Prayer and Preaching: Preparing Your Heart Before the Pulpit| Episode 7 | Season 5
In this episode, Pastor John Carter joins longtime ministry friends Pastors Kelly and Gina Lynnes for a powerful conversation about the heart behind preaching. Together, they explore how prayer is more than a pre-sermon routine—it is the sacred preparation that aligns the shepherd’s heart with the heart of God.
With wisdom and candor, they discuss how prayer invites the Holy Spirit into every word spoken, turning information into impartation and sermons into encounters. From personal stories to practical insights, this conversation reveals what happens when pastors allow God to shape the message long before it’s ever delivered.
Key Highlights:
The Heart Before the Sermon: Before the message is preached, the messenger must be prepared. The pastors share how time in prayer refines motives, purifies the heart, and positions leaders to speak from intimacy, not intellect.
The Atmosphere of Prayer: Pastor Kelly emphasizes that prayer creates the spiritual environment where God moves. “Atmospheres are assembled by everyone in it,” he shares—reminding us that prayer builds the setting for the supernatural to flow freely.
Balancing Preparation and Dependence: Pastor Gina reflects on how sermon preparation requires both diligence and surrender. While the “horse is prepared for the day of battle,” true deliverance comes from the Lord. She shares how the Holy Spirit often surprises her mid-message—redirecting her to meet the moment.
From Performance to Presence: Pastor John and the Lynnes discuss the difference between preaching from skill and preaching from surrender. “We can rely on our natural ability,” Pastor John says, “but the true adventure begins when we sit quietly and listen to what the Spirit is saying.”
The Fragrance of the Word: Pastor Gina beautifully describes how the Word of God carries not only truth but fragrance. “You might forget the information,” she says, “but you’ll never forget the fragrance—the essence of the Holy Spirit that touched you.”
Ministry That’s Supernatural: The episode closes with a stirring reminder that ministry is not a performance—it’s a partnership with the Holy Spirit. “We can do things well in the natural,” Pastor Gina says, “but ministry must always be supernatural.”
This episode reminds us that before the pulpit comes the prayer closet. Power in preaching begins in private surrender, where pastors lay down performance for presence and let the Holy Spirit transform their hearts—and through them, their congregations.
Key Scriptures
Luke 11:1–4 (NKJV)
Proverbs 21:31 (NKJV)
2 Corinthians 3:4–6 (NKJV)
Matthew 10:19–20 (NKJV)
2 Corinthians 2:14–15 (NKJV)
Additional Resources