Dependant on God

"Augustine's ideal Christian orator is dependant upon God. God is the source of the preacher's "ability" to teach, delight, and persuade. One should both do all one can in interpretation and articulation, and should be expectant that God will bring the message God chooses. ... Preachers fret over how best to understand Scripture and then express it, and that is as it should be. But when is all said and done, Augustine urges the preacher to allow God to fulfill his promise to say and do what needs saying and doing. For Augustine, prayer is the most crucial aspect of the preacher's ministry."

(Andre Resner, Preacher and the Cross, Eerdmans, 1999, p52)