Remain in Him

STRENGTH FOR MY DAYS 

A Daily Devotional by Bishop David

Remain in Him

Tuesday, 22 October

 

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. John 15:4

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY: John 15:4-8 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

 

MORE LESSON: 1 John 2:27-29 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

 

Jesus used the powerful metaphor of the vine and the branches to describe our relationship with Him. Just as a branch draws life and nourishment from the vine, we draw spiritual life and sustenance from Jesus.

To "remain in Him" means to abide, to dwell, to stay connected to Jesus as our source of strength, guidance and purpose. It's a deliberate choice to stay attached to the Vine, to trust in His love and grace, and to rely on His wisdom and power. When we remain in Him, we bear fruit – the fruit of love, joy, peace, and righteousness. We become a reflection of His character, and our lives become testimonies to His goodness and grace.

So, how do we stay connected to Jesus? Most people get this wrong by emphasizing one spiritual discipline over others, and then wonder why they're not experiencing more in other areas of life. The truth is that you need both prayer and practice to stay connected to Jesus!

Jesus modeled seeking God daily through prayer. The gospels recorded how Jesus always disappeared to be alone with His Father. He knew that dependance on God through prayer was the source of His power for ministry. The same is true for us, even more so. When you seek God in prayer He fills you with power to do what you could never do on your own. Jesus says in John 15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. This means that practising the way of Jesus helps you to stay connected to Him. Whenever you obey God, you unlock His power in your life.

Jesus also says in John15:11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. That means our overflowing joy is in being connected to Him by obeying His commandments. If you want to experience real and eternal life in your daily living, you must stay connected to Jesus!

But remaining in Him requires effort and intentionality. You must cultivate a deep relationship with Jesus through prayer, study of His Word, and obedience to His commands. You must also learn to surrender your will and ways, trusting in His sovereignty and wisdom.

 

Prayer/Action

* Pray that you will abide in God's love and grace. 

* Ask God to help you stay connected to Him. 

* Declare that nothing shall separate you from Christ.

 

TODAY’S PROPHETIC PRAYER: Revival fire from heaven, fall upon me today and make my life whole again, in the glorious name of Jesus.