PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

Prayer and Modesty—Two Crucial Virtues In A Proper Family Life

To fulfill the responsibility of raising up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, we must live out a life that provides both an example and an atmosphere of proper human living. Among the many human virtues needed to live out a proper family life, the apostle Paul in his letter to his young disciple, Timothy, emphasized prayer with holy hands for the brothers and modesty with sobriety for the sisters.

The life of prayer for the brothers is expressed in a single verse (1 Timothy 2:8), but it is filled with modifying instruction. Prayer must be "in every place," indicating that we must be restricted in our walk and living to those places which are conducive to prayer. We are also encouraged to have a prayer life which is characterized by the "lifting up of holy hands." Lifting up holy hands indicates that we must have a living which is sanctified by and separated to God from all things that are damaging to our ability to maintain a life of prayer. Finally we are told that such a prayerful living must also be "without wrath and reasoning." From this brief verse, abounding with vital teaching concerning a proper living in the Lord, we the brothers are able to gain several pungent points to establish and carry out an effective family life through prayer.

In verses 9-15, Paul words to the sisters begin with the word, "similarly," which suggests that Paul first encourages the sisters to keep a life of consistent prayer as the base for their functions as wives and mothers. Prayer must be the firm foundation. Then he continued to deal in depth with the need for the sisters to remain under the covering of sobriety and modesty. Brother Lee writes that the seven verses applied to the sisters testify that the sisters "bear a sevenfold burden, a sevenfold responsibility." The role of the wives and mothers has much more impact on the proper family life than that of the husbands and fathers. But both need to pray and both need to be restricted to live a life wholly to the Lord before their children.

THE NORMAL LIFE OF THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE CHURCH

In this message we shall consider from [First Timothy] 2:8-15 the normal life of the brothers and sisters in the church. After Paul charges Timothy to take the lead to have a prayerful life, he goes on to speak of this matter. In 2:8-15 Paul devotes one verse (v. 8) to the brothers and seven verses to the sisters (vv. 9-15). This indicates that if we are to have a proper church life, the sisters must bear a sevenfold burden, a sevenfold responsibility.

I. THE BROTHERS

A. Praying in Every Place

Concerning the brothers, Paul says in verse 8, "I will therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and reasoning." In a local church the leading ones must have a prayer life, as they were charged in verses 1 and 2, to set an example of prayer for all the members to follow by praying always in every place. In Ephesians 6 Paul tells us to pray at every time, but here he says to pray in every place. Although it is possible for us to pray at every time, morning, afternoon, evening, and night, it may not be possible for us to pray in every place. The requirement to pray in every place is more demanding than that to pray at every time. If we can pray in every place, we can surely pray at every time. But even if we are able to pray at every time, it still may not be possible for us to pray in every place. For example, it is not possible to pray in certain worldly places. Since you cannot pray in those places, you should not go there. If you can pray in a particular place, it is permissible for you to be there. But if you cannot pray in a certain place, you should not be there. According to verse 8, the brothers must bear the unique burden to pray in every place. Pray at work, at home, and in your car. As men, we should be those who pray....

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