Not yet a perfect peach . . .

We went to the market this week and bought fruit; huge peaches, nectarines, raspberries, and grapes that crunch. Others might make pies and desserts, but we eat them as they are, fresh, ripe and incredibly delicious. Yesterday, with that perfect fruit on my mind and in my belly, I made a poster listing spiritual fruit, a reminder of my God-given purpose:

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” (John 15:16–17)

This verse is also key in having prayer answered. God wants first a fruitful life, then to answer my prayers, even ‘whatever I ask in Jesus’ name.’

The Bible describes fruitfulness so we can know what our lives should display. Just as Jesus put in the above ‘purpose statement’ — the main evidence of fruitfulness is love, however there is more . . .

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22–25)

I’ve learned that only the Holy Spirit produces this fruit. If I am filled with Him, walking in obedience with Him, abiding in Christ as He commands, then my life will bear fruit. If not, then I’m filled with myself. However, being filled does not guarantee my life will be without trials or stress. Jesus also said that being fruitful means pruning will happen:

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:2)

I once had a large crabapple tree in my yard. It didn’t have many apples, but there were enough to make the tree valuable. After a little research, I realize it was overgrown and needed pruning. The idea was to take out old growth and shape the tree so ‘a bird could fly through it.’ I used the proper tools and tackled the job. When it was finished, it seemed there were more branches on the ground than on the tree. The next spring, no apples. I feared that I’d ruined the tree, but the year after that brought an incredible harvest.

Having God do the pruning isn’t much fun at the time. It means being open to the Holy Spirit who tackles my sin with an axe, or a knife, or a scalpel, depending on what must be cut away and how much it interferes with loving others, being joyful and at peace, showing patience, kindness and goodness, being faithful and gentle, and having that self-control that can say no to whatever is not good for me or for others. At times, I know what those impurities are and invite the pruning. At other times, He goes after something and I am slow to figure out what is happening. Nevertheless, if I cooperate in His work of making me more like Jesus, He promises there will be a harvest!

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1–3)

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Jesus, I know that Your goal for me is that I “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing You and bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10) I also know that if any of that fruit is missing, then I have something to confess, something that needs pruning. Thank You for being so diligent to keep working and cutting away everything that does not look like You.

As a child talking to my Father…

It’s been said that it isn’t what you know but who you know. As ethically debatable as that might be, the saying is true in prayer. In fact, the Bible even tells me not to pray in my own name, but in the name of Jesus. His access to God gives me access to God, and because I can come to the Father in the name of the Son, He offers great promises concerning my requests.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. (John 16:23)

Today’s devotional verse is the same one used in the past few days. It shows how Jesus appeals to the Father using the Name which He has been given.

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

It seems this gives me instruction to pray in a similar way. “Lord God, I am Your child. By the saving power of Jesus Christ, I have been placed in Your family and I come to You as Your child, asking that You…”

Today’s devotional writer rightly says that I am not heard either for my much speaking or even excellent speaking. It is Christ’s pleading in heaven that makes my pleading on earth effective. That is,

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26)

At the same time, the intercession of the Holy Spirit sometimes spills over into my heart and suggests prayers that I otherwise would not have imagined. Sometimes the contents that come out of my mouth surprise me because I didn’t know or even think that I should pray that way. Sometimes my emotions surprise me or my reasonings that form the basis for my requests, for they were not in my mind when I began to pray.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit are master communicators. When I pray, I might fumble and not know what to say or how to say it, but this is not important. Coming to God as His child and in the name of Jesus is important though, even on those days when my only hope is that He gave me an interpreter because I’m not sure what I’m praying about.

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NOTE: If anyone logs on to read in the morning or during the day, and Saturday's post is not here, no worries. I get on an early flight tomorrow and am not sure if I can post until evening. Keep trying! 

Pray in Jesus’ Name

One classic book on prayer affirms that prayer is the most important work that any Christian does. Perhaps that is why it is so difficult. 

The Bible tells me to pray without ceasing, but hours can go by when I do not think about praying. My life is too comfortable. Prayer is far easier when life is difficult, but I’m not ready to ask for trouble just so I can be more diligent. I’d rather practice this spiritual discipline because of promises like this one…

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:22–24)

Jesus was talking about His coming crucifixion and resurrection. Even though the disciples did not understand at that time, this promise remains for them and for us, for me. 

The first thing He speaks of is a joy that cannot be taken away. This is part of what makes my life comfortable. No matter what happens, His joy is there and ready to bubble up and overcome sorrow. When your soul is happy, events and circumstances mean very little. Joy overcomes all.

Then Jesus makes an incredible promise beginning with “whatever you ask” which covers everything. However, there is one caveat; I am to ask the Father in Jesus’ name. These are not words to be tacked on to the prayer, as if they are a magical incantation. They are an attitude of the heart.

In this life, I am an ambassador for God. I represent Jesus Christ while I walk this earth. This role seems too lofty and is also far too easy to forget, but the Bible declares it. I stand on this earth as God’s representative to others. Yet in the above verses about prayer, Jesus says that I also stand before God as His representative. I come to the Father in the name of Jesus, asking in that name (not my own) for those things that are on my heart. Incredible! How can this be?

In his second epistle, Peter explains how God has, in His divine power, given me all I need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the Lord. He has called me and granted to me His precious promises. Through all that He has given me, I have become a partaker of His divine nature and escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires. 

While I am not saved by works, Peter makes it clear that I’m to add to that gift of faith a disciplined life that includes virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. He says that if these qualities are mine and increasing, they keep me from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Goodness and good deeds are the marks of a saved person.

Yet even as a saved person, I can lag in spiritual disciplines and good deeds. For that, Peter says if I lack these qualities, I am nearsighted to the point of blindness and have forgotten that I was cleansed from former sins. That is, my assurance of my salvation can be muddied up by my behavior. Peter adds, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” (2 Peter 1:3–10) 

When I mess up my life by sin, or even by negligence to practice spiritual disciplines — including prayer — then I forget who I am in Christ. I even forget that I represent Him to others and to God. When that happens, I cannot pray in Jesus’ name for I’ve lost that sense of being His ambassador. I’ve also lost the fullness of joy that He promises to those who ask in His name. And who knows how much goes unanswered that I could have prayed?