Pray, Preacher!

HOMILETICS LECTURE 5 Pray, Preacher!

Mat 6:6 "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

E.M. Bounds Though hidden and unrecognized while alive in the 1800’s, E.M. Bounds is now considered by most evangelicals as the most prolific and fervent author on the subject of prayer. Bounds involved his prayer life with the church he pastored. Every Tuesday night Bounds and his congregation got on their knees to pray for revival, for themselves, the Church and the town. For over a year this faithful band called upon the Lord until God finally answered. The revival came down without any previous announcement or plan, and without the pastor sending for an evangelist to help him.

William Booth Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. One of the most effective weapons in General Booth's arsenal was fervent prayer. It was not unusual for Booth to hold "an all night of prayer" when he came to preach the Word of God. People would flood the altars every where he went. "The power of God was wonderfully manifest in the meetings . . . people were frequently, struck down, overwhelmed with a sense of the presence and power of God."

David Brainard He spent a great deal of time in prayer and frequently set aside days for prayer and fasting. He loved to retire into the woods to be alone with God. "Prayer became Brainerd's priority and it was his joy to spend two hours at a time in secret communion with Christ. Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray , and continued all night in prayer to God.

John Hyde In a letter to friends back in America, Hyde wrote: “Have felt led to pray for others this winter as never before. I never before knew what it was to work all day and then pray all night before God for another… In college or at parties at home, I used to keep such hours for myself, or pleasure, and can I not do as much for God and souls?”

J. Pengwern Jones recalls the prayer life of John Hyde. "He was always on his knees when I went to bed, and on his knees long before I was up in the morning, though I was up with the dawn. He would also light the lamp several times in the night, and feast on some passages of the Word. He sometimes remained on his knees the whole day.”

Andrew Bonar Bonar stated: “I have learned by experience that it is not much labor but much prayer that is the only means to success.“

In a letter to a close friend Andrew Bonar wrote, "Oh brother pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer, rather neglect friends than not pray, rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, supper and sleep too - than not pray.”

David Warner The preacher needs to pray for himself to be an unhindered mouthpiece for the Lord; unhindered by sin; unhindered by fears; unhindered by the Devil; unhindered by lack of understanding; unhindered by a lack of love; unhindered by himself.

The people need to pray for the preacher. Pray that he has the power of God resting upon him. Pray that he preaches what the people need to hear. Pray that the preaching will accomplish what God intends it to. Pray that their own soul will be open and tender to it.

Prayer needs to be the preachers top personal priority. Better to pray than to preach. Better to pray a sermon than to prepare a sermon. Better to not preach if you did not pray. PRAY FOR THE PREACHER Matt 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

2 Thess 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

Eph 6:18-20 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

1 Thess 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.