Re-Digging Old Wells

Key Thought | God isn’t just restoring what was. He’s re-digging the well within you so His Spirit can flow again.

Key Scripture | “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)” —John‬ ‭7‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I don’t know what kind of church you grew up in, but I grew up in a 1990’s charismatic church. Mom and Dad had left the Wesleyan denomination and the church they pastored for many years over a theological issue. For a season, the Wesleyan denomination put a gag order on teaching out of the book of Acts as they grappled with what the Spirit of God was doing in the current moment. 

But my dad had experienced the Holy Spirit in such a real and undeniable way that he couldn’t ignore it or explain it away. He chose obedience over comfort—and out of that decision, Opendoor was born. Here we are 40 years later.

Recently, while speaking at our Immanuel Campus, I felt a strong pull to remember those early days. To many, that building may look like an older, more traditional space—but for me, it represents something far deeper. It’s where I first encountered the Holy Spirit in a personal way.

You see, mom and dad started Opendoor in the old Parker’s Free Will Baptist building. It had pews, old carpet, and was very traditional. But the Holy Spirit moved in extraordinary ways, and I experienced moments I’ll never forget. 

That place wasn’t just a building. It was a well. I was baptized in the Spirit, slain in the Spirit, and spoke in tongues for the first time. I worshiped freely, and most importantly, I discovered just how much God loves me while I was falling deeply in love with Him.

And over the past few weeks, I’ve realized something I didn’t expect.

Opendoor Immanuel wasn’t just about re-digging an old well of a building. It was always about re-digging an old well in people. 

Somewhere along the way, I had let the enemy fill in the old wells of my life and bury what I had experienced over the years. I don’t think it happened intentionally, but slowly—through years of seeing things done out of order, through the pressures of growth, through the opinions and criticisms of others, and even through my own desire to make things make sense. Little by little, what once flowed freely became buried.

“What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later.” —‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭46‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Scripture is clear. The natural comes first and then the spiritual.

All along I thought we were re-digging a well in the natural, only to find out that the well God wanted re-dug was in me.

What well has the enemy filled in your life?

Don’t let past experiences, others’ failures, or fear of criticism keep you from what God wants to restore. Jesus didn’t promise a temporary stream; He promised a well of living water within you.

My prayer, in this season, is that God would flow and have His way no matter the cost. It’s a dangerous prayer and one that I’m not sure if I fully mean, but I can say that I’m getting there.

Take a moment this week and ask the Holy Spirit to show you where your well may have been covered over. And instead of trying to fix it, simply begin by surrendering again and inviting Him to flow.

Prayer | Holy Spirit, Would You gently reveal the places in me where the well has been covered over? Not with shame, but with Your kindness. I don’t want to live off of past encounters. I want a fresh flow of Your presence in my life again. Help me to surrender what fear, disappointment, or control has tried to bury, and teach me to trust You again. Have Your way in me, no matter the cost. Amen.

Reflection | What once felt natural in your relationship with God that now feels distant or buried, and what would it look like to simply invite Him back into that place?

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