The Missing Ingredient in Your Pastor’s Preaching
Six Ways You Should Be Praying for His Pulpit Ministry
What makes for powerful, faithful preaching? It’s easy to think about a pastor’s skills, education, or even personality. While these play a huge role, there’s one essential ingredient often overlooked: the prayers of the congregation.
Preaching is central to the Christian life. Through the faithful proclamation of God’s Word, we are nourished, sanctified, and equipped for every good work. But preaching is not a solo effort; it is an act of worship involving the whole congregation.
Westminster Larger Catechism 160 reminds us: “It is required of those that hear the Word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.”
Notice how prayer is listed as a key responsibility of the hearer. Yet, in many congregations, it’s the missing ingredient. Your pastor may pour hours into preparing a sermon, but the spiritual fruit of his preaching depends in part on the attentive prayers of God’s people.
Here are six ways you should be praying for your pastor’s preaching:
1. Pray for Your Pastor’s Preparation
Every faithful sermon starts with a week of prayer, study, and wrestling with the Word. Your pastor needs the Spirit’s help at every turn.
Study of Scripture: Pray that he approaches the Bible with reverence and clarity. Ask God to give him wisdom to see the truth and apply it faithfully (2 Timothy 2:15).
Time Management: Pastors wear many hats. Pray for focus and discipline as he prepares. Ask God to shield him from distractions that pull him away from this vital work.
2. Pray for Your Pastor’s Heart
Good preaching come from a pastor who walks closely with God. Without holiness and humility, preaching loses its power.
Personal Holiness: Pray your pastor abides in Christ daily. Ask God to guard him against sin, discouragement, and dryness. A heart full of love for Christ preaches with power.
Humility: Preaching is a high calling. The pull to seek approval from people is strong. Pray that he pleases God, not man (Galatians 1:10).
Passion for God’s Glory: Ask God to give him a deep desire to glorify Christ. Pray his goal is not to impress, but to edify the church and magnify the Savior.
3. Pray for Your Pastor’s Delivery
When Sunday comes, the sermon needs clarity, conviction, and strength.
Clarity and Boldness: Pray that he speaks the truth clearly and boldly (Ephesians 6:19). Ask God to give him courage to preach the whole counsel of God, without fear.
Physical Strength: Preaching takes a toll. Ask God to give him energy and endurance, especially if he has multiple services or other heavy responsibilities.
Connection with the Congregation: Pray that his words reach the hearts of the people. Ask God to use the sermon to engage minds, edify saints, and convert sinners.
4. Pray for the Congregation’s Reception
Preaching works only if the Word is received. Hearing is as much a spiritual act as preaching.
Open Hearts: Pray that the Spirit softens hearts and prepares people to listen (Acts 16:14). Ask that hearers come eager to hear from God.
Conviction and Transformation: Pray that the sermon convicts, encourages, and spurs obedience (James 1:22). God’s Word doesn’t return void (Isaiah 55:11).
5. Pray for the Long-Term Impact of Preaching
The fruit of faithful preaching grows over time.
Growth in God’s Word: Pray the congregation grows in their love for Scripture and their ability to apply it (Colossians 3:16).
Faithfulness to the Gospel: Ask God to keep your pastor steady, avoiding error or compromise (2 Timothy 4:2-4).
Fruitful Ministry: Pray the Word transforms lives, strengthens families, and brings hope to the community.
6. Make Prayer for Your Pastor a Regular Part of Your Life
Pray Daily: Set aside a few minutes every day to lift him up in prayer.
Gather Others: Form a group to pray regularly for the preaching ministry.
Ask Your Pastor: Find out specific ways to pray for him and his preaching.
Pray Before Sunday: On Saturday night or Sunday morning, pray for the preaching. Pray for your heart and for the congregation to be ready to hear God’s Word.
Conclusion
A congregation has a tremendous opportunity to support the preaching ministry of its pastor through prayer. Take a moment now to pray for your pastor—his preparation, his heart, his delivery, and the congregation’s reception of the Word.
Remember Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 3:1: “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored.”