The Importance of Prayer to Preaching

If you are a preacher of God's Word, let this spur you on to pray more urgently as you prepare.  If you are listener of God's Word, let this encourage you to pray regularly for your pastor and other preachers as they prepare.

While it's true that there has been a significant resurgence of biblical preaching, I'm not sure this has been accompanied by a resurgence in praying - and especially not prayer about preaching.

Gradually, we seem to be losing sight of the fact that God uses weak and sinful people, and that he uses them only by grace. Yes, we may sow, plant, and water - but only God gives growth. That's true in your local church and mine. It's also true of every podcast and e-book and conference address under the sun. God doesn't use people because they are gifted. He uses people (even preachers) because he is gracious. Do we actually believe that? If we do believe it, then we will pray - we will pray before we speak, and we will pray for others before they speak. It's that simple.

--Gary Millar and Phil Campbell, Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God's Word and Keep People Awake 

Highly Recommended Book for Preachers

This new book by Gary Millar and Phil Campbell, Saving Eutychus: How to Preach God's Word and Keep People Awake, comes highly recommended.  Just listen to these endorsements:

“I have read books on how to make sure your sermon is interesting, and I have read books on how to make sure your sermon is faithful to the text, but this book wants your sermon to be both. If I could, I would make this little book mandatory reading for seminarians everywhere, and then urge them to read it a couple more times during the course of their ministry. It avoids cutesy and manipulative suggestions, and makes its practical points while urging integrity, faithfulness, and imagination. Many books on preaching are published every year; this one is a "must.”
- D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“This book teems with ‘plusses’: it is short (as a tome that takes Eutychus as its poster boy must be); it is stretching (the authors force one to deal with longer texts—and leave one asking, “Why can’t I summarize extended passages like that?”); it is specific (they include actual sermons with critique); it is searching (in case you skip the first chapter, ‘pray’ occurs eight times in the conclusion); and stirring (you still want to preach when you’ve finished reading). If you don’t buy the book, don’t cry if Eutychus isn’t saved!”
- Dale Ralph Davis, Bible expositor and author

“Millar and Campbell write with much wit and wisdom for the sake of our listeners. At some point every preacher must decide whether to preach for the regard of one’s peers or for the welfare of Christ’s people. Millar and Campbell have obviously decided for the latter and give much sound advice for the rest of us to do the same.”
- Bryan Chapell, Chancellor, Covenant Theological Seminary

“Two men who would never be deadly boring or dull are Gary Millar and Phil Campbell, and in this book they use their lively wit to help other preachers keep Eutychus awake. More importantly, they are united in their understanding of and commitment to the task of making God's word known. I pray this book will be of benefit to both preachers and congregations.”
- Phillip D Jensen, Dean of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, NSW

“This book deserves to be included in the ‘must read’ category for preachers. It is readable, which always helps! And, as we would expect, it is biblical and practical. But it is also funny and forthright in a way that made me re-evaluate my preaching and resolve with God’s help to improve. This is a different book from Lloyd-Jones’ Preaching and Preachers and Between Two Worlds by John Stott, but it may prove to be just as influential.”
- Alistair Begg, Senior Pastor, Parkside Church, Cleveland, OH