1. Receive God's guidance as to the Scripture passage and the subject through prayer. Robert Murray McCheyne said, "Give yourself to prayers . . . Get your texts from God, your thoughts, your words." (Google image, Hands of pastor in prayer).
How blessed it is to have no knowledge of a specific need and then to have people come and tell how your message was exactly what they needed. One of the most important steps in sermon preparation is getting God's guidance in the subject to be prepared.
2. Saturate with prayer your study of the passage on which you speak. There are times when God opens up the passage and the thoughts and words come almost faster than you can write them down. At other times it takes hours of Bible study, tracing references, studying the context, and praying over which illustrations will be most effective.
Finney emphasized that truth by itself will never produce spiritual results. It takes the Spirit of God setting truth aflame, empowering truth, and applying truth to the hearers.
Luther, who believed to pray well was to study well, spent three hours daily in prayer. Prayer is not a substitute for study, but neither is study a substitute for prayer. From prayer you share the heartbeat of the writers of Scripture. From prayer you catch the vision, the soul-passion, the emphasis which God intended in inspiring the Scripture.
"The LORD confides in those who fear him" (Ps. 25:14). Bishop Quayle pointed out that this can be translated 'the whisper of the Lord.' We can get so close to Him in prayer that He whispers the deep things of God to us. The casual, unprayerful Bible student never understands or shares with God's people these deep truths.
"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words" (1 Cor. 2:10-13).
3. Powerful praying secures and keeps the anointing of the Spirit on your message and on your leadership. There is never a time when you can relax your prayer life. It is not enough to have a God-given message. It must then be delivered with the anointing and power of the Spirit upon you as you speak.
God's anointing separates God's prophet from a lecturer or speaker. It is His power flowing through a personality, quickening the thoughts, adding freshness and new insight, quickening the emotions, and adding a divine dimension to one's love, hunger, passion, and zeal.
Anointing adds a divine richness to your thought, a divine originality to your speaking, a divine sweetness to spiritual food, a divine illumination to insight, a divine benediction, a divine power, and a divine seal upon you as a person.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.
Ablaze for God
#74 Prepared Hearts Prepare Fruitful Messages
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 225-227) ZondervanPublishingHouse
How Much Do Pastors Pray?
"Several surveys have been done on the prayer life of pastors.
Before I report on them, however, I want to be sure that you realize I may not be talking about your pastor when I site averages.
Your pastor might be one of those above average, even far above average.
Before I report on them, however, I want to be sure that you realize I may not be talking about your pastor when I site averages.
Your pastor might be one of those above average, even far above average.
Today's post suggestion: from Healing Thoughts and Prayers #2 God as a Friend
Today's Bible verses-
Jer. 17:7, 10 (KJV) "Blessed is the man that trusteth in
the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is." (10) I the
LORD search the heart, try the reins, even to give every
man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of
his doings."
Prov. 16:3,16, 23 "Commit thy works unto the LORD,
and thy thoughts shall be established. (16) How much
better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get
understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
(23) The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and
addeth learning to his lips."
~ Mary Southerland- "When the stress of life threatens and it seems you can’t go on, rest in the truth that the same God who called you will provide everything you need to accomplish His purpose in your life.
Father, forgive me for not trusting You to deliver me from the trials and pits in life. Please help me learn the truth each crisis holds, and then empower me to apply that truth. In the midst of my pain, give me the strength to choose the right response – the choice to be bitter or better, the choice to praise You even when I don’t want to, the choice to trust You, knowing the pain is for my good. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen." (From Mary's post: The Lesson of a Beekeeper).
[Taken from Herald of His Coming newspaper, Vol 78, No 2 (919-920), p. 1. Used by permission.]
Upcoming posts-
Sky Watcher
28th- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes
#75 Your Responsibility to Intercede for Your People
31st- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
#76 Suggestions for Your Prayer Role
8/2 Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
Made Up Minds
4th- Saturday's post by Merlin Carothers
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