A Prayer Before Writing A Sermon

The sermon is a very crucial part of a church service. It is something that a preacher has to prepare thoughtfully for the congregation. A bad sermon could have crippling, harmful effects on the church community, whether through misleading them or teaching them something contrary to the Bible. Therefore,  knowing the importance of a sermon and its preparation, it is only fitting that a preacher prays and asks God for help and guidance as he writes his sermon. The good thing is that God does help us through the Holy Spirit. 

Heavenly Father, as I prepare to write our sermon for this coming Sunday’s church service, remind me to never lean on my understanding but depend on You and always pray before I work on my sermon. Help me to be humble and dependent on the wisdom You give. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Why do you have to pray as you write your sermon? 

We have to pray as we write our sermons because, ultimately, the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding we need as we write our sermons come from God. 

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that no wise man could interpret. Because of his frustration, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered all wise men to death. That order included Daniel and his friends as well. And so, when Daniel heard of the order, he told his friends to seek God and His mercy so that they may understand what King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream was about. In the end, we know that Daniel was able to receive understanding from God and interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. 

The point is that all intelligence, understanding, knowledge, and wisdom come from God. The same thing is meant when God said to Moses, “Who has made a man’s mouth?” in Exodus 4:11. God meant that, ultimately, Moses’ eloquence should come from God. It is the same when it comes to the wisdom and understanding that we need as we write our sermons. We pray to God for these and ask for His help as we write. 

In Psalm 24:1, it’s written that the earth is the LORD’s and everything in it. The point is that everything, whether tangible or intangible, comes from God and is His grace for us. Even the first few chapters of Genesis, in which we learn how God created the universe, should point us to the truth that even such things as wisdom, understanding, and knowledge come from Him, Who is the source of all truth. Even the intellect and knowledge that non-Christians have come from God. They have this only because of God’s mercy in their lives. 

Another reason we should pray as we write our sermons is that, as mentioned before, sermons are crucial to the church community. In 1 Timothy 4:13, we can see that it is God’s design and mandate for the church to publicly read the Scriptures and preach sermons based on the Scriptures. The Word of God is essential for the Christian; a Christian cannot live without it. It is written in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that the Scriptures are God-breathed. They are profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be completely equipped for every good work. So, we ought to preach biblically sound principles and ensure that what we preach is faithful to what the Bible means. 

Preaching is a critical task, so we must depend on God for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding as we write our sermons.

Father in heaven, as I write my sermon for this Sunday’s church service, give me the wisdom and understanding to write a biblically sound message that is faithful to Your Word. You are the source of everything, including the wisdom and understanding I need. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

What can you pray for as you write your sermon? 

As we write and prepare our sermons, it is a given that we are going to dive into God’s Word. We study and dissect the passage that our sermon will be all about. As we study God’s Word in preparation for writing this message, we can pray to God to open our eyes to His Word and behold the wondrous things of His law. This prayer is based on Psalm 119:18.

There are so many truths and beautiful things that we can get from the Word of God. Sometimes, we can unpack more beautiful things as we dive deeply into them. As we study and dissect them, it takes grace from God for us to see the wonderful hidden truths of His Word. The good thing is that as we seek and ask God to open our eyes to the wondrous things of His law, He does. As we understand the wonderful and magnificent things of God’s Word, we share the same with others. 

Another essential thing to pray for as you write your sermon is that you will remain faithful to what the Word of God says. In Titus 2:1, it is written that we are to teach according to sound doctrine. Apart from praying that you will come to have an understanding of God, it is good to pray that the sermon you write is according to sound doctrine and faithful to what the Word of God intends to say. 

In 2 Timothy 4:2-4, the apostle Paul warns Timothy about a time when people will want to hear only sermons that suit their taste. They want to hear only what they want and not what they need to hear. As you write your sermon, pray that it is genuinely what the Word of God says and that you don’t twist it just so it would be palatable to the people who will be listening. It is better to be hated but preaching the truth and being faithful to the Word of God than to be loved for preaching things that suit the people’s passions yet compromise the integrity of the Scriptures. 

Heavenly Father, open my eyes to the beautiful truths and marvelous things of Your law and help me preach and communicate them to the church so they may also behold the wondrous things of Your Word. Help me remain faithful to Your Word as I write my sermon, teach according to sound doctrine, and never preach to suit the people’s passions. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

How do I pray as I write my sermon? 

You pray by taking a moment before starting to work on your sermon and asking God for the grace and mercy that you need. In Hebrews 4:16, it is written that in Christ we can come before God’s throne of grace in confidence and ask for grace and mercy in times of need. As you study at your table or library, pause to pray to God to give you the understanding and knowledge you need, the resolve to write a biblically sound sermon, and the wisdom to preach the truth, not just what the people wanted to hear. All of this is only by the grace and mercy of God. In other words, you can pray along those three things:

Father in heaven, I come before You to ask for the grace and mercy I need as I write my sermon. Give me the mercy I need to understand Your Word and behold its beautiful truths. Give me the grace to be faithful to sound doctrine as I preach and never twist what Your Word says to suit the ears of the people. Help me handle Your Word with respect and reverence. Thank you, Holy Spirit, because You empower me, always lead me, and bring to my remembrance the truth. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

You can add or modify some details as you pray using those three concepts. For example, as you pray to God for understanding and wisdom when studying a passage for a sermon, you can pray and ask God to help you focus and have the discipline to avoid any distractions. 

Heavenly Father, as I study Your Word, help me focus on what I read and have the discipline not to check my phone while studying. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

If you are praying for the resolve to preach what is biblically sound and not what the people want to hear, you can pray in detail like this: 

Heavenly Father, help me always to be a good soldier of Yours whose aim is to please You rather than men. Therefore, I will preach what You say is the truth, even at the risk of people ridiculing me for not preaching what they want to hear. To live is Christ. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Writing a sermon and preaching it is indeed a significant responsibility. However, our confidence is that God gives us the grace and mercy that we need to be faithful toward ensuring that we write powerful and biblically sound sermons. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us and works through us.