Soak, Sow, Flow

As Kingdom of God thinkers, we want to know God and need to press on to experience him. We want to grow with the growth that comes from him. And as we grow, we see that God is preparing to do something amazing in our lives. He may bring to light a new opportunity, or a new revelation of himself, or even provide a resource that is beyond anything we could ask, think, or imagine.

So, how do we go about experiencing God and growing in our relationship with him? The most important source of our knowledge of God is found in his Word, the Bible. We need to read it, study it, and apply it to our lives. We need to memorize key verses that will help us stay focused on the things God wants us to do in his world. As a direct result, our heart and mind is influenced by our understanding and application of what we internalize from the Bible.

One of the ways that I have found to incorporate God’s Word into my life is through a process I call soak, sow, and flow. We soak our minds in the truths of Scripture, which allows us to sow them into our circumstances, and have the Holy Spirit flow through them.

In order to experience the soak, sow, and flow process, we want to read God’s Word, live it, and then let God perform his will through us. The goal here is to have the Word of God personally operating in our everyday lives.

Our mind is like a big, soft sponge. It absorbs everything around it. How are we transformed into being Converterlators? The Bible tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2, ESV). The living, powerful Word of God transformsour attitudes and our thinking, if we soak our minds in it. When we memorize and meditate on key verses, soaking our minds in them, the transforming power of God’s Word changes how we think, feel, and act.

The heart absorbs whatever it is soaking in, so a cursory reading of the Bible is not enough. We must spend time with God’s Word. Scripture is living and powerful; it impacts how we think, feel, and act.

God wants to transform us into the likeness of his Son for service in this world! We will be equipped to make a difference for all eternity when we memorize, ponder, and meditate on his Word. And God promises that he hears us and will answer in his way and time. “And this is the boldness we have in God’s presence: that if we ask God for anything that agrees with what he wants, he hears us. If we know he hears us every time we ask him, we know we have what we ask from him”(1 John 5:14–15, NCV).

In the book of Psalms we read, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart”(Psalm 37:4). As we delight in the Lord and his Word, his desires will become our desires. Our prayer life will come into harmony with his will. We will see more answered prayer because we are praying in conformance to his desires: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15).

And this is when we begin to sow God’s Word back to him. We recite his Word to him as we pray and as we interact with those around us. The way we think, act, and talk all reflect what is in our hearts. What we nurture in our hearts will govern our behavior. We need to stay focused on God’s Word in order to be filled with Christ and accomplish his purposes. When we sow God’s Word, we will find that our lives take on new direction, meaning, and impact!

We soak, we sow, and then the Spirit flows! This is how we experience God’s power in our lives.

Many Christians today have heard about the Holy Spirit, but they have not encountered him in a life-changing way. When we first ask Jesus into our lives, the Holy Spirit flows his life into our mortal bodies. The Spirit’s work begins in us when we first receive Christ into our lives: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).

This sets the stage for us to flow with the Spirit in our everyday lives. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the power to overcome the sinful impulses of the flesh and the lures of the world that cause us to spend too much time on perishable aspects of this life.

This concept is so exciting because it takes us into a realm not bounded by the limitations of the world we see now. There is no limit to what God can do! No wonder Paul prayed, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV). This is the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. No perceived earthly power can possibly be compared to this.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, his power flows through us. He is the One who enables us to participate with God to accomplish his work. Flowing with the Spirit is the supernatural outcome of soaking and sowing to the Spirit. It is the outcome of our relationship with God. The Holy Spirit is the divine power source, releasing the life and power of God into our lives when we are properly connected to him.

The Holy Spirit opens our hearts to spiritual truth.This gives us the ability to both understand and respond to God’s calling. It is the Holy Spirit that guides our lives daily: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, ESV).

When we invite the Holy Spirit to guide and direct and lead us, he transforms us and everything that we do. He fills us daily and equips us for service. He gives us joy and excitement and fulfillment. He draws us into a deeper relationship with God. He gives us insight into God’s Word. He leads us to victorious living.

Honestly, how intentional are you in spending time in God’s Word? How much impact does God’s Word have on your life on a daily basis? What one step do you need to take to get more of God’s Word into your heart and mind?