Preachers have a number of different experiences in the pulpit. Sometimes they feel as though they are receiving no help from the Spirit of God in the pulpit- only to learn that their sermon ministered to someone heartily.
Other times they feel as though a sermon went very well- only to never hear about it again.
Of course these are both 'feelings', and and we do not judge God's use of His Word preached upon OUR feelings- we will never know the full scope of our preaching ministry until we are in glory with Christ.
But there is an experience, a feeling, if you will, in the pulpit that many of us have experienced and long to continue experiencing. R. Kent Hughes explains this experience like this:
"There are times when I am preaching that I have especially sensed the pleasure of God. I usually become aware of it through the unnatural silence. The ever-present coughing ceases, and the pews stop creaking, bringing an almost physical quiet to the sanctuary- through which my words sail like arrows. I experience a heightened eloquence, so that the cadence and volume of my voice intensify the truth that I am preaching.
There is nothing quite like it- the Holy Spirit filling one's sails, the sense of His pleasure, and the awareness that something is happening among one's hearers."
May God silence our pews.
May God stop the frequent restroom breaks.
May he silence the sighs.
May the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ fill His preachers with an intensity of power from on high that His Church is reformed, transformed, revived, and restored.
May the Spirit of God visit His preachers with his smiles and pleasures. May his fill our sails and send our words out like piercing arrows!
May His preachers bow in humble submission.
May His preachers hear.
May His people hear.
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