Dear Small Church Pastor,

You’ve probably preached the verse that says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18) That vision, that over-riding thought, that dream for your congregation, is very likely God’s will for your church. There’s a solid chance that the vision is the “one thing” the Holy Spirit is leading you to achieve for His kingdom. There is something you can do in order to discover if it is.

In order to know God’s will for your own life, you had to seek God, talk to Him and then listen to His voice. You’re going to have to do the same things in order to discover His will for your congregation. You’re going to have to pray, pray, pray, and then, pray some more. Then shut up and wait on the Holy Spirit to answer you.

I know that’s a “WELL, DUH” statement. Here’s the rub–Too many of us small church pastors pray and pray and pray, but we don’t shut up and listen. We’re too busy to be still in His presence and allow Him to talk to us.

The enemy has convinced us we are supposed to invest our days and nights in hospital visits, making follow-up calls to visitors–if we ever have any–keeping the church yard neat, overseeing the new bathroom remodel, meetings with the Kiwanis Club or Chamber of Commerce, cooking for the benefit dinner, having board meetings, planning the every month outreach activity, prepping sermons and Bible studies, etc.. The enemy has convinced us we should be doing what everyone else is doing. He has convinced too many of us that we should be doing that “everything” deal. (Remember the first letter?)

None of these activities are bad things to do. However, they do devour our time and keep us away from shutting up and waiting on God to speak to us. If you are going to discover the will of God for your people, His vision for them, then you are going to have to stop doing everything and start doing what matters the most. Make time to get alone with God in order to have regular conversations with him.

Allow me to share something one of our district leaders once said to a group of pastors. He said, “When I was pastoring, I should have spent more time in prayer listening to God than I spent in hospitals talking to sick folks and their families.” There’s wisdom in that statement. He had discovered the key to being a great leader lies in being a great listener to the Holy Spirit.

Invest more time in sharing what’s on your heart with God, then shut up and listen as He shares what’s on His heart with you.

Sincerely,

A Small Church Pastor