How to do life

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

Father, I thank You for your Word and your truth that lights my path and orders my steps.  I thank You for the peace and assurance that it brings.  I thank You for the invitation to abide in You and I thank You for your Spirit that abides in me for it is only when I abide in You that I have the strength, the self-control, to do those things that honor You.  

Father, it is only when I abide in You that my thoughts are directed to those things that are good and re-directed away from attitudes and mindsets that are destructive.  Father, it is only when I abide in You, the living Vine, that I have the life and the nourishment that sustains life.

Father, I am merely the branch that You have allowed to extend from yourself.  It is only through the yielding and obedience to Your Spirit and Your Word that I am able to bear fruit.  Lord, I am humbled that You would bless me and my brothers and sisters this way.  Father, I know that I am not the producer of anything and it is only by your grace, by the power of Your Spirit working in me, abiding in me as I abide in You that these blessing come forth.

Lord, the fruit of peace that manifest in my life is because I abide in You.  The fruit of love, love of You and my neighbor, is because of You.  The fruit of joy that allows me to rejoice in all circumstances only yields itself because I abide in You and You abide me. Lord, it is You alone that gives me forbearance, kindness, and gentleness.  

So Lord, help me to to waiver or get complacent in my thinking and actions.  May I continually and daily accept the invitation to abide in You and remain in You.  May stay hidden in You so that I do what You have called me to do.  In Jesus name I pray. Amen

I love my quiet time with God.  Being in His presence is a healing balm to my soul.   He clears and removes all confusion.  He provides the wisdom and clarity needed to deal with the issues and struggles of life. This same peace that I have with Him now, must be with me when I walk out the door.  How, by remaining in Him.

We live in a world that is contrary to God, but we can overcome all of it if we remain in Jesus.  Jesus is the answer for every situation and circumstance.  The enemy would have us think otherwise.  The enemy would have us spin our wheels and try rely on our own abilities, abilities that come from God I might add.  But we must cast down our own thinking and judgements and always look to Jesus.  He will supply us with every answer as we abide in Him. We will reject gossip and backstabbing when we abide in Him.  We will reject spending money we don’t have when we abide in Jesus.  We will reject fear and the comparison games when we abide in Jesus. We will reject all sources of bitterness and strife when we abide in Jesus.  We can reject everything that is not like Him when we abide in Him, remain in Him and allow Him to abide in us.  Yes, we can do all things through Him!

Father, may we abide in You.