On Sunday, August 23rd, Prayer Band Pentecostal Church at 4020 S. Michigan Avenue in Chicago, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Richard Rochell, celebrated Women’s Day with a message that was as rooted in everyday life as it was in scripture.
Guest speaker Arlena Davenport took the podium and delivered a word that grew — quite literally — from her own windowsill.
A Sermon Rooted in Growth
Drawing from a personal experience with a houseplant she had been nurturing since a women’s brunch, Davenport wove together a powerful message about spiritual growth, community, and the courage to change environments that no longer serve you.
She connected the basic needs of a plant — light, water, and air — to the foundational truths of the Christian walk. Light, she reminded the congregation, points to John 8:12 and Jesus as the light of the world. Water speaks to John 7:37-38 and Christ as the true source of living water. And the breath of life, found in Job 33:4, reminds believers that the Spirit of God sustains every inhale and exhale.
But it was the practical lessons from tending her plant that truly brought the room to life. When her plant outgrew its pot, she repotted it. When the kitchen window could no longer support its growth, she moved it to the living room. And when it started leaning toward the light, she rotated it — because that’s what growth requires.
“There’s nothing wrong with changing your environment if the one you’re in no longer suits your growth,” Davenport told the congregation. “We’re not leaving because they’re beneath us. We’re moving because this environment no longer suits our growth.”
She also spoke tenderly about the need for support — the way a tall plant sometimes needs a stake to hold it upright — reminding the women in the room that even the strongest among us need one another.
“The intercessory prayer warriors, the elders, the pastor — sometimes we think they’ve got it all figured out. But they need it too. We need each other.”
A Word That Took Root
Senior Pastor Rochell added his own reflection, sharing a story about his own plant that had begun to wilt — and how starting over with a fresh pot produced two healthy, green plants where one struggling one had been.
“Sometimes we have to start over. We have to move on from the situation we were in and start anew. Don’t be afraid — God did not give us the spirit of fear.”
Women’s Day at Prayer Band Pentecostal Church was a reminder that growth is rarely comfortable — but it is always worth it.
