Welcome to The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you to preach faithfully, clearly, and better.

“Preaching and praying go together,” It is well said. “If there is to be preaching in the pulpit, there must be praying in the pews.”

I fully agree with these statements. But I would add one point. Not only should there be prayer in the pews, but there should also be praying in the pulpit. The entire process of sermon planning, preparation, and delivery should be seasoned and saturated in believing prayer.

What are the marks of a prayer-saturated sermon?

Pray for wisdom as you plan the sermon. Every preacher should have a plan for planning their preaching. This plan should be saturated in believing prayer, trusting God the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you as you plan your preaching schedule or calendar.

Pray for illumination as you study the text. We do not ned fresh revelation from God. Scripture is God’s all-sufficient self-revelation. But we need illumination on the revelation. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see the meaning and message of your chosen sermon text.

Pray for obedience as you learn the truth. The first priority of what you learn from scripture is to apply it to yourself, not to preach it to others. In prayer, ask the Lord to search your heart and help you to respond to the truth with submission, obedience, and yieldnesses.

Pray for clarity as you craft the sermon. As your study process turns from exegetical to sermon crafting, seek clarity for the development of the message. Remember, being clear in your preaching is infinitely more important than being cute, clever, or controversial.

Pray for consecration as you prepare to preach. After you prepare the sermon to preach, prepare yourself to preach the sermon. Pray sincerely and steadfastly that the Lord will enable you to go to the pulpit with a prepared message, a rested body, and a clean heart.

Pray for power as you preach the message. You cannot do the Lord’s will in your own strength. You need physical strength and spiritual energy to preach faithfully, clearly, and passionately. Call it anointing, unction, or help, pray to preach GOd’s message in God’s power.

Pray for fruit after the sermon is preached. We plant and water the seed of the word in our preaching. Only God makes it grow. It is our job to get the message from our mouths to their ears. Only God can get the message from their ears to their hearts. Pray for fruit.

What do you think about these marks of a prayer-saturated sermon?

HBC2 RESOURCES: 

• On Preaching by H.B. Charles Jr. 
• On Pastoring by H.B. Charles Jr. 
• On Worship by H.B. Charles Jr. 
• It Happens After Prayer by H.B. Charles Jr. 
• The Difference Jesus Makes by H.B. Charles Jr.
• Treasures of Truth by H.B. Charles Jr.

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