PrayerPower

Prayer Power

August 2007

I Am – The True Vine

Jesus declared, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener… you are the branches" (John 15:1,5 NIV).

True means legitimate, original, faithful (Webster’s dictionary). Jesus, Son of God, is the true Root of Jesse (true Vine of Jesse) (Is 11:10 NIV). His disciples are branches supported by The Root, bearing spiritual fruit under the careful hand of Father God, the gardener.

In a vineyard, branches grow only from the main grapevine, never from another branch. After harvest, fruit bearing branches are pruned back to within an inch or two of the trunk. There, they abide in the main vine for most of the year as the trunk grows around them. Next harvest season they grow out rapidly and bear new fruit.

Sap circulates through the vine into the branches. It contains every nutrient needed for quality fruit bearing. So that sap is not wasted, non-fruit bearing branches are cut off and cast into the fire. The only goal of the vinedresser is abundant, superior fruit.

Evidence that each branch is attached to the vine is much fruit. No root. No fruit. Dependence is the key to fruit bearing. Even Jesus, the Son, was dependent on the Father. "By Myself I can do nothing…." (John 5:30 NIV).

Vine branches creep or crawl and need support. As Jesus is dependent on the Father, so I, as a branch, am dependent on Jesus the Vine. Apart from Jesus I can do nothing. I must abide in Jesus to have eternal life and fruit in Him. To abide is to stay, remain stable, wait for patiently, suffer for, endure (Webster’s dictionary).

Pruning is a normal process in the vineyard. "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 NIV)

As Jesus, the True Vine, conformed to the will of His Father, the Gardener, so must I conform to Jesus’ will. As Jesus obeyed, in full dependence and devotion; so must I.

Joined with Jesus "the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing … I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, He gives you" (John 15, The Message).

"Whatever you ask … He gives you." What a promise! What fruit do you long to see produced through your life and prayers? Ask and you will receive. He promises.

You have not chosen Me,

but I have chosen you and

I have appointed you

I have planted you,
That you might go and bear fruit and

keep on bearing,

and that your fruit may be lasting

that it may remain, abide,

so that whatever you ask the Father

in My Name

as presenting all that I AM,

He may give it to you. (John 15:16 AMPL)

Live in Jesus, the True Vine. Intimate union with I AM produces PrayerPower, eternal life and lasting fruit.

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Petey Prater is a Beaverton, OR, writer and speaker and can be reached at peteyprater@yahoo.com . She writes articles, poetry, and devotionals and has contributed to two books:

Prayers for Troubled Times, compiled by Jeannie St John Taylor, AMG Publishers and

101 Stories of Answered Prayer by Jeannie St John Taylor and Petey Prater, AMG Publishers