Pastors and other speakers who preach weekly spend a lot of time in study and preparation in order to deliver a message that will inspire their congregation to follow God closer each day. These messages should be covered in prayer before a sermon is prepared and delivered.
These sample prayers are for inspiration. There are some that pastors can pray in private as they prepare, and others in public before their message.
There are also some prayers for someone who wants to support the pastor in prayer, that they can pray on their own during the week.
And finally, there are prayers before the sermon, meant for the person who might be introducing the pastor or speaker, to bless the message. Whatever the role, spend time praying for this week’s sermon and for those who will hear it. The importance of prayer before sermon cannot be overstated!
Pastor Prayers: Praying Before Preparing the Sermon
The pastors and other speakers preparing weekly messages for church or other ministry events are taking on a great responsibility to deliver God’s Word faithfully. Prayer before sermon preparation can make all the difference in the message delivered.
A Short Prayer before preparing a Sermon
Dear Lord,
I want to serve You by the power of the Holy Spirit today. Please help me to look to You for the knowledge and wisdom I need to prepare this message.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A prayer to prepare your sermon with wisdom
Father God,
Help me not to rely on myself or my own understanding as I study the Scriptures today to deliver Your message to the congregation. May I find Your wisdom and speak the words you want me to speak.
Please give me wisdom beyond what I have studied or observed. Help me to listen to You today as I seek You and Your wisdom in Your Word.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer Based on 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Dear Lord,
Your Word reminds me in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 that I have been approved by You to be entrusted with the Gospel, and that I do this not to please people, but to please You.
Please help me with this today, that I would prioritize pleasing You, God! Help me to be compassionate to others, and to choose my words wisely, but to ultimately choose pleasing You over the people hearing this message.
May You be glorified in this preparation and in these words.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer based on Romans 9:1
Dear Lord,
I pray that I would speak the truth in You. Help me to know by the Holy Spirit and Your Word what Your truth is. Help me to understand and faithfully deliver the truth that You show me in Your Word.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Pastor Prayers: Opening Prayers Before Preaching
As the pastor or the speaker for each Sunday takes the stage, it is another opportunity to invite the Lord to be at the center of the message.
The pastor or speaker has the privilege of bringing the Word of God to people to others; it is so important to ask for God’s help, and for His favor and blessing on the sermon.
A newer pastor or guest speaker might be wondering what to say before starting a sermon; pick a sample prayer or two to provide inspiration for the prayer before sermon.
Short Pastoral Prayer Before Sermon
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to be faithful to Your Word and what You want me to say today.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Pastoral Prayer Before Sermon for Receptive Hearts
Dear Lord,
As I bring Your Word today to this church, I pray that we would cherish Your Word to us.. Please help us to hear Your Word and obey it.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Pastoral Prayer before sermon based on Psalm 19:14
(This prayer varies slightly as the pastor or speaker would be leading the congregation in prayer at first, then finish with a prayer at the end.)
As we gather here to hear God’s Word, let’s pray silently. Pray for yourself, that God would touch your heart and teach you what He wants you to learn today.
Pray for those around you, that they would hear the Word of God and accept it.
Please pray for me, that I will be faithful to God’s Word today.
Dear Lord,
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Pastoral Prayer before sermon based on John 7:18
Dear Lord,
May I not speak from myself or for myself, but from You and for Your glory. May I speak with Your wisdom and truth, and not that of the world’s wisdom and truth.
I pray that You will open our eyes and hearts to what You want us to learn today.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Praying for the Pastor: Praying for the Pastor during the week
Pastors and others who bring the weekly message need prayer support from others. This is a great way to support a pastor. Many pastors would be encouraged knowing that they are being included in daily prayers.
Praying for a pastor isn’t just for church leaders to do! Intercessory prayer for the pastor can be from anyone, but people who attend the church should especially be praying for the pastor. Besides these prayer points, consider reaching out for specific prayer requests.
Short Prayer for Your Pastor During the Week
Dear Lord,
Thank You for our pastor! I pray that you will give our pastor the words and wisdom for this week’s message.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Prayer for Your Pastor to Preach to Receptive Hearts
Dear Lord,
I pray that You would prepare the hearts of our congregation to hear the message that the pastor is bringing to us this week. Give our pastor insight on how to reach these hearts.
I pray that we would not jump to being offended when the pastor brings up sin that we are cherishing. I pray that we would let Your word change our hearts and that this message would be used to turn us toward more godly lives.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Prayer for your pastor based on Exodus 4:12
Dear Lord,
I pray that our pastor would go as you have called. Please be with our pastor! Teach our pastor what to speak.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Prayer for your pastor based on Acts 18:19
Dear Lord,
Please help our pastor not to be afraid to speak, and to be bold in Your message. Please be with our pastor to bring the Word to us faithfully.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Praying for the Pastor: Sample Opening Prayers for Introducing the Pastor or Preacher
If you’ve found this article because you’ve been asked to say the opening prayer before a sermon at next week’s church service, we have a few sample opening prayers to help you out.
Maybe this feels like a great honor and you would like some inspiration; or it could be a big stretch for you to be up in front of the congregation to lead them in public prayer for the sermon. Thank you for serving the congregation in this way.
Your role in leading prayer is important, and there are a couple of things that are very important to remember. First, remember that your purpose in leading the opening prayer is to ask God to prepare the hearts of the congregation and to bless the speaker’s words.
This message may be the only interaction some people have with God’s Word this week. You are petitioning God to use the pastor’s or speaker’s words to help them be closer to God. It is a privilege to lead the congregation in prayer to be ready to hear the Word of God.
Second, remember that this isn’t your chance to deliver your own message to the congregation or undercut the speaker’s message in any way. If you can’t be supportive of the pastor or speaker who is delivering the sermon, you should quietly decline the opportunity to do the prayer before a sermon.
If you feel strange planning out what you are going to say for a prayer, you might believe that all prayers should be of the moment led by the Holy Spirit. But here’s another point to consider: you can ask to be led by the Holy Spirit now as you prepare.
Not everyone can speak well off the top of their head, and your desire to prepare a meaningful prayer shows how seriously you are taking your role in the church worship service to do the prayer before a sermon.
A Short Prayer Before A Sermon
Dear Lord,
Thank You for our pastor (speaker) today. Thank You for Your wisdom that will be revealed in this sermon today. Please prepare our hearts to hear this message.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Prayer Before A Sermon to ask for God’s Favor
Dear Lord God,
We humbly come before you to ask for Your favor and blessing on this sermon today. May You bless this message with Your wisdom and knowledge. May You help us to take Your Word and apply it to our lives.
Lord, we ask your favor upon our pastor. Please bless the words of this sermon and the one who speaks them.
In the Name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Prayer Before Sermon based on Psalm 49:3
O Lord,
Thank You for letting us gather here today to hear Your Word. Please bless (speaker/pastor’s name) words today with wisdom and understanding. May You be glorified today!
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Prayer Before Sermon based on Psalm 145:21
Dear God,
Thank you for our worship service today, and for the message we are about to hear. May these words bring You glory and bless Your holy name. We pray that we will hear the good news of this message with open hearts and live lives that glorify You more and more each day.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Prayer changes hearts, changes circumstances, and changes lives. What a privilege it is to go to the Lord in prayer at any time.
Prayer before sermon preparation, or prayer before sermon delivery is a great way to trust God with the message He wants the congregation to hear. Keep praying!
If you liked Prayer Before Sermon, you may like 10 Prayer Points for the Church.