1 Timothy 2:1 Praying churches

1 Timothy 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -

In the opening line of 1 Timothy 2, Paul says I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people. He is pleading for prayer to be a priority in the church and he wants it to be for everyone, that is for all sorts of people - not just for ministers but for the people, not just for men but for women, not just for insiders but for outsiders, not just for the poor but also for the rich, not just for ordinary people but for rulers and those who have power too. There is little distinction to be made among requests, prayers and the rarer intercession save that the middle word is the least specific one. Clearly Paul is including all sorts of prayer, however, and whenever we pray, there ought to be thankfulness and praise as well as intercession. The context suggests that it is not only individual Christians who should be resolved on intercession but that ministers should give it a high priority not only in their personal lives but also in the corporate life of the church too. It is particularly corporate prayer that Paul has in mind. Too often the prayer meeting can be neglected or given low priority in churches. Who can tell what a difference a broader and more earnest prayer life might make in a church?