A Word for Preachers...Stott on the Relationship Between Prayer and Study

"All the time we shall be praying, crying humbly to God for illumination by the Spirit of truth. We shall repeat Mose's petition, 'I pray you, show me your glory' (Exod. 33:18) and Samuel's 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening'. (1 Sam 3:9, 10) Christian meditation differs from other kinds in being a combination of study and prayer. Some preachers are very diligent students. Their desk is piled high with theological works, and they give their mind to the elucidation of the text. But they hardly if ever pray for light. Others are very diligent in prayer, but hardly ever engage in serious study. We must not separate what God has joined."

John Stott
Between Two Worlds