“ I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
The word of God is full of real practical application for life. The health of a tree depends on the owner of the tree and what he does to make the tree produce good fruits. The fruit however, cannot exist by chance, it must be produced from the branch which can NEVER exist on its own either. The gardener is very faithful. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” He never sleeps nor slumbers (Psalm 121:4). To ensure that he establishes the branch, He prunes it so it can bear good and more fruits. It is so interesting that the gardener watches a branch with a fruit and initially goes after that branch because he is attracted to much fruits. It is in the pruning process that more fruits are produced and are harvested. This process can be tedious, long, and tiring but I tell you, any branch that endures is certainly going to produce great and lasting fruits. When we go through some afflictions in life, it is part of our pruning process. Psalm 119:71 says, “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Joseph went through the pruning process to become the second in command in Egypt (Genesis 41). Joseph was a branch and the Lord knew the potentials he had invested in him. Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.” If Joseph has focused on the pain he was enduring during the pruning process, he would have lost the fruit bearing ability, but we see that he continued to bear even more fruits because he was connected to the vine. The vine has all that is needed for fruit bearing; thus, we must REMAIN in the VINE to PRODUCE and to be NOTICED by the GARDENER who PRUNES to PRODUE MORE. There is no fruit producing ability out of this connection.
Pray that God will grant you the grace to remain connected and allow Him to prune you. (John 15:1-8)
Pray that your walk will be worthy and pleasing so that you can become a fruit bearer. Colossians 1:10 “So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Pray that you will never become a non-producer. Luke 13:6-9 “And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Ask for the grace to develop the different fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Pray that you will not only produce fruits but will produce the fruits that bring God all the glory. John 15:8 “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
Pray that the Holy Spirt will help you uproot any tree in your life that has not been planted by him. Pray against any form of contaminations. Matthew 7:17-20 “So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruit”
Pray that your trust and confident in God will not be shaken by the circumstances of life so that you will be permanently planted in him. Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
The secret of fruits bearing is to remain in the vine, that is, staying in the word in his presence. Pray for the grace to keep you in his word. Psalm1:1-2 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”
Pray that you will grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Pray for the constant filling of the righteousness of God. Philippians 1:11 “Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
You cannot say you abide in him yet not walking in his footsteps. Pray for the grace to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. 1 John 2:6 “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
If Jesus with all the power could do nothing without his father, what more of us. Pray for total dependence on him. John 5:19 “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”
A fruit producing branch cannot be hidden. Pray that your light/fruits must be visible so others can see and follow. Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Pray for fruit bearing anointing to continuously flourish in you. 1 John 2:27 “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”
Ask the Lord for patience because sometimes it’s not easy to wait for the fruits. James 5:7 “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”
Pray for spiritual strength to endure during the pruning process. Colossians 1:11 “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.”
Finally reflect over your life and ask what kind of fruits have you been producing? Thank the Lord and ask for the grace to push on. If no fruits yet, do not be discouraged you can begin with Jesus today.
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