Always Respond to Every Impulse to Pray

I am reading through Preaching and Preachers by Lloyd-Jones and found myself greatly encouraged by the following words by the late preacher. Too often I forget the powerful impact of prayer, both upon myself and others. So these words are a helpful reminder in general to all Christians, but preachers in particular.

Above all—and this I regard as most important of all-always respond to every impulse to pray. The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are battling with a text. I would make an absolute law of this—always obey such an impulse. Where does it come from? It is the work of the Holy Spirit; it is a part of the meaning of, ‘Work out your won salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure’ (Phil 2:12-13).

This often leads to some of the most remarkable experiences of the minister. So never resist, never postpone it, never push it aside because you are busy. Give yourself to it, yield to it; and you will find not only that you have not been wasting time with respect to the matter with which you are dealing, but that actually it has helped you greatly in that respect. You will experience and ease and a facility in understanding what you are reading, in thinking, in ordering matter for a sermon, in writing, in everything, which is quite astonishing. Such a call to prayer must never be regarded as a distraction; always respond to it immediately and thank God if it happens to you frequently. (Preaching and Preachers, pp. 170-171)

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