How I Seek God’s Guidance in Preaching

Preaching can be predictable a steady rhythm of walking through books of the Bible, verse by verse, line by line. But sometimes the script disappears. There’s no series to fall back on, no recurring congregation to anticipate. Just a single room, a one-time opportunity, and one chance to proclaim God’s Word.

That was the situation recently for Pastor John Piper. He had been invited to preach inside a prison. Not his first time, and Lord willing, not his last. But as with every unscripted moment like this funerals, spontaneous events, one-off invitations the question arises: What do you preach when you only get one shot?

Understanding God's Will in Preaching

To answer that question, Pastor John first returns to a foundational understanding of the “will of God.” Scripture speaks of this in at least three ways:

1. God’s Sovereign Will — What God has ordained to happen, no matter what. “I will accomplish all my purpose,” God declares in Isaiah 46:10.

2. God’s Moral Will — His commands revealed in Scripture. These are His clear instructions for how we’re called to live, from the Ten Commandments to the Sermon on the Mount.

3. God’s Will of Discernment — A spiritually informed wisdom that applies the mind of Christ to the complexities of life. This kind of discernment is what’s required when there’s no direct verse telling you which passage to preach in a prison, or which tone to take with grieving relatives, or which moment to seize when time is short.

Romans 12:2 helps frame this kind of discernment: “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God.” Similarly, Colossians 1:9 prays for believers to “be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

In short, this kind of wisdom isn’t irrational but it is more than rational. It includes the affections, the stirrings of the heart, the subtle movements of the Spirit.

The Role of Prayer and Providence

Before stepping into that prison, Pastor John had been praying for days. Not a generic prayer but a specific, urgent plea for God to guide him to the right Scripture and approach that would most powerfully bring salvation and strengthen faith.

That prayer was answered not with thunder or lightning, but with a quiet, unshakable affection.

Why Romans 8?

The morning of the sermon, as he awoke and considered his options, Romans 8 came to mind. Originally, he had planned to preach from Philippians 3:13 a beautiful verse about forgetting what’s behind and pressing forward. It seemed appropriate for men in prison.

But Romans 8 pressed in. “It’s the greatest chapter in the Bible,” he thought. And perhaps even more compelling: “I love this chapter.”

That love that deep, spontaneous affection wasn’t a result of calculated logic. It wasn’t a sermon strategy. It was a strong, undeniable sense that this was the message these men needed.

As he lay in bed, he whispered the entire chapter from memory. “Yes,” he thought. “I’ve still got it. I could recite this.” And that, too, seemed important. “What would it mean to these men,” he wondered, “to hear someone recite an entire chapter of Scripture, from memory, with conviction?” The impact could be profound.

And there was a practical aspect too. With just a few hours to prepare, Romans 8 a chapter he knew intimately was not only spiritually compelling but also logistically feasible.

By the time his feet hit the floor, the decision was made: Romans 8.

Crafting the Message

Once the chapter was chosen, the next question was focus. Romans 8 is a towering theological mountain full of deep truths and glorious promises. But with limited time, where should the spotlight fall?

Pastor John chose four main emphases:

1. No Condemnation — Romans 8:1. This was the foundation: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” For men burdened by past decisions and incarcerated for their crimes, this message of divine acquittal was essential.

2. No Separation — Romans 8:39. The promise that nothing can separate us from the love of God is not just comforting it’s life-changing for those who feel forgotten, rejected, or unworthy.

3. The Logic of the Gospel — Romans 8:32. “He who did not spare His own Son… how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” This verse links the cross to every other good God intends for His children. It’s a verse Pastor John has often called his favorite in the entire Bible.

4. Assurance of Salvation — Romans 8:13–15. After hearing about the beauty of no condemnation and eternal security, listeners may wonder, Am I truly in Christ? This section gives evidences of belonging to God the Spirit’s work of putting sin to death and the cry of adoption: “Abba! Father!”

Spirit-Led, Wisdom-Filled Decision-Making

The whole process from waking up to stepping behind the pulpit was filled with both logic and love, prayer and providence, discernment and desire.

And that’s the heart of preaching in these unscripted moments. It’s not about selecting the flashiest text or delivering a pre-packaged performance. It’s about listening to the Spirit, loving the Word, and trusting that God will do more with your simple obedience than you could ever plan.

As Pastor John puts it, “I think God answered my prayer.”

He may not tell us in advance what fruit will come from one sermon in one prison on one afternoon. But His Word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). And when our love for Christ, His Word, and His people leads the way, we can be confident we are preaching within His will.

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