I have been reading the autobiography of George Muller and it is a wonderful testimony of a man of simple faith and powerful prayer. His writings are not lengthy and eloquent but they exhibit the sort of deep faith that I long for. Here is a quote from his writings:
The anointing of the Holy Spirit helps me greatly when I preach. I would never attempt to teach the truth of God by my own power. One day before preaching at Teignmouth, I had more time than usual, so I prayed and meditated for six hours in preparation for the evening meeting. After I had spoken a little while, I felt that I was speaking in my own strength rather than God's power. I told the brethren that I felt as though I was not preaching under the anointing and asked them to pray. After I continued a little longer, I felt the same and therefore ended my sermon and proposed that we have a meeting for prayer. We did so, and I was particularly assisted by the Holy Spirit the next time I preached. (The Autobiography of George Muller, p. 35)
I love that! If only I were humbler and more self-aware of my own infirmity in the way George Mueller was! If only more men in the church recognized their own inability and eschewed self-reliance. I know from personal experience, the more prep time and self-reliance in that preparation I had leading up to Sunday, the less effective the sermon was. I wonder how many men would have the self-reflection to recognize that their sermon is wandering and stop to pray with the assembled church? I also wonder how many people in the pews would freak out if he did? Any deviation from script can cause a great deal of consternation among the congregation and the preacher alike. If your gathering of the church is so orchestrated, so rigidly scheduled that there is no room to adapt as needed, I have to ask who you are seeking to please?
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