Verse:

Apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Thought

How to be fruitful? Jesus taught how to remain focussed and be fruitful. Let us meditate the teaching of Jesus, John 15:1-5

Planter: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.” John 15:1 Always be confident we have a gardener, who is in full control and looks after all that is in the garden.

Prunes: 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. John 15:2 Lord; wants us to be more fruitful, in that process he prunes our branches. We face challenges so we will become stronger.

Promise: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. John 15:3. We have the promises of the Lord. That’s all we need. His word has cleaned us and will keep us.

Presence: 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. John 15:4. We need to be presence of the Lord. Lord wants us to be with him always. We are safe only in His presence.

Prosper: 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. John 15:5. We prosper when we have the Lord with us. Let us do all things with the Lord.

Prayer

Lord, I thank that you are my gardener. I will dwell in you. I will hear and obey the word of God. In all things I will trust and follow you. Amen.

Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me  Gen 22:18

Story: God tested Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt sacrifice. Abraham obeyed by taking his son to Mt.Moriah as Lord commanded, he built an altar and bound Isaac and put him on top of it and took the knife to do the sacrifice. Lord stopped Abraham and blessed him and provided a substitute ram for the sacrifice.

Lesson: We receive salvation by grace, but there is power in obedience. Our actions can bring blessing to many. Lord will not tempt us with evil, but the Lord will prove us so we could rise up to the next level. In the midst of the testing Abraham tasted God as Jehovah Jireh, the provider.

Prayer: Father Lord, how will I understand you with my finite mind? Your wisdom is infinite. Teach me your ways that I may walk in it. Amen.

Fight the good fight of faith. 1Tim.6:12

Story: The king of Jerusalem heard that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. So King of Israel along with 4 other kings attacked Gibeon, people of Gibeon asked Joshua to come and help.
Joshua went and fought and defeated all the kings, two outstanding miracles happened in this campaign. One when enemy fled before Israel the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. Twowhen Joshua prayed, the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.

Lesson: We know Lord is always the same, then why there is no outstanding miracles like this now. Is it because Lord is not able to find a man like Joshua. Can we be the Joshua of this generation? And also how could Joshua pray for something that is beyond our imagination? Where is that kind of faith ?

Lord fighting on our behalf, but there is duty that we need to do, fight with the sword (Prayer), and the Lord will reply to our prayer by hail (devouring power). Where is our hope? Are we overwhelmed by our situation, then lets step forward in faith.

Prayer: Father Lord, help me to be a man of faith and a man of prayer. Amen.

Verse

“You will receive what he had promised” Heb 10:36b

Thought

What do we do when the promises of God is delayed? How do we react to delayed deliverance? During the wait period how should we conduct ourselves? Let us learn from the word how to wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Draw Near: “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” Heb 10:22a. When there is a delay in the fulfillment of promises, let us draw nearer to God with the full assurance in faith that our Lord who promised will fulfill. More the delay, run away from doubts and draw near to God. For the word says “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” Heb 10:23 Yes Lord who promised is faithful to fulfill.

Never Give Up: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded” Heb 10:35. There might be times when we feel delay is too long, let us not lose our confidence, remember at His time Lord will fulfill but if we lose our faith, the word says Lord will not be pleased with us “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back I will not be pleased with him” Heb 10:38. Many times I have received the promises of God even when I lost hope, but in those times I disappointed my Lord. So let us have confidence in the Lord who promised will fulfill.

Prayer

Yes Lord you will fulfill every promise that you have made to me. None of your promises will be delayed but it will be fulfilled at your perfect timing. I am fully persuaded that one who promised is powerful enough to fulfill the promises. Amen.

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, … 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective … Phil v5,6

Paul wrote four prison epistles, every epistle Paul is telling how he has been praying for the people. How could he pray for others when he had lot of needs and suffering for himself? Not once he asked any church to pray for his release from prison. He did not once even write, any sort of suffering or pain he was going through. In chains with two people on both sides how did he even fervently pray.

No man is stronger than his prayer life. Jesus prayed whole night before choosing His disciples, before going to cross, Jesus found the greatest battle in Gethsemane praying. We pray only to give our laundry list of needs to God. When did we weep and cry for lost souls, satan has replaced joy of pray with entertainment. 3 hours we can see tv, but can’t pray for 3 minutes, and still expecting to go to heaven. Its been long time compromising on prayer that we do not know power of kneeling and prayer. Who fooled us that being God conscious in heart is prayer. Jesus slipped out of crowd, set aside, set apart time and place for prayer, how much more we need to pray. People knows the preachers, hell will shiver and know one who pray.

Elijah was a man like us but he earnestly prayer. Oh that we pray earnestly.