The Fruit

Good morning dear one. I’m hoping that as you receive these emails, your heart is encouraged, and the Lord will begin to make connections between what we pray and His answers. To me, that is thrilling, and I look forward to seeing the fruit of digging into the devotional and prayer.
 
Day 4 is entitled The Fruit, the Scripture is John 15:2, and the reading can be found on page 4.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away...John 15:2
 
Here are some highlights:
The one reason for the existence of a branch, the one mark of being a true branch of the heavenly Vine, the one condition of being allowed by the divine Husbandman to share the life the Vine is- bearing fruit. And what is fruit? Something that the branch bears, not for itself, but for its owner; something that is to be gathered, and taken away. The branch does indeed receive it from the vine sap for its own life, by which it grows thicker and strong. But this supply for its own maintenance is entirely subordinate to its fulfillment of the purpose of its existence – bearing fruit.
 
The one object God had in making you a branch is that Christ may through you bring life to men. Your personal salvation, your business and care for your family, are entirely subordinate to this. The one object of my being a branch, the one mark of my being a true branch, the one condition of my abiding and growing strong is that I bear the fruit of the heavenly Vine for dying men to eat and live.
 
Our Father, Thou comest seeking fruit. Teach us, we pray Thee, to realize how truly this is the one object of our existence, and of our union to Christ. Make it the one desire of our hearts to be branches, so filled with the Spirit of the Vine as to bring fourth fruit abundantly.
 
Prayer for you:
Abba, You are the God of Peace, and You have come to bring us life, and wholeness. Abba restore to us what we have so easily given over, show us how we take little steps away from You and where that has led us. Bring us again to Your Well, Your living water, and from there revive us O Lord, according to your word.  Abba reveal to us those things that cause death in us; death of relationship with You and with one another, death of dignity, of purpose. Abba convince us, through our need, that You alone are Life Giver, and You alone are Joy, and You alone are Peace. Abba show us those in our own sphere, who are dying spiritually and emotionally and even physically. O God, give to us your own compassion, for without it we simply don’t care. Abba with and through Your compassion, break our hearts for those in our sphere, even those whom we know at church, who live and have a knowledge of You, but do not truly know You. Oh God convict us of our own self righteousness, and break our hearts for those in our sphere, believers or not, who do not walk in the freedom you came to bring to us. Abba You have set us free, teach us how not to be subject to yet another yoke of slavery, the yoke of self righteousness and self pleasure and self seeking, and awaken our hearts to those dying around us. Break our hearts and send us. Let us go and in the going, be filled with Your joy as we see others’ freedom and joy in You. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen. 

The True Vine