Praying for Preaching

Turning Psalm 119:33-40 into prayer is a good way to get ready to preach, prepare, or proceed with reading the Word. These 5th portion petitions humbly cry for help:

Lord, please take away my ignorance by instructing me in Your teaching, which You have carved in stone, so that I may carefully keep Your Law, v33.

I admit I lack biblical perception and discernment - please increase my insight into Scripture so that I might resolutely, fully, and intelligently, obey Your truth, v34.

Since my feet are prone to stray, use Your Good Book, as a means of grace, to make Your commands a pavement for my steps, v35.

Since my flesh is often distracted by worldly temptations, by Your Spirit, O Lord, reorientate my soul towards true, undistracted, covenant-keeping duties, v36.

Lust for empty pleasures pulls my passions towards death - deflect my gaze from vanity and revive my zeal for the path to abundant, heavenly life, v37.

Raise up a banner of truth, which lies trampled in the earth, so that I and others may revere Your very great and precious covenant promises in Christ's blood, v38.

If the world reproaches me wrongly, vindicate me for Your own glory, v39.

I love your Word more than anything else - use Your appointed means, read, taught, sung and prayed, to revive me in holiness - make me more like Christ, v40.

In your abundant mercy, by grace in Christ, answer me, Heavenly Father - Amen.