Day 9: Power of Prayer – Abiding in God

“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[a] 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.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

John 15:1-17 

Listen

What is God saying to you through the Scriptures today?

Reflect

A wise saint once said that some people live for God, some people live with God, and some people live in God. Now, don’t get me wrong, living for him and living with him are great, but what God really desires is that we live in Him…minute by minute, day by day. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Abide in me, and I will abide in you.” That’s the kind of relationship he’s looking for. In fact, it is the only relationship that will bring about the fruit we were created to bear – the fruit of deep intimacy. The fruit of abiding in his love. How amazing is that? The God of all creation wants to live his life in us and wants us to live our lives in him. He wants our lives to be the fruit of an ongoing, abiding, intimate relationship. In fact, it is how his joy dwells within us and our joy is made complete.  

What would it look like for you to abide in Christ? To live your life in him, rather than just for him or with him?  

Pray

Believers refer to this abiding as practicing the presence of Christ. It involves living in constant awareness of, and connection with, the life of his Spirit within us. Pray today that God would continually make you aware of and attentive to the life of his Spirit within you.

Do

What is the one spiritual discipline you’d like to grow in this season?  Start today!



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