A Brief Word on Sermon Prayers

As many of you know, we begin each sermon following the reading of the biblical text with a prayer that requests God to open our hearts that we might receive his Word, our minds that we might understand his clear ("perspicuous" to use the theologically correct term) Word, our eyes that we might see the gospel in the text of Scripture, our ears that we might hear the gospel, our mouths that we might speak the truth of the gospel to ourselves and to each other, and our hands and feet that we might go in obedience to the gospel.

I have prayed this prayer before every sermon for several years and it is a personal prayer. I have no doubt there are other prayers throughout church history similar to it, but it is, as best as I can, summarizes what I hope to communicate and accomplish in the sermon.

Recently, I was listening to a sermon by Alistair Begg, one of my favorite preachers, and he offered a brief prayer at the beginning of his sermon he confesses is not original that I enjoyed. I want to pass it along here.

Lord, what we know not, teach us; what we have not, give us; and what we are not, make us; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The origin of this prayer remains a mystery. Its presence in some prayer books (like the Barclay prayer book) and lectionaries suggest it is not new. Nevertheless, I love this prayer and it is one I encourage you to pray it each morning as we open the Word of God and seek to uncover its truth and what it has to say about the Son of God, our Savior.