The Wisdom of God: Preaching, Wisdom and Prayer
"God works through preaching"
A big statement, but to which end of that clause is the weight?
Does God work through preaching? Or does God work through preaching?
It is GOD who works through preaching. A deep conviction about this reality will drive us not to work harder on our sermons, but to PRAY.
2 problems: one general and one specific.
1: A general lack of prayer.
2: Specifically, do we pray for preachers if we're listeners? And do we pray for our preaching if we're preachers?
The rise of and emphasis on small groups has come, Gary suspects, at the cost of prayer meetings and prayer in those small groups.
Often it seems that as teaching quality goes up, emphasis on prayer goes down.
Why? Gary has a few thoughts.
- The emphasis on training and reliance upon trained people decreases our reliance upon God. They're trained, why would I need to pray?
- Dangers of the digital consumption of preaching? Takes preaching out of the context of relationship, and holds all preaching up is compared up against the big guns. It breaks the connection between praying and preaching.
God uses people not because they're gifted but because he is gracious. If we believe this then we will pray. And we will pray for preachers.
What do I make the most of? My training? My gifting? My creativity? My wisdom?
Or do I make the most of the grace of God, and pray?
Preparation can crush devotion.
In Acts 6 it seems that prayer and ministry of the word seems to clearly mean prayer FOR the ministry of the word. Gary suggests that prayer for the impact of the apostles' preaching is a no brainer.
Double challenge:
- Resolve to make a habit of praying for your own preaching of the Word.
- Make sure that our churches pray together for preaching.
In a church Gary was once in, a phrase that was the heartbeat of the church was "the ministry of the Word, nourished by prayer." It was a church where it was clear that God showed up when His people gather and heard his Word.
God is strong. We are weak. Pray.