A Prayer to Stay Rooted in Christ
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“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” (John 15:5-8).
Listen or Read Below:
Gardening has become one of my favorite hobbies as it helps me reconnect with nature. Every week, I try to get out to weed, plant flowers, and water them. Surprisingly, my favorite part of the entire process is removing weeds and cutting back any excessive plant growth. I obtain fulfillment by knowing I'm making progress on the work at hand.
While I was working in the yard a few days ago, I was struck by a thorn. I was wearing gardening gloves; however, it still hurt. When this happened, I immediately thought of how Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches.
Let's take a look at this passage now:
“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” (John 15:5-8).
Just as a branch needs a vine to grow, we have to remain in Christ to grow. As the branches, we cannot create fruit on our own. Only the vine can create fruit, which means that only Jesus can bear much fruit in our lives. This is in agreement with the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Staying rooted in Jesus is a multi-step process. To abide in Jesus, we need to listen to Him, obey Him, and follow Him. Listening to Him cannot be done apart from studying the Bible. Every word of the Bible is crucial to our growth and development as believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
We are told, “Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another” (Leviticus 19:11). To walk in obedience to God, we must obey His instructions.
In the same way, following Jesus means placing Him at the top of our lives. Dedicating our entire lives to Him will cause us to step out in faith and follow Him, even when it is tough. For example, Jesus might call us to serve Him on the mission field when our goal in life was to settle down, have a family, and live a comfortable life (Matthew 28:18-20).
We should never underestimate what the Lord may call us to do. If we are going to stay rooted in Him, we must listen, obey, and follow Him. Remaining in Jesus will bring many benefits and blessings, including answered prayers. Jesus tells us this is for His Father's glory, for us to bear much fruit for His Name.
Any branch that does not remain in Christ will be thrown out and burned in the fire. This doesn't mean a person can lose their salvation, as salvation can never be taken away, but it does refer to the possibility that a person may never have truly placed their faith in Jesus. Their lack of spiritual fruit raises questions about whether they have placed their faith in Jesus.
As we come before the Lord today with hearts focused on Him, may we pray for our souls to stay rooted in Him. May we ask the Lord to guide, direct, and instruct our hearts in the way we should go. Although our hearts may be inclined to drift away from the Lord, we can always return to the true vine.
Let's Pray:
Dear Jesus,
You are the vine, and we are the branches. Please help me to stay rooted in You throughout my life. Guide my heart to always listen to You, obey You, and follow You. I don't want to live my life thinking I am a true branch when I haven't genuinely placed my faith in You. If I have not placed faith in You, please guide my heart to believe in You today.
Bring my heart to You and still my soul to sit at the foot of the cross in the grace of Your forgiveness. Help me to bear much fruit for Your Name and to bring You glory. Although I know I will stumble at times, I know You will help me to stand strong.
In Your Name, I pray, Amen.
Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.
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