5 Things I Pray Before I Preach February 10, 2018

aaron-burden-238711

Several years ago when I served on a church staff a college student came to me at the end of a service with an interesting question. He said, “I hear you pray publicly for the preacher when he is about to come with God’s Word. You always pray the same things for him. Why?”

My perceptive young friend was right. There are specific things that I pray for those who are preaching God’s Word. They are the same things that I pray before I stand to preach.

I share them with you in the hope that you will be encouraged to pray them for those who minister God’s Word to you, and pray them for yourself when you stand to teach or preach the Bible.

  • I pray to be clean. 2 Timothy 2:21. God uses prepared vessels. Before I stand to speak I ask the Lord to remove every sin or hindrance that is in me.
  • I pray for wisdom. James 1:5. The Lord promises His wisdom is available and all sufficient. I lack it. I need it. I want it. The preacher needs to know not only what to say but how to say it.
  • I pray for liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” There is nothing quite as wonderful as the liberty the Holy Spirit gives and nothing quite as miserable as trying to labor without it.
  • I pray for quickening. Psalm 119:25. My sermon is not enough. Even an accurate interpretation of Scripture falls short. We must have divine stirring, the life giving power of God. God must speak through His Word.
  • I pray for prepared hearts. Matthew 13:23. My prayers must not be only for me. All who are there to receive the message are a part of the spiritual work God wants to do. What a difference when the hearts of the hearers are good ground for God!

Many preachers have a public prayer when they get up to preach. That is not my normal practice, though I think it is a good one. Instead, these are the definite prayer requests that I pray just before I stand to speak. Sometimes the Lord will lead me to pray something specific for a service, but always these are the things in my heart.

Preaching is nothing without praying. Praying is what brings preaching and all of life into the presence of God. Leonard Ravenhill often said that it is not better preachers we need but better pray-ers.

May God help us to pray definitely and to pray in faith.

Post Author

More from similar topics

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Recent Posts

The Crucified Life, death to self, the cross and the throne, the cross and the Crown

The Crucified Life

The modern name for Bethany is Abu Dis, and is located on the Mount of Olives. It is possible to visit the traditional site of Lazarus' tomb, as well as other sites believed to be related to the story of Bethany.
Photo by John Buckner

Impossible Orders in Bethany

Roman spear, Armour of God, Ephesians 6, spear in the Bible

Where Is The Spear?  

Fellowhelpers, Fellow Helpers to the Truth

Fellow Helpers to the Truth

9 Comments

  1. Wes on February 10, 2018 at 10:34 PM

    Your story reminds me of the prayer a deacon would pray for our pastor during services according to 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2. (“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.”)

    Yes, for the preacher the sermon should be the end result of much time spent on his knees in prayer. Without prayer, how is the Word to have free course in the hearts of men?

  2. Gary Ledford on February 15, 2018 at 8:24 AM

    Bro. Pauley,

    Thank you for your words of wisdom. Your insight is a challenge to both young and old preachers alike.

    Thanks for being my friend.
    Pastor Gary Ledford

    • Scott Pauley on February 21, 2018 at 2:49 PM

      Thank you for your friendship! Have been praying much for you.

    • Rev. Desai Sushilkumar on May 7, 2022 at 11:17 AM

      Yes Lord i pray for these five things for me as i will preach tomorrow.

  3. Mechaque Arnaldo Boca on July 12, 2018 at 1:08 AM

    Thank you for empowering me.
    I didn’t know about all this that I learned from you.
    May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
    I pray for you that may the Lord open doors for you to come to help to teach preaches in Mozambique.

  4. Dada Elijah on September 12, 2020 at 12:04 PM

    Raw power of Holy’s ghost fall on me.
    Oh! God my father remove every sin in me
    Lord give me wisdom and understanding of your word
    Lord at the end have glory
    By Dada Olushola Elijah

  5. Mark Driskill on January 22, 2023 at 7:21 AM

    I’ve been preachinig for 40 years. Over the years the Lord has been planting a seed about writing a book on the prayers of paul to help churches pray higher and greater prayers. I started working on that book last month and today I stumbled on this message which was very helpful in encouraging me. It confirmed many things I am writing about. Thanks for that.

Leave a Comment