Editorial draft for review. “From the guide” sections are Parker's words; “Working it out,” examples and worksheets are editorial.
Guide sections: Prayer: The Non-Negotiable
Read
Read “From the guide” first, out loud if you can. Then read “Working it out.”
From the guide
Prayer is the most valuable part of the process.
Pray:
- while studying
- while writing
- while driving
- before stage
- after preaching
Ask:
“What are you saying to these people?”
Power comes from dependence, not preparation alone.
Working it out
Everywhere, including the car. The list runs from the desk to the drive to the moments after you step down. Prayer is not a slot in the schedule; it runs through the whole week.
One question. “What are you saying to these people?” Ask it with real faces in mind. It keeps the sermon from being about what you find interesting.
After preaching. Do not skip the last item. Pray for what was heard and release what you cannot control.
Dependence and preparation. Parker says “not preparation alone.” Do the work and depend on God; neither replaces the other.
Worked example (fictional, process only)
A preacher noticed he only prayed the morning he preached. He began asking “What are you saying to these people?” on his drive to the office, naming three people each day. By Thursday one application had changed.
Discuss
- When during this sermon's preparation have you prayed, and when have you not?
- What have you heard when you asked, “What are you saying to these people?”
- What tends to crowd prayer out?
- What do you do in the hour after you preach?
Mentor: pray that question out loud together for the people who will hear this sermon.
Practice
For one week, pray at each of Parker's five points you reach. Ask the question daily with specific people in mind. For the points you have not reached yet (before stage and after preaching), write a plan. Then write a short reflection; it may honestly say the sermon did not change.
Worksheet
Copy onto paper or download below; nothing is saved here.
- While studying
- While writing
- While driving
- Before stage (plan)
- After preaching (plan)
- “What are you saying to these people?” — what I sensed
- What changed in the sermon (or “no change”)
Review
Artifact: Prayer reflection.
Complete when: A short written reflection covers the points reached so far and the question, plans for before stage and after preaching are written, and the reflection has been shared with your mentor.
- Prayer happened at each stage reached so far.
- The question was asked with specific people in mind.
- A plan exists for before and after preaching.
- Shared with mentor.
Mentor feedback
Bring the work you made, not just your answers. Show one place where the passage shaped a decision. Name one strength, choose one useful improvement, and check the revision together.
- Name one real strength in the work.
- Name one priority improvement, based on evidence in the work.
- Revise, then recheck against the review list.