Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Prayer for Those Who Proclaim
Prayer for Those Who Proclaim
Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6; Psalm 116
This sermon was preached by the Rev. Stephen Rhoda of Sioux Center, Iowa, and posted at crcna.org under Reading Sermons (also see these links from the Center for Excellence in Preaching).
An excerpt:
Therefore, praying for a clear proclamation of God’s Word means praying also for those who are preparing to stand in the pulpit or to preach on the mission field. We must pray not only for those already in the ministry but also for those who are in training for the ministry. And our specific petition before God, must be for a clear proclamation of the gospel, through all forms of preparation for the ministry.
And it’s worth noting that the apostle Paul is writing this instruction from prison. It’s worth nothing that those who proclaim the Word of God will always meet with the temptation to alter the message. The challenge will always be to proclaim the full counsel of God’s Word and to proclaim it clearly, because the fuller and clearer the proclamation, the greater the persecution will be in response. So we must pray that the proclamation of God’s Word will be full and faithful and that those who proclaim it will have the courage to be clear.
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