The Holy Spirit, Prayer, and Preaching

I have a growing conviction, and it is this: The great need of the church today is for a fresh and sustained work of the Holy Spirit. This conviction, at least for me, is not limited to the church's need for the Holy Spirit to come down and revive or empower us. Rather, this conviction is related to our need for Him to reveal the reign of Jesus Christ to others as well as to ourselves.

If, like me, this belief is regaining strength in your heart and mind, it might be appropriate to ask, «How do we know when this belief has truly taken root in us?» That is, «What proves that we sincerely embrace it?”

Devotion to prayer

I have been reflecting on similar questions recently and I believe that at least two signs may be discernible.

First, this conviction comes with a commitment to prayer; the person who prays constantly «gets it.» In fact, I would say that only those who regularly turn to God in prayer truly embrace this conviction. For by their prayers they demonstrate their faith that only God, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, can do the work of revival. If we are a people who do not pray, it shows that we still think we can do it on our own.

If I am right, that is, if prayer is the obvious evidence of our conviction, then those who desire God to do a new gospel work in our time will be people of prayer.

Interestingly, at key points in Luke’s Gospel, this dynamic connection is established. At least four times, people recognize Jesus for who He is by being in close proximity to Him as He prays:

• On the eve of Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ (Messiah), Jesus prays alone (Luke 9:18–20).
• Peter, John, and James go up a mountain to pray, and then the voice of God from heaven appears to reveal not only who Jesus is but also to indicate what His followers should do given that knowledge (Luke 9:28–36).
• At his baptism, Jesus prays when the heavens open, the Holy Spirit descends, and the voice of God the Father from heaven confirms Jesus as His Son (Luke 3:21–22).
• The gray-haired saints, Simeon and Anna, recognize Jesus for who He is through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the ordinary context of regular prayer (Luke 2:22–40).

These four episodes are important. And I think they are given to us on purpose. They teach us that when people come to Christ and begin to follow Him, they do so through the fresh and constant working of the Holy Spirit—through prayer.

When we sincerely accept the conviction of our need for the Spirit, we give ourselves to the work of prayer.

Commitment to Biblical Exposition

Second, when a conviction of the fresh and continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit is accepted, prayer is not the only element present. There is also a commitment to biblical exposition.

As the church regains its sense of great need, people and preachers alike will yearn for a simple and direct appeal to the proclamation of the Word of God. In other words, the one who prays is the same one who will give himself to the biblical text, and this is necessary.

The Holy Spirit and preaching work together

I realize that for many readers, the connection between our faith in the Holy Spirit and preaching may not always be obvious. Many mistakenly believe that we must choose between devotion to the Holy Spirit and devotion to the Word of God. Some believe that we can pursue either «street authority» or «spiritual maturity,» but not both.

These same people convince us that we can go to a «Spirit-led church» or a «Word-centered church,» but not both. This false dichotomy is deeply ingrained in the minds of many. But it is a mistake to think that we must choose between being relevant to our neighbors and those who already believe.

Frankly, I'm tired of this. I'm tired of these discussions being framed as a conflict between the Spirit and the Word. It's a false opposition, and it's time to abandon it.

I argue that the one who recognizes the church's need for a fresh and constant ministry of the Spirit will also be the one who will devote himself not only to prayer but also to deep biblical preaching. For the ministry of the Holy Spirit is always dynamically connected to the ministry of the Word.

Orientation to the Holy Scriptures as our example

One text, though many others could be chosen, sufficiently illustrates this point. Consider Hebrews, chapter 3, verse 7, which begins: «Therefore these things saith the Holy Ghost…».

There are two wonderful surprises in these five words.

First, notice that the author refers to the authorship of the Holy Spirit when he quotes Psalm 95. This is striking, and we should take note of it. He did not say, «As the Bible says,» «As the psalmist says,» or even «As the Scriptures say.» Instead, he writes, «Therefore thus says the Holy Spirit.».

The meaning of this is important: if you want to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, you will find it inextricably linked to the biblical texts. The Holy Spirit is already present as Author in the words recorded long ago in Scripture.

John Piper seems to have written something like, «If you want to hear God speak to you today, go into your room, close the door, and read the Bible aloud.» And I completely agree with him.

The Word of God is the voice of the Spirit. Therefore, our conviction that the church’s greatest need is a fresh and ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit also implies an unquestioning commitment to biblical exposition.

The second surprise in Hebrews 3:7 is grammatical: the verb is in the present tense! It reads, «Thus says the Holy Spirit…» It is important not to miss the significance of this moment. Psalm 95, originally given to an ancient people who lived in a very different time, is the true and living Word of God for people of much later generations—and the same applies to us today. Hebrews 3:7 establishes a constant and dynamic relationship between the modern ministry of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the Word of God.

Conclusion

That's it. We need conviction in the renewed work of the Holy Spirit, and we will know that this conviction is settling in our hearts and minds when it is accompanied by a commitment to prayer and preaching.

This conviction has been penetrating my soul with new strength and energy lately. I know it is true because prayer and preaching have increasingly had practical consequences in my life. And I want the same to happen to you.