Pray for the Preaching

A pastor friend of mine, John Brackbill, recently posted on Facebook some timely quotations from his reading:

• "Biblical preaching has been the catalyst of every great revival in church history." @johnmacarthur
• "Perhaps the church today knows little of revival because it knows little of strong, biblical, doctrinal preaching." (@johnmacarthur)

I agree with these excerpts. Responsible, biblical, persuasive preaching sets the table for the kind of heaven sent revival that we need. Thank you, John, for this important reminder.

As I meditate on our need for revival, and our responsibility to preach the Word of God with power, I am tempted to modify the first excerpt given.[fruitful_dbox] Biblical preaching [accompanied by fervent prayer] has been the catalyst of every great revival in church history. [/fruitful_dbox]I am reminded of this key factor underlying (literally) the preaching ministry of Charles Spurgeon.When Spurgeon would preach at the Metropolitan Tabernacle (as New Park Street Church became known), several men would gather in a room underneath the pulpit platform to pray for him as he preached. They also prayed for the people to respond in faith to the preaching.During walk-through tours of the church building, Spurgeon would show visitors a this room where people were always on their knees interceding for the church. He would say, “This is the powerhouse of this church.”Spurgeon understood the key to effective preaching. We know about his rigorous study, his bold presentation and his passionate appeals. But do we understand, as he did, our need for fervent intercessory prayer to undergird our preaching?Do we pray rigorously? Boldy? Passionately? This must accompany our preaching with equal fervor. As a preacher, I must pray as rigorously as I study and preach the Word (Acts 6:4). And I must lead the church I shepherd to be a praying church (1 Tim. 2:1ff, Eph. 6:18).Biblical preaching [accompanied by fervent prayer] has been the catalyst of every great revival in church history.