Ernest Smith

The Essentials

Over the last couple weeks, I have been discussing some key elements to preparing a dynamic, relevant and  transformational message.  I created this series of posts to teach some simple principles, not to teach all the principles needed to create a powerful message.  Others, who are more gifted and more experienced, have written books and articles on the subject.  If you want to read more, check out Lectures to My Students by Charles Haddon Spurgeon or Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley.

Over this series, I have presented four steps to take if you want to create a powerful message, those steps can be found in previous posts and I would encourage anyone just joining this conversation to read those at their convenience.

Coming to the final installment of this series, I needed to make sure I chose the 5^th step to creating a message.  As I began to process another step, many options became clear.  I could discuss the need for illustrations.  I could talk about the need for a communicator to be vulnerable and real.  I could hit on some practical things like room size, distractions, etc.

However, it was apparent, pretty quickly, that the most important step in writing a powerful message had not been  discussed up until this point.  If you want to have a message that is truly life-transformational, then you must make sure you write the message with (5) humility and prayer.

Now, before you think I am going to go too spiritual on you, consider this…If you get up to speak to an audience and you have no humility or have not prayed about that message, then you are communicating life-less words that will do nothing.  Communicating the Word of God is a spiritual thing.

Humility and prayer are essential.  Without humility, you will get trapped into thinking that the message is about you and without prayer; you will get trapped into thinking that the possible life-transformation is based on your words, skill or a mixture of the two.

If you want to communicate a message that is powerful, dynamic and life-transformational, then remember that you are nothing but the messenger…and there are plenty of messengers in this world.  God can choose to use you or to use another, so be humble.

If you want to create a message that speaks the heart of God to the heart of his people, then you must be praying…praying for the right words to speak and praying that God uses those words to create the impact He desires to make.

To be a great communicator you must Be Humble and Be in Prayer.