There’s a sacred call we have—to encourage, to serve, to lead, to disciple, to feed His sheep.But as I was praying today, God gently reminded me: I can’t feed unless I’m being fed. I can’t pour out what I haven’t first received.
Just like a mother who breastfeeds must nourish her own body in order to nourish her child, we too must be nourished—by the Word, by time in God’s presence, and most importantly, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We often rush into our vocations, our callings, our ordinary, even our ministries with empty cups, offering stale crumbs instead of living bread. But even Jesus didn’t start His ministry without the filling of the Spirit. He waited until the Spirit descended like a dove at His baptism. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He was filled with the Spirit when He stood up in the temple and declared Isaiah 61 over Himself:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me…”
If Jesus needed to be filled with the Spirit before He began to feed others—how much more do we?
It’s true—if you are a believer, the Holy Spirit already dwells in you. But there’s a difference between having the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit. His presence is permanent, but His power is something we are called to continually seek and walk in. Ephesians 5:18 even tells us, “Be filled with the Spirit”—and in the original Greek, that’s a continual command. A daily filling. A daily dependence. A daily surrender.
Because true ministry is not about what we know—it’s about what He gives.
Before you step into your day, your ministry, your calling, your vocation, or your ordinary—pause. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. Not just once, but every day. Make it your prayer:
“Holy Spirit, I know You live in me. But today, I want to be led by You, empowered by You, and filled with Your presence. Fill me before I feed.”
You were never meant to pour out on empty. Let Him nourish you first.
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