LEARNINGS TO SHARE…

This is the last week of our Daniel Fast.  I want to encourage you to really focus your efforts to connect to the Lord.  Don’t get caught up in just going through the motions of discipline and just waiting until it is over, but persevere in this time of spiritual focus and discipline!  Later this week I will post some info on “how to break a fast”.  Stay tuned.  I am praying for you.

Day 15 –John chapter 15

Abiding – The Secret to Answered Prayer

“But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” John 15:7-8 (NLT)

Abide means to dwell, to stay, remain, to settle in, and to sink deeper. When we abide in Christ, we take on His desires and begin to pray “according to His will”. That is the secret to getting our prayers answered and John told us this in yesterday’s reading, (John 14:14) Praying according to God’s will is not just a phrase we say in prayer.  When our heart is lined up with His heart, God becomes the inspiration for the things we pray for and we will want what He wants. 

This “unrelenting dependence” upon Him is what produces spiritual fruit in our lives.  As long as a branch is abiding in the vine, it is alive and will produce fruit. Once the branch is separated, it no longer produces the fruit it was created to produce. God loves us so much that He wants us to remain connected and “dependent” upon Him as a branch is to the vine. Ours is not to focus on developing fruit.  Ours is to focus on abiding, not striving.  Fruit “results” from abiding.  Are you abiding, depending, and dwelling in Him or some religious activity?  Like fasting?  Don’t substitute activity for Him.  Discipline yourself to make you focus on Him.  Pray, “Lord, draw me as close to your heart as a branch is to the vine. Guide me to pray according to Your will”.

This entry was posted on February 22, 2009 at 3:36 am and is filed under 21 Day Fast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.