“Holy men of old spoke as they were moved — born along — by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). The New Testament Greek word is translated “we let [the ship] drive” in Acts 27:15. Meaning that the ship and those in it were borne along at the mercy of a strong wind.
The Christian life is one of ongoing spiritual insights — the idea that a believer can live it without ongoing revelation from the Bible is simply unscriptural. As a young assistant pastor I spent hours studying the Bible and reading commentaries by well-known scholars. The latter were helpful, but over time I learned it was better to begin by praying in the Holy Spirit and in doing so open my heart to what the Lord might have to say to my spirit rather than my mind. The agony about what I should preach then turned to ecstasy, and I ‘downloaded’ more than I could cope with!
I learned to put the message ‘on the backburner’ and let it ‘simmer’ until the Lord showed me when to preach it. One thing’s for sure: when you preach a message given you by the Lord in the right time and place, there is powerful synergy, as the Lord “works with” you and confirms His word with “signs following”. Perspiration-free preparation results in Holy Spirit-driven preaching!
My advice to young preachers is to ditch the ‘rowboat’ approach to sermon preparation and switch to ‘sailing’. Those who use yachts don’t row: they simply raise sail and catch wind — in your case the ‘wind’ of the Spirit. Unlike rowing, you’ll be able to actually see where you are going, which is a better way for a preacher to move ahead as effectively as a sailor.