Many church members pray for their pastor during the week. We know that he needs our prayers as he prepares to teach God’s Word to us on Sunday. But are we praying in a specific and meaningful way?

There are many articles and books that encourage and challenge pastors to pray as they prepared their message each week. But shouldn’t we, as listeners of those messages, be also praying??

Consider the following requests that you could include in your prayer time throughout the week. Then come prepared to be blessed as God’s Word is proclaimed! You might consider using one or two of the requests each day as you prepare for the Lord’s day, fellowshipping and worshipping with God’s people.

1. Lord, please help me to understand the meaning of Your Word and how it points to Christ and the glorious gospel of salvation through Him.
2. Lord, please increase my love for Christ, for the Church, and for your Word as I listen to the message from Your Word.
3. Lord, please give me the wisdom and the desire to apply the message from your Word to my life in the coming days.
4. Lord, please help me to understand how I can better understand the gospel of Christ and be able to share it with others, both saved and unsaved.
5. Lord, please help the message from Your Word to confront unbelievers with the gospel so that they will be convicted of their sin, turn from it, and trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior.
6. Lord, please help me to be obedient to the demands of the Word as it is proclaimed, that I may leave the time of worship with a changed life.
7. Lord, may Your Holy Spirit please help me to live out the message in my life because it is my desire to conform my life to the image of Christ.
8. Lord, please use the message from Your Word to bring glory to your name, joy to your people, and salvation to the lost.

So join me at church this Sunday, filled with the Spirit, bathed in prayer, and prepared to be blessed and challenged by the proclamation of God’s Word. And don’t forget to pray for Chris, John and the other men as they prepare to preach each week!

An excellent resource that will help you listen to a sermon is the book, Expository Listening. We have a few copies available on our book rack this Sunday.