I'd like to share for my readers how important it is to fill the well first - to live and thrive in our personal walk with Christ - before we can ever share with others what the Lord has given to us.

The Divine Pattern of Reception Before Distribution

The Bible establishes a clear pattern: God fills His servants before sending them to fill others. This sequence isn't merely preferred; it's essential. We see it throughout Scripture in the lives of those God used most powerfully.

Consider Moses, who spent forty days alone with God on Mount Sinai before delivering the law to Israel. Or Elijah, who experienced God's intimate provision at the brook Cherith and the widow's home before confronting the prophets of Baal. Even Jesus Himself, who needed no purification, modeled this pattern by often withdrawing to solitary places for prayer before ministry.

The Apostle Paul understood this principle deeply. Before beginning his world-changing ministry, he spent three years in Arabia receiving revelation directly from the Lord (Galatians 1:11-18). Later, he would write to Timothy, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (1 Timothy 4:16). Notice the order: first yourself, then others.

The Empty-Vessel Crisis in Modern Ministry

Many of today's pastors and Christian leaders operate from depleted reservoirs. The symptoms are unmistakable:

• Spiritual fatigue that goes beyond physical tiredness
• Ministry by memory rather than fresh revelation
• Teaching information rather than transformation
• Diminishing passion despite increasing activity
• Substituting technique for authentic spiritual power

The prophet Jeremiah described this problem centuries ago: "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13).

Too many of us have become "broken cisterns," attempting to distribute water we never received. We read Scripture looking for sermon material rather than personal nourishment. We pray about ministry challenges more than for deeper communion with Christ. We've inverted God's divine order.

The Science Behind the Sequence

Modern research confirms what Scripture has always taught. Studies in leadership, psychology, and neuroscience reveal that those who don't practice self-care become less effective in caring for others. The phenomenon called "compassion fatigue" demonstrates how even the most dedicated servants eventually burn out when they continuously give without replenishment.

When we consistently operate from depletion, our ministry becomes:

• Less creative (we recycle old ideas)
• Less discerning (we lack wisdom for complex situations)
• Less powerful (we rely on human effort rather than divine enabling)
• Less authentic (we speak of experiences increasingly distant in our past)

Practical Steps to Fill Your Well First

1. Establish Clear Boundaries Between Reception and Distribution

Create sacred space in your schedule dedicated solely to your personal relationship with God. This isn't preparation for teaching; it's preparation for living. Guard this time fiercely.

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

2. Read Scripture First for Personal Transformation

Before asking, "What could I teach from this passage?" ask, "What is God teaching me through this passage?" Keep a journal dedicated to recording these personal revelations.

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22).

3. Practice Sabbath Rhythms

God's command for Sabbath rest wasn't arbitrary; it was recognition of our human limitations. Build regular rhythms of disengagement from ministry demands into your weekly, monthly, and yearly calendar.

"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat" (Mark 6:31).

4. Cultivate Non-Instrumental Spiritual Disciplines

Engage in spiritual practices with no immediate "payoff" for your ministry: prayer walks without sermon preparation, worship without planning the next service, Bible reading without teaching notes.

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:6).

5. Receive Before You Give

When examining a biblical passage for teaching, first ask what God is showing you personally. Only after you've received this truth for yourself should you consider how to share it with others.

"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2).

The Overflow Principle

When we fill our wells first, ministry flows from abundance rather than scarcity. This creates several transformative effects:

1. Authenticity replaces performance. We speak from lived experience rather than theoretical knowledge.
2. Joy displaces burden. Our work becomes an extension of our own spiritual nourishment rather than an additional demand on our limited energy.
3. Impact deepens. As the preacher Charles Spurgeon noted, "If you are not full of Christ, I do not see how you can be a fountain of living water to others."
4. Sustainability increases. Ministry from overflow prevents burnout by maintaining the proper spiritual order.

The 17th-century pastor Richard Baxter wisely cautioned his fellow ministers: "Take heed to yourselves, lest you be void of that saving grace of God which you offer to others, and be strangers to the effectual working of that gospel which you preach."

A Final Word

Your greatest ministry asset isn't your talent, your education, or even your spiritual gifts. It's your vibrant, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When you prioritize filling your own well through communion with Him, you position yourself to become a channel rather than a reservoir, continuously receiving living water that naturally flows to others.

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14).

May we all recommit to the divine order: filled first, flowing second. The health of our ministries and, more importantly, our souls depends on it.

How The Deep Well Method Supports Your Own Personal Growth Journey With Jesus

The Deep Well Method was specifically designed to help pastors align with this biblical pattern of personal nourishment before public ministry. Through its unique combination of the Daily Overflow Journal, the 5+2 Study Method, and integrated research tools, the Method creates structured space for you to receive from God first, then share from that abundance.

Unlike traditional sermon preparation approaches that immediately focus on what to teach others, the Deep Well Method begins with what God is teaching you. When you implement this system, your sermon preparation becomes an extension of your devotional life rather than a competing demand. The result is not just more efficient study, but genuinely transformative ministry that flows naturally from your own spiritual journey.

"The sermon that has blessed you personally will likely bless your congregation corporately. God rarely gives a shepherd food that wasn't meant to be shared with the flock."