1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone– for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

At Thanksgiving we offer our prayers for all the various blessings God has given. I would like you to join me in taking a moment to consider one of those blessings in particular, one we might easily overlook: those who govern us.

Thanksgiving is one of the types of prayers Paul urges for those in authority. It is not hard to understand why. They make it possible “for us to live peaceful and quiet lives.” Nowhere has that been more true than in our own nation.

Few countries have enjoyed the kind of peace and quiet Americans have known for over a century. The civil war was the last time any battles were fought on our soil. Our homes and cities aren’t continually looted by enemy soldiers. They aren’t burned and bombed by enemy armies. We may take that for granted. Historically, it has been a rare blessing to enjoy that kind of peace so long.

We can be thankful we are allowed to gather for worship without fear of having the police storm in to break up our service. No one tries to force us to worship a false god, as the Romans tried to impose their emperor worship on the early Christians. No one tries to force us to worship God in a false way, as pope and emperor did at the time of the Lutheran Reformation. We don’t have to worship in secret, as Christians still do in many Islamic countries, China, or North Korea. Thank God our leaders, and our government, allow us to live our lives in “godliness and holiness.”

Beyond these freedoms, we can thank God for the law and order which generally prevail in our country. It may be far from perfect, but look at how many people are fleeing their own countries to try to get into ours.

As we thank God for these blessings, we recognize that more than prayers of thanksgiving are in order. Our leaders need our requests, prayers, and intercession as they face the many problems which can rob us of the ability to live peaceful, quiet lives.

We pray these prayers not to bring heaven on earth, but because we want all those with whom we share the earth to enter heaven. “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

Of all the things for which we can give thanks, it is still the gospel for which we are most thankful. Paul sums it up here when he refers to “God our Savior.” God is the one who has saved us from sin. He has done everything to save us. He gives us a peace we can carry with us at all times because we know that our sins are forgiven.

The spread of this gospel is possible largely due to the governing authorities for which God’s thankful people pray. The peace and order they maintain create the environment in which we can share our faith with others. Whether we have special gifts for teaching and explaining that gospel, or whether we are simple Christians living godly lives of love and prayer, we are all participants in this great mission that so pleases God and serves our neighbor.

Paul places those who govern first as he urges us to prayer and thanksgiving. Give them a place in your own prayers at Thanksgiving and always.