Thursday, July 23, 2009

A Preacher's Prayer

One of the greatest privileges of pastoring is preaching and teaching God’s Word. The potential for eternal life-change through the anointed preaching of God’s Word is both humbling and exciting. I know my life has been changed by Spirit-anointed sermons. I desire with all my heart to be used by God to preach in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As I preach again this Sunday, here is my earnest prayer that I invite all preachers to pray with me:

Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your Holy Word. In it is found life and truth. You tell us to “preach the Word in season and out of season” (1 Tim. 4:2). I want to do just that, so I ask You to “bring Your Word to light through the preaching entrusted to me” (Titus 1:3). I pray that Your written Word will reveal to people the Living Word, Jesus Christ, because it is in Him that eternal life is found (Jn. 5:39-40).

I joyfully acknowledge that “apart from You I can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5) on my own. I desperately need You. If You do not breath life into this message, it will be dry bones at best (2 Kings 13:21), and no one today needs lifeless bones. Therefore, I ask You to empower and anoint this message by Your Spirit. Help me not to “preach with persuasive words of human wisdom, but rather with the demonstration of the Spirit and power, so that people’s faith would not rest on the wisdom of man but on the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:4-5).

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable unto You, my Strength and my Redeemer” (Ps. 19:14).

Just as in the book of Acts when the Spirit “came upon people” (Acts 10:44), I ask You, Holy Spirit, to come upon those that hear me preach – come upon them with conviction, encouragement, and insight. Move their hearts and their wills to want to follow You. Work in them both to “will and to do for Your good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). Make this message an encounter with You, the Living God.

Finally, Lord, I ask You to speak to my heart and life through this message. Change me, O Lord, through my own preaching.

Most importantly, may You get all the glory and honor that is due Your Name. I pray this in Jesus’ precious Name. Amen.