By Pastor Shoichi Ino
When preaching, a pastor shoulders the great responsibility of conveying God’s word, entrusted to him by God. He reflects deeply on the words of Scripture and makes it easy for the congregation to understand. I’d like to share something I read in The Supremacy of God in Preaching, a book by John Piper, about 5 steps the writer tries to keep in mind when preaching: APTAT. Piper asks for the help of the Holy Spirit by offering an “APTAT” prayer.
A – ADMIT: I recognize that without you, Lord, I am nothing.
P – PRAY: So, Father, I seek your help. Please grant me the insight, strength, humility, love, memory, and freedom I need.
T – TRUST: I trust that, through my sermon, You will drive Satan back and encourage those who are anxious or poor of spirit.
A – ACT: I will act, trusting that You will fulfill your word.
T – THANKS: I thank You that you sustained me during the sermon, through which the work of atonement of the Cross was conveyed.
One should prepare and preach with these attitudes in mind.