1 Timothy 2:1-2
"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity."
One of the greatest privileges and responsibilities of a Christian is to pray. Here Paul urges his young friend Timothy to understand that our prayers are principally to be for other people. It isn’t wrong for us to pray for ourselves because God loves us and wants us to be blessed. But if our prayers are confined to ourselves and our own interests something has gone seriously wrong. It has often been suggested that we should pray in ever widening concentric circles. We should pray for ourselves and then move out to our families, churches, communities, nations and the world. We do so because we have been called to be intercessors, standing between the world and God.
At this time of profound change in our nation our prayers are particularly important. We need to pray for King Charles 3rd in his awesome responsibility to follow in the footsteps of his much-loved mother who reigned for seven decades. He is a very different person from his mother and will, no doubt, be confronted with a constant stream of challenges. We need to pray that he will be wise and gracious and, above all, that he will seek God’s guidance as he serves our country and the Commonwealth. 
Paul was clear that the authority of a King and all other rulers is derived entirely from God. I am delighted that this was well reflected in the proclamation that was made after the Accession Council had met on Saturday 10th September. The proclamation concluded by “beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless His Majesty with long and happy years to reign over us. God save the King!” Let us pray that the King and the nation will not forget where his authority comes from.
Prayer: Lord God our Father, we pray for King Charles 3rd recognising that all authority comes from you. May he serve our nation with humility, grace and wisdom. Bless Queen Camilla and the whole Royal household that together they might know your presence and guidance. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Released on 18 Sep 2022