Dear Small Church Pastor,
Having planted quite a few gardens over the years, I understand the value of rain for a garden as compared to water that comes from a well. Veggies and fruits will grow when there is well water applied to them, but they just fare better when they get sufficient rain during the growing season.
The same principle holds true when it comes to spiritual rain. Spiritual growth can occur in a congregation when there are Bible studies, testimonies and good singing during the music portion of a worship service. However, there just seems to be greater strides made for the Kingdom of God when a congregation is exposed to anointed preaching during that part of a worship service.
Just as a garden needs well water when there is little rain, a congregation needs those Bible studies, testimonies and music to keep them going forward during times when anointed preaching may only happen once a week. I’m not saying the other aspects of being a disciple are not important, or that they cannot be anointed and useful for spiritual growth. I am saying that I believe anointed preaching will do much toward helping the congregation grow spiritually because preaching is the primary form of communication that is used to encourage, exhort, correct, challenge and inspire a congregation.
In order for the pastor to deliver that anointed preaching, the pastor must first be nourished and helped to grow spiritually through an outpouring of spiritual rain into that individual pastor’s life. That rain will occur if the pastor is consistently, with a contrite and open heart, studying scripture, praying and allowing the Holy Spirit to bring growth in his own heart’s garden.
Please notice this—a pastor can only lead the congregation into spiritual territory that he has entered himself. A pastor cannot take people to spiritual growth that he has not already experienced. When the pastor stops growing from spiritual rain that is watering his own soul, the congregation will stop growing, too. If the pastor is in a drought, the congregation will be in one, too.
However, when that rain is falling into the pastor’s life, his own growth will continue, and the congregation will benefit from his growth. The pastor will receive the spiritual power he needs to lead his congregation forward into all the Holy Spirit wants to pour out into that congregation.
Allow me to encourage you to diligently, every day, seek the spiritual rain from the Holy Spirit. Open your heart, mind and spirit to be filled regularly with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Commit yourself to prayer and fasting. Commit yourself to deep, deep study of and meditation on God’s word. Do everything you can to let the spiritual rain you need flow!
When rain falls on a garden, it grows better. The same holds true for the spiritual garden of a pastor and the congregation when the spiritual rain falls.
Sincerely,
A Small Church Pastor