A Preacher’s Prayer Requests for this Sunday

This Sunday, as with most Sundays, I will have the privilege of preaching God’s Word. I preached my first message when I was 16—so I’ve been doing this for a long time! Over the years, I’ve realized more and more the prayer support I need as I preach; so, here are some prayer requests that reflect my heart (both the good and the bad of it):

1. Pray my preparation would be such that I first evaluate my own life through the grid of God’s Word I intend to preach. Frankly, I fear I approach this part of sermon preparation too superficially at times. If I haven’t let the Holy Spirit work me over on the basis of the text for the day, I’m likely not ready to preach it. 
2. Pray nothing I say would be displeasing to the Lord. I view my role with great seriousness because I answer to God for teaching the Word and shepherding His people. Every word I say matters—especially in today’s world where everything seems to be public record—and I want to honor the Lord. 
3. Pray that if I stumble somehow during the sermon, I would not get distracted. Sometimes I rush through words and don’t enunciate like I should. Or, I might realize mid-illustration that the picture I’m trying to paint doesn’t feel effective. It’s easy for me to critique even as I speak, and that’s not always best if I want to stay focused.  
4. Pray I would not misread the faces of my listening congregation. We preachers really do watch faces, and it’s easy for me to wonder about perceived responses in an unhelpful way. What’s not good is my assuming a listener’s boredom, discontent, or other negative emotion just by the way I read his or her expression in the moment.  
5. Pray children and senior adults alike would understand what I say. My responsibility as a pastor is to teach God’s Word to every generation in the room. I’ve learned, in fact, that the majority of the room will understand better if I make sure the children understand as well. Preaching is not a time to impress; it is a time to communicate. 
6. Pray I would be clear in my call for response. I realize the Holy Spirit helps us hear and apply the Word, but I as the preacher should also lean on the Spirit for guidance in this task of preaching. I don’t want to be so nebulous that the listeners walk out without considering how the Word should affect their lives next week. 
7. Pray I would not look for affirmation when the sermon is over. I’m human, and sometimes I too much want to hear those words. Gratitude from the people of God is sweet indeed, but I don’t want to go looking for pats on the back. How I respond to others after the sermon may, in fact, be a primary way to evaluate my heart in general throughout the whole process of preaching. 
8. Pray I will keep growing in preaching. No matter how long I do this work, I should always want to communicate God’s Word better–and that commitment means I can never think I’ve “arrived.”

May I ask you, friend, to pray for me today? As you do that, I encourage you to pray for your pastor (or for another pastor if you are the shepherd of your congregation). God bless, pastors!