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
Only those who have experienced the pruning work of the Spirit, are able to testify to it and bear continuous fruit which isn’t defiled by the flesh.
The pruning work of the Spirit has nothing to do with Sin, but the good seed in you that is over shadowed by the flesh. Take for instance, if you love giving, before pruning you give as a cheerful giver 2 Cor 9:6-7. After pruning, you give what the LORD requires of you, Exodus 25:2.
The more He prunes you, the deeper the revelation of giving. He will eventually bring you to the point where He takes the only thing you have, Gen 22:2. Ultimately demanding that you lay your very own life at His altar. This is “surrender,” perhaps the deepest form of worship.
The deeper the cuts of pruning, the greater the yield. This is what the LORD refers to as “Much fruit.” The more consistent the practice, the more tender one becomes. At this level, the Holy Spirit is protective of the pruned you and quickly cuts off any old rugged ways that may want to choke the fruit.
Once you become familiar with pruning, He reveals His true desire for you, which is to bear “Fruit that lasts” John 15:16. Every step of pruning draws you further away from the flesh and into a life of complete dependence on the Spirit.
Until we have been perfectly pruned, we may never see how desperately weak and irrelevant the flesh is in all things pertaining to your walk with the LORD. For the flesh seeks to draw attention to self, while the Spirit seeks to lift your eyes to Jesus and God our
Father. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” John 6:63
The LORD takes everything about your giving, loving, kindness, mercy, meekness, compassion and everything else and prunes it in a sequence that bears fruit in the following measures; “Much, More, Most”. Here is why, “That no flesh should glory in His Presence,” 1 Cor 1:29
Here is your Prayer Path
Dear Father, may you prune me as you see fit. I give myself to you. In Jesus name. Amen
Your Friend,
Mark Odeke
