Pray

When I failed to grasp something at school, my teachers would say, “Let me spell it out for you”. They wanted to clarify or simplify a subject – and it usually worked.

I would like to do something similar for preaching because, I think, we sometimes make it too complicated.

So, here is my first tip: Pray.

Yes – pray. Pray that God’s Name would be glorified. Pray that Jesus Christ would be exalted. Pray for the kingdom of God to come. Pray for your hearers. Pray for yourself. Pray daily. Pray continually.

When the apostles appointed deacons, they said, “…we will give this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word…”(Acts 6:3-4).

William Perkins picked up on this verse in his classic book, ‘The Art of Prophesying’, when he wrote, “…the prophet only has two duties. One is preaching the Word and the other is praying…”

Sometimes, it seems to me, that both of these primary duties have become secondary to the administration of our gift or the business of the church.

Do we give enough attention to prayer?

Do we pray earnestly before every sermon?

Is prayer a non-negotiable priority?

Robert