Editor's note: Enjoy today's devotion from Present in Prayer by Jennifer Tucker.
*
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. — John 15:1–5 CSB
Throughout the Old Testament, grapevines and vineyards were often used as a visual representation of God’s people, who were planted and tended by Him. When Jesus spoke to His disciples in John 15, He used this familiar imagery but with a critical reframe: He told them that He was the true vine, they were the branches, and a relationship with God was possible only through an attachment to Him.
In this passage, Jesus was about to go to the cross, and His disciples were about to face deep pain, fear, and confusion as they watched the One they had followed and loved be tortured and killed. This was not what they thought would happen when the Messiah arrived. This was not the way they wanted the story to go.
The disciples didn’t know all that was coming. There was so much they didn’t understand. But Jesus knew.
And He knew what they would need most to remain strong and secure and rooted in truth, and He said to them,
Remain in Me. — v. 4
Silence
Begin with a time of silence.
Still your body... Slow your breathing... Quiet your mind.
Focus on being fully present in this moment, right here, right now.
Opening Prayer
Lord God, Gardener of my soul,
Tend my soul today as I turn my thoughts to You.
Clear my mind of the weeds that entangle me, and help me to be fully present with You, just as You are fully present with me.
I invite You to speak to me, to search my heart and shape my life.
Show me what is true.
Open my eyes to see You.
Open my ears to hear Your voice.
Open my heart to receive Your Word.
Open my hands to accept whatever You give.
Draw close to me, Lord, as I draw close to You.
Amen.
Read & Meditate
Read through the Bible passage three times, taking time to pause and pray and quietly listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart.
Lectio 1: Read through the passage slowly.
What is one word or phrase that stands out to you?
Pause & pray
In silence, meditate on this word or phrase.
Lectio 2: Read through the passage a second time.
This time, pray through the passage, reading phrase by phrase. Talk to God, pausing to listen and respond to Him as you read.
Pause & pray
In silence, bring your attention to the present moment.
Lectio 3: Read through the passage a third time.
Sit in stillness again as you contemplate the word or phrase that stood out to you and how it may apply to your life right now.
Notice
Notice your body: What are you feeling right now?
Notice your thoughts: What are you thinking right now?
Notice your circumstances: What is happening in your life right now?
Compassionately consider these things, and listen to what the Holy Spirit may be revealing to you in light of today’s reading and meditation. What invitation might God be extending to you today?
God is inviting me to...
Surrendering Prayer
As I prepare to enter into the rest of my day, Lord,
May I remain in You and grow
with branches stretched toward You,
with fruit that bears Your character,
with roots that are strong and deep
and secure in Your truth and love.
May my pace be slow and unhurried,
ever aware of Your presence with me.
May my mind be attentive and clear,
noticing the gift of every moment.
May my heart be gentle and kind,
showing compassion to myself and others.
Today, I will release my need for control,
and I will simply abide in You.
Keep turning my thoughts to whatever is true.
Transform me to be more like You.
Amen.
Embody
Continue to contemplate the word and invitation God gave you today.
Consider: What kind of fruit does your life bear right now? What’s a practical way you can remain in Christ today?
Excerpted with permission from Present in Prayer by Jennifer Tucker, copyright Jennifer Tucker.
* * *
Your Turn
As you reflect and meditate on abiding in Christ, staying connected to Him, remember the cross. Remember His love for you. Remain in Him! ~ Devotionals Daily