirit. Whenever we come together, we should not talk too much. Sometimes this kind of talk is simply gossip. We should forget about everything else and simply pray. If we find ourselves speaking of people and families, we should immediately say, “Let us not talk anymore. Let us pray for them.” If we are concerned for a certain brother or sister, we should pray rather than talk. We must learn to pray. I long to see that one day on this earth there would be the church with many dear ones who do not gossip or merely talk but simply pray.
Today there is too much natural talk among the Lord’s children. Someone may ask, “How are things in Taiwan?” or “How is that brother?” or “How is his wife and mother-in-law?” After asking all these questions, he may go to spread the knowledge he has gained to others. No one is able to repeat what he hears exactly. He will either leave out something or add something, and eventually he will spread rumors. Then death will follow. This kind of talk deadens the spirits of the saints and the church. We must all learn the lesson to stop our talking. Our mouth was created by God not for talking in this way but for praying.
Gossip may be compared to myths. Paul uses the word myths several times in 1 and 2 Timothy. First Timothy 1:3 and 4 say, “Even as I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.” Verses 6 and 7 of chapter 4 say, “If you lay these things before the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, being nourished with the words of the faith and of the good teaching which you have closely followed. But the profane and old-womanish myths refuse, and exercise yourself unto godliness.” Second Timothy 4:4 says, “They will turn away their ear from the truth and will be turned aside to myths.” We must learn to refuse gossip, myths, and tales. These things only cause us to exercise our fallen, natural mind.
We should receive this word not as a mere teaching but as loving fellowship. I long to see that in the Lord’s recovery the church would be a group not of talking people but of praying people. Whenever we meet together, we should leave all our talking and always concentrate on praying. We should say, “Brothers and sisters, let us pray.” We should pray at every time in spirit for all men with every kind of prayer, petition, intercession, and giving of thanks, and we should do this with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. This is the proper way to exercise our spirit.