Private Prayer, Again

"Private prayer, lastly, is also the path to a proven shelter, a haven of rest, a mighty fortress, a rock of defense for present adversities and an unknown future. Prayer is a refuge from the storms of life. This is why Satan fears and hates private prayer and will fight with every possible device and argument to keep you from prayer" (James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke, Developing a Healthy Prayer Life, 12).

Private Prayer

"Jesus underscores our need to be alone with God [see Matthew 6:6].... as friends love to share treasured secrets, so the Lord loves to share secrets of His truth, His Triune Person, His kingdom, and His love with believers. Through His Spirit He uncovers scriptural truth more deeply in the soul by means of private prayer. It is between the closest friends that the most is shared: 'The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant' (Ps. 25:14)" (James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke, Developing a Healthy Prayer Life, 11).

Prayer: True Faith Active In Your Life

"Prayer requires faith: believing in God, trusting in God, and placing our expectations in God.... Do you exercise faith in Christ when you pray (John 14:1)? Do you trust in His person and mediatorial work, looking for Him to meet all your needs as your Prophet, Priest, and King? Do you rest in His natures, states, and benefits as inseparable from your salvation? Are you concerned for the cause of Christ's kingdom, the promotion of His Name and His truth, that these may shape your own desires and purposes, and consume your time and energy? God's will becomes primary and your will becomes secondary when true faith is active in your life. A living faith will generate heartfelt desires to be conformed to His will" (James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke, Developing a Healthy Prayer Life, 7-8).

Problem with Prayer Life

"[One problem] in Christians' prayer lives is when we spend more time preparing to come to Christ than in actually coming to Him" (James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke, Developing a Healthy Prayer Life, 6).

Praying in the Name of Christ

"Jesus taught us, 'Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name' (John 16:24). To pray in Christ's name is to take refuge in Him as God's beloved Son -- the One whom the Father delights to hear and to honor. Praying in Jesus' name includes confessing who is truly God and Master in my life" (James W. Beeke and Joel R. Beeke, Developing a Healthy Prayer Life, 5).

Unveil Christ, Conceal Self

"A preacher cannot bear witness to Christ and to himself at the same time. He must aim to unveil Christ and conceal himself'" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 154).

Work Hard To Preach Simply

"A fool can preach like a genius, but it takes a genius to preach simply. And by genius, I don't mean that some people have an innate ability to make the profound simple. Genius is usually the end-result of extremely hard work" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 146).

Danger of Over-Complicated Sermons

"However, in many circles, especially perhaps in some Reformed churches, we may be in danger of over-complicating sermons. By over-complicating sermons I mean... Too much logic, not enough likes: Just read the Gospels and ask yourself if you are like picture-painting Jesus or philosophical Plato. Yes, we need logic. But we also need 'likes' (e.g. the kingdom of heaven is like...) and stories (e.g. there was a rich man...)" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 145).

Keep It Short But Sweet

"Very few people will complain if a sermon is shorter than expected" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 141).

Christ-Centered Application

"And so I close this chapter with an appeal for more Christ-centered application. In a sense, this is the most important point in this chapter because only Christ-centered application will deliver us from mere moralizing and latent legalism" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 117).

Get Concrete

"It is not enough just to draw a general principle out of a passage ('you should be holy'). The general principle must be pointed to specific, concrete, everyday situations by asking 'How? Where? When?'"  (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 115).

Application, Again

"While focused on that particular preaching passage, preachers must also ensure that their application is consistent with the rest of Scripture" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 110).

Foundation for Application

"The faithful preacher bases his application not on anecdotes or inspiring stories, but on God's Word, and on that particular preaching passage" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 109).

Application and Change

"'Application is the ... process by which preachers make scriptural truths so pertinent to members of their congregations that they not only understand how these truths should effect changes in their lives but also feel obligated and perhaps even eager to implement those changes'" (David Murray quoting Jay Adams in How Sermons Work, 107).

Sermonizing and Sermon Structuring for Spiritual Good

"Sermon material should be organized throughout with a spiritual intent -- with the aim of doing spiritual good" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 92).

What Haddon W. Robinson Called "Big Idea Preaching"

"Whether the theme and points are stated at the beginning of a sermon or not, the theme and points should be crystal clear in the preacher's mind. It is especially important to work on a clear, comprehensive, concise sentence that presents the sermon theme" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 89).

Skeleton-Structure in Hiding

"Sermon structures ought to be as simple as possible, with as few divisions as possible.... While arguing for striking and memorable structure, we must still remember that the purpose of any skeleton is to support the body, and keep itself largely out of view" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 87, 89).

Seeking Structure

"In sermon preparation, the preacher should be constantly seeking a structure" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 86).

Secure It

"Just as a tree has roots to place and secure the tree in the ground, so a sermon must have an introduction to place and secure it in the minds of the congregation" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 83).

Something To Attend To!

"'What is the best way', asked a young preacher of an older one, 'to get the attention of the congregation?' 'Give 'em something to attend to,' was the gruff reply" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 77).

The best way, indeed.

Introductions That Pave The Way

"The introduction should pave the way for the sermon, not repeat it" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 75).

Challenge of Challenges for Sir Speaks Alot

"To avoid wearying people and unbalancing the sermon, an introduction should contain only one main thought" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 74).

Structure!

"As 'God is not the author of confusion' but of order and structure, any sermon that claims to set forth God should be made in his image, i.e. with order and structure. Sermon structure and order will also help the preacher to preach and the hearers to hear, as they are both made in the image of God" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 71).

Sermonic Variety

"An awareness of the various kinds of sermon that may be preached challenges the preacher to vary his style and content, and so prevent monotonous sameness" (David Murray, How Sermons Work, 59).