1 Timothy 2:3 (ESV Strong's)
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
Subject: Prayer and Pleasing God
It is best to please God. Note the following:
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV Strong's)
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
To please God, you have to start with faith.
(We can only please God by faith (Hebrews 11:6); we stand by faith (1 Corinthians 16:13); we walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7); we live by faith (Galatians 2:20); we fight by faith (Ephesians 6:16); God will remain faithful when we are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13).
Nothing we do can be absent faith. We can't get past faith. Faith is the beginning of all else the "pleases" God. Later in this same book, Paul will tell us something else about pleasing God:
1 Timothy 5:4 (ESV Strong's)
But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
Paul is telling us there are things we can do in faith to please God. The above verse tells us that praying for kings and all who are in high positions (1 Timothy 2:2) will please God. God is pleased when we "pray for kings." This implies that God is not pleased if we complain about leaders. He is not pleased when we are critical and degrading to leaders. He is pleased when we pray for them. This shows that is not our "vote" that changes things. It is not our activity in the political process that changes things. It is our prayer that changes things. That is an act of faith and recognizes that God is in control and God is the one who puts up one and puts down another.
Psalms 75:7 (ESV Strong's)
but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
This DOESN'T mean we don't vote or get involved in political process. It means we start with prayer and seek God's work in the lives of man as a priority in our approach. God is pleased with our act of faith in prayer to change leadership.
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