Ask for prayer - please!

Preaching isn’t just about words. It’s about presence—God's presence.

I know where I am going with this, so the answer is… prayer!

Not the polite kind, with safe words wrapped up in pretty ribbons. I mean the desperate, interceding, imploring, “OH, God!” tear-streaked kind. The kind that shakes the heavens and makes the angels skid to a halt. The kind of prayer that brings the weight of God’s glory crashing into the room, where people don’t just feel inspired—they fall to their knees, undone by the holy presence of God.

If you’re a preacher, you don’t just need this kind of prayer—you can’t survive without it.

Paul got this. He knew the stakes. Listen to his plea in Ephesians 6:18–20:

“[Pray] at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Here’s the Apostle Paul—ambassador of Christ, pioneer of the gospel, and one of the generals of spiritual battle—saying, “Pray for me.” He doesn’t just assume he’s got this, knows what it takes, the right things to say, and how to "make it happen." He doesn’t lean on his credentials or his experience. Instead, he throws himself on the prayers of the saints.

Paul knows that preaching isn’t a casual thing; it’s an encounter with eternity.

Preaching isn’t just about words. It’s about presence—God's presence. When you preach, you’re calling people to encounter the living God, bringing life, courage, freedom, and hope. What we need to wholeheartedly grasp is that we can’t manufacture that.

We can’t organise the presence of God into a tidy schedule or strategise our way into an outpouring of the Spirit. The heavy, holy presence of God—the kind that makes people tremble under the weight of His glory—only comes through prayer.

And that’s why, preacher, you need people praying for you.

Do you remember Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God? Jonathan Edwards didn’t deliver that sermon with fiery theatrics and a few musicians playing nicely in the background. By all accounts, his delivery was monotone, almost unemotional-yet people were weeping, groaning, clutching their seats in terror of falling into hell. What happened? The presence of God fell on that meeting with overwhelming power.

This is what we long for, isn’t it? Not just to preach a nice message, but to see people confronted with the weight of God’s holiness and their deep, overwhelming, desperate need for grace. May we have a resurgence of people preaching and seeing sinners weeping over their sin and turning to Christ, believers falling in worship, overwhelmed by the goodness and glory of God.

That riveting, powerful, heart-stirring preaching doesn’t happen because of our eloquence or because we’ve nailed our three points all starting with the same letter or crafted the perfect illustration. It happens because the Spirit of God moves in response to the prayers of His people.

It’s a Battle You Can’t See

Paul doesn’t ask for prayer because he’s unsure of himself. He asks because he understands the battle: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

When you step into the pulpit, you’re walking into a war zone where the enemy’s goal is clear: to keep hearts hard, minds distracted, and souls unresponsive.

All this is why prayer matters. The kind of transformation we’re after—the kind where the Word of God pierces the heart and changes lives—doesn’t happen in human strength. It happens when the Spirit takes the Word and wields it like a sword, cutting through sin and self-deception bringing life, liberty and freedom.

The sobering reality is that if people aren’t praying for you, you’re fighting that battle alone.

Confidence Won’t Cut It Either

Sometimes, as preachers and communicators, we lean on our confidence, maybe even think, “I’ve got this - the sermon’s ready, the points are solid, the delivery is polished.” But confidence isn’t enough.

You may be the most gifted communicator in the world, but without the Spirit of God moving in power, your words will fall like a ball made of lead before they reach the people’s hearts.

Paul understood this and urgently appeals, “Pray that words may be given to me.” He doesn’t even trust himself to find the right words. He knows he needs the Spirit to give him vibrant words that carry divine weight—words that convict, comfort, and call people to Christ, pulling them away from the rabid jaws of hell.

I’m not sure who is reading these words, but suffice it to say, if and when you preach, you’re not just sharing great, good, challenging, inspiring ideas; you’re confronting people with eternity. Feel the weight of that. Do you at least attempt to preach as if heaven and hell hang in the balance? As if this might tragically be someone’s very last chance to hear the gospel?

Paul is mindful of that and says, “Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” He understands that the gospel isn’t just information; it’s an urgent, compelling invitation, and it demands a response.

Preaching isn’t a performance—an academic exercise or a lecture—it’s a plea for people to repent, believe, and follow Jesus; for the Spirit to open blind eyes and soften hard hearts. And that kind of preaching doesn’t happen without prayer.

Don’t step up to the lectern alone; surround yourself with people who have and will cry out to God on your behalf—people who will pray for the Spirit to fill you, for the Word to come alive, and for the heavy presence of God to fall on those hearing the message.

I’ve run out of coffee, so time to wrap up. Encourage the church to never underestimate the power of their prayers. When they pray for their speaker, they’re partnering in the work of the gospel. They’re helping to create an atmosphere where the Spirit can move with power, where lives can be transformed, and where the glory of God can be revealed.

We are not after a good talk; we’re after a God encounter—after sinners trembling under the conviction of sin and running to Jesus, and believers being set ablaze with a passion for God’s glory.

When we pray, heaven moves…