The longer I serve as an elder/pastor, the more I realize that no good thing ever happens apart from God’s direct involvment. No person has the power to change a human heart. No one can explain Scripture well enough to convince another person to believe it. No one can hold a diverse group of people together in harmony year after year. Such blessings will be had only if God himself gives them. A wise man once told me... “if God is in it... it will succeed.”
We are fully dependent on God’s grace and goodness in leading His Kingdom before His return. We can orchestrate no good work, no blessing on our own. This does not mean, however, that blessings cannot be had from the hard work and perseverance of faithful, humble and spiritual men in leadership. On the contrary, Jesus teaches us: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11). This verse can only mean that God will give blessings when his people are faithful and persistent in asking Him.
Personally, I am never more aware of this need to seek Him than when I prepare sermons and preach His Word. I plead to God,asking Him to bless his Word as I proclaim it. I pray that the message is His and only mine in the sense that I prepared it using His Word as my only source and guide. I pray for insight into his truth, into his people, into what to say and how to say it. I ask him to make His power known in my weaknesses, fumbling and stumbling. Every time, God is gracious far beyond anything I deserve. I shudder to think what would happen if I didn’t ask Him to help me speak His Truth that honors and glorifies Him, not me.
As significant a responsibility as it is to proclaim God’s life giving truths, it is not only the preacher who has responsibility in this work. The church is responsible to prepare for worship, gather together, be attentive and receive with “hearing ears” [and hearts] the truth being spoken. The church also has a significant responsibility to ask for God’s blessing on the man preaching the gospel and the words spoken. No preacher wants to feel that his words of truth spoken on behalf of God, go in one ear and out the other of listeners.
Corporate responsibility, shared amongst the flock, for the gifts of preaching is one reason the apostle Paul asked often for prayer from the churches. He requested prayer for success in his proclamation of truth. His requests for prayer were not directed merely to other apostles, or to elders or deacons. They were directed to entire congregations.
And his requests for prayers were not for personal glory or accolades, but that his words would lead everyone into a deeper stronger walk with Christ. That his words would “stick” and touch the hearts of seekers who would turn and give their lives to Christ. His words were spoken as are all words spoken by preachers... for the cause of Christ... to seek, inspire and save souls!
Paul asks the Ephesian church to “Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19). To the Thessalonians he says, “Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith” (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).
Every believer has a responsibility regarding the proclamation of the truth and the spread of the gospel. It is a responsibility that cannot be met without prayer. When the Word of God abounds and increases in the hearts of people, it is not because one man has prayed, but because many [all] have done so.
“Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thessalonians 5:25).
