Getting Psyched to Preach

How to prepare our soul before stepping behind the pulpit.

Yogi Berra said of baseball, "Ninety-five percent of this game is half mental." Preaching is about the same. We learned how to exegete a text, structure an outline, and stand and deliver. But somewhere along the line we need to learn the mental game.

I know it's my God-ordained responsibility to deliver the Word faithfully whether I'm jazzed or not. We preach by faith … even on Sundays when our hearts are heavy or our minds are dull. The Spirit's anointing—his unction—does not always come with an adrenaline rush. But I can still get psyched. Psych is a transliteration of the Greek word psuche—soul. That works for me. Let's say I've got to get "souled up" before I preach. And it's different from the way athletes get up for a big game. Read more