A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them.

Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:6-8)

I love this passage of Scripture in how it shows the relationship between the preacher’s message and prayer.  The best prayer a preacher can pray is: “My God, I have a fire in my heart, but what will you have me preach? Show me, Lord!”

I remember in the early days of my salvation I rented a room to preach the gospel in downtown Ottawa.  A lot of people showed up.  Around 70 people fitted into a room that could hold 60.  It was awesome.  There was such energy in the room.

I preached for over an hour.  I preached every revelation that the Lord had given me up until that moment.  At the end of my sermon the people were asking me to continue preaching, but I was preached out.  I didn’t know what else to share.

I began to realize my need for knowledge in that moment.  Here I was, a preacher with very little to say.  I needed to spend time with God and ask Him what I should say.

Isaiah heard a voice!  He heard a burden in his heart.  “CRY OUT,” the voice said.  Isaiah replied “What shall I cry?”

That is humility.  The preacher who thinks he knows what to preach hasn’t really spent time in prayer.  There is hardly a time that I get up to preach that I have not spent many hours in prayer asking God what it is I should say.

I never assume.  Why?  Because I know what it is like to preach on deaf ears.  I know what it is like to preach without anointing.  This is when I preach from human knowledge and understanding.  I can do this, but I would rather be in the spirit.

Paul said: “for the gospel we brought did not come to you in words only, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit, and with deep conviction…” (1 Thessalonians 1:5).

When a preacher preaches this way he will call fire from heaven.  There is a demand that the preacher places on heaven when he will not speak unless God has spoken to him.  When he preaches from the heart of God, then he will release heaven on earth and signs and wonders will follow–a demonstration of the Holy Spirit.

Of course, what I have shared from the perspective of preaching applies equally to you, no matter what your calling may be. When you approach God in humility as Isaiah does in this passage or as David does in I Samuel 5:17-25 (reiterated in the second half of the DWOD for Jan. 02, 2013), you will be amazed at what He gives you in return!

For the preacher, it is the message that leads to conviction in the hearts of the listeners.

For the parent, it is the exact words to say to your children.

For the businessperson, it is the right strategy for the project at hand.

For the person who is not sure what to do, it is divine wisdom.

For you facing ……………… right now, it is …………………..

You too will discover that what He gives is exactly what you need.