What kinds of prayers did Paul have in mind?
In 1 Timothy 2:1, Paul used four different words to describe the kinds of prayers we should offer on behalf of our governments: supplications, prayers, intercessions, and the giving of thanks. Although the first three of these words are very similar in definition, it is possible that Paul intended to emphasize the different ingredients that should be part of our prayer life. Supplications are those requests that spring from a sense of need in a specific situation. Therefore, when applied to our requests for government, supplications are those appeals to God that a certain law would be passed or that a judge would make a certain decision or that the authorities would take a certain course of action. Prayers can be any sort of request. In the New Testament, the term refers in a general sense to all kinds of communion with God. Bible commentator William Hendriksen, however, suggests that in the context of 1 Timothy 2 this term possibly refers to the ongoing general needs in government–li
