Praying for preachers

I hope you pray for your preacher, for insight and faithfulness and conviction and power. My short time preaching has brought me this conviction, that there is nothing more profitable in the preparation of a sermon than prayer, both my own and the prayers of others.

Here's a great preacher's prayer from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers:

My Master God,

I am desired to preach today, but go weak and needy to my task;

Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth,
that an honest testimony might be born for You;

Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,
with heart uplifted for grace and unction.

Present to my view things pertinent to my subject,
with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,
proper expressions, fluency, fervency, a feeling sense of the things I preach,
and grace to apply them to men's consciences.

Keep me conscious all the while of my defects,
and let me not gloat in pride over my performance.

Help me to offer a testimony for You,
and to leave sinners inexcusable in neglecting Your mercy.

Give me freedom to open the sorrows of Your people,
and to set before them comforting considerations.

Attend with power the truth preached,
and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.

May they people be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted,
and help me to use the strongest arguments drawn from Christ's incarnation and sufferings,
that men might be made holy.

I myself need Your support, comfort, strength, holiness,
that I might be a pure channel of Your grace,
and be able to do something for You;

Give me then refreshment among Your people,
and help me not to treat excellent matter in a defective way,
or bear a broken testimony to so worthy a REdeemer,
or be harsh in treating of Christ's death, its design and end, from lack of warmth and fervency.

And keep me in tune with You as I do this work.