The Most Potent Tool In Your Preaching Arsenal: Prayer
Alex McFarland
www.AlexMcfarland.com
The pastorate (or any form of Christian work) comes with a level of busy-ness that can cause even the most dedicated leader to neglect time in prayer. But prayer is absolutely essential to effective ministry, especially as it relates to preaching. Charles Spurgeon’s reliance on prayer was legendary. It is said that as he was preaching in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, a team of intercessors would be praying in a room underneath the pulpit area. Spurgeon called this “the powerhouse of the church.â€
Preparation, preaching, and prayer
Prayer may not immediately come to mind as a homiletical resource, but it is certainly the most valuable tool in preaching. The responsibility of preaching must be wed to the discipline of preparation – which should include prayer. Prayer should be as much a resource in sermon preparation as are lexicons and commentaries. From conception through gestation and delivery, personal and corporate prayer enable a sermon to take on a life of its own. Without doubt, prayer (or lack of it) will determine the end results of our preparation and presentation.
