Artis Touch

The hours a preacher spends praying, studying, fasting, listening for His Voice, meditating and writing are many. It is a hard task. It takes discipline, patience, diligence, stealing away and scholarship to truly prepare to go before the people of God. One of my professors taught us, "For every half hour you stand before the people preaching you should have spent a minimum of seven hours in prayer and seven hours in preparation and study." If every preacher committed to that kind of disciplined preparation to the Divine Art and Science of Preaching we would always hear a Rhema Word from the Throne of God. Read more inside...

The hours a preacher spends praying, studying, fasting, listening for His Voice, meditating and writing are many.  It is a hard task.  It takes discipline, patience, diligence, stealing away and scholarship to truly prepare to go before the people of God.  One of my professors taught us, "For every half hour you stand before the people preaching you should have spent a minimum of seven hours in prayer and seven hours in preparation and study."  If every preacher committed to that kind of disciplined preparation to the Divine Art and Science of Preaching we would always hear a Rhema Word from the Throne of God.

Early morning hours and late nights are the preacher's diet.  The Father summons us to prayer.  He calls us because so that He might pour into our earthen vessels the revelation the people stand in need of and the direction their hearts and souls have been craving.  I admonish every preacher to keep a notepad on your nightstand because often the Lord will speak to you in a dream and having a notepad nearby will allow you to write what He has downloaded into your heart and spirit before the fowler comes to steal the Word He gave you while you rested in the sweet sleep of the saints.

There is nothing wrong with a catchy title.  It often births an excitement for the sermon that follows but all of us have been in the audience and have heard a catchy title and then being disappointed because the only thing the person brought that day to a hungry house and waiting congregation was a catchy bait but no meat to sustain them.  It is far better to have a powerful message than a catchy title.  The anointing that is birthed onto the waiting congregation will be the result of a rich Word, not a catchy title.

For years we have told people that the Word comes to the preacher first.  It is such an obvious truth that often the preacher does not grasp the bounty and glory that is found in its essence.  The Word does come to the preacher first.  The preacher cannot give what they have not received , perceived, prayed over, digested and been blessed by.  But the Word doesn't just come to us so that we can give it to the people.  So often preachers feel like they give out so much that they aren't fed themselves.  So many are walking around on 'E' because they have poured out all that God has given to them into and on the people of God and though the people are majestically and mightily blessed by the Word the Lord has given unto them to give - but too often the preacher fails to realize that they sit in a place of privilege.  They are the first partaker of the fruit.  I know we always say this to make sure that preachers live the Word that they preach.  The purpose of today's discussion is not to rebuke, rather God wants His Messengers to know that He loves you so much that He gives you first dibs on Rhema.  Let me explain it on this wise - when a film is released, there is always a date when the general public gets to watch the film but there are private screenings that only special guests are allowed to attend.  They get to walk on the red carpet.  They get to see the main event before the general public gets to view it.  It is the same thing for a Preacher of the Word of God.  Stop thinking that you are only a vessel He uses to bless the people but begin to think that you have had the blessed opportunity to be invited to a PRIVATE RHEMA SCREENING!  You were invited to the PREMIERE!  You get to walk on the RED CARPET of the BLOOD of Jesus.  What an humbling honor.  What a blessing to be called and chosen to be a blessing. 

Oh Beloved Preachers of the Gospel who are weary and running on 'E', hear me and hear me good - the Word that you most need is the one GOD placed in your spirit to preach.  When you get up to be a blessing to the people of God, know that God often will put the water that you need to satiate your soul in your belly.  Out of YOUR BELLY shall flow RIVERS of LIVING WATER. 

Preaching Woman, if you can't get a Word from the Lord from anybody, anywhere at any time, wipe your tears and know that you Father loves you too much to leave you famished while the masses you feed are fed to the overflow - the next time you NEED a WORD from the LORD, PREACH WHAT YOU NEED!