After teaching at one of our major conferences that day, a young man approached me and asked; “Sir, how do you read stuff and remember them when you teach? Do you cram scriptures and books to teach?” I responded; “I don’t even try to remember what I read. Most of what I teach comes out effortlessly. I eat (read) to live, not to preach.”
Friend, you need to eat the word. This is the mandate upon every believer (Joshua 1:8). We are first students and doers of the word before preachers. Your message cannot and should not be more powerful than your life. Don’t carry a strong message with a weak life. Don’t prioritise preaching above doing.
Jesus began to do and to teach (Acts 1:1). His preoccupation was not to teach but to live the word. There is a difference between preaching out of a crammed note and preaching out of an outflow of life. The former is mere text or theory; the latter is an experience. If your word must give life and impart spiritual graces to people, you need to live by the word of God, not by bread alone (Luke 4:4, John 6:63).
Your speaking cannot be better than your hearing or receiving. Thank God for finishing school; school of public speaking, and the likes. We also need a school of private hearing. People need to be taught how to hear (Isaiah 50:4). The quality of your teaching will be proportional to the depth of your hearing. Wise people prioritise hearing above speaking (James 1:19).
Your life does not advance by what you know. It advances by what you do (John 13:17). If knowledge does not translate to productive actions or engagements, it would lead to pride (1 Corinthians 8:1). You need to eat the word (Jeremiah 15:16). Just the way you can eat different versions of yam food, you need to eat different versions of the word of God and experience the life contained therein. You need to let God’s word dwell in you richly (John 1:14, Colossians 3:16).
The Holy Spirit can only bring to your remembrance what you have made your member (John 14:26). The language of the Holy Spirit is not tongues; it is scriptures. Those who don’t eat the word of God make it difficult for the Holy Spirit to speak to them (Ephesians 6:17). There are words in season that the Holy Spirit wants to bring out of your spirit (Job 6:25). When you eat the word, you provide a pool of revelation that you can draw from as needs arise (Luke 4:1-14).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria