Tag Archives: vine

Prayer as Branches with the Vine

Prayer as Branches with the Vine – Jesus’ Instructions on Prayer in John 15

Grape Vines in Washington State

Grape Vines in Washington State

Wow, look at prayer, with Jesus as the vine, and we as the branches in John 15, chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17.  In these four chapters, Jesus was trying to comfort His disciples and at the same time get them to just abide in Him.  So right in the middle of that, in chapter 15,  Jesus was talking about abiding. He was talking about how we need to be like branches on a vine. He was the true vine. Some people say this describes kind of an organic, living and real relationship between Jesus and us, or between us and the Father.  Without getting into the rest of the context, there,  John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” That seems kind of like a blank check where you can expect God to do anything you ask of Him. Some people look at that verse and they wonder why God doesn’t answer when they pray for something. There is a condition in this verse, though. It says, “If you abide in Me and My words aide in you”.  The “asking” is prayer.

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

Well, the first condition, there, is, “If you abide in Me… “ Without getting into the context,there, one way to abide is to stay in the Lord, to rest in the Lord, or to remain in the Lord.  So how does one abide in the Lord, it simply means to trust and rely on Him. I would even say it means to do the things God wants you to do, to obey the Lord.  He says, “If you abide in Me”.  Then He says, “And if My words abide in you”.  This passage in the book of John says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you”, you can ask whatever you will and I will do it. What words is He talking about when Jesus says, “And My words abide in you”? I believe He is specifically talking about the word He is speaking. Oh, and by the way, what ever Jesus says is the Word of God. I believe it also has to include the words of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

The video this text is taken from is on  Drew’s YouTube channel.  This portion is at YouTube.

Prayer, Vine and Branches

Prayer, Vine and Branches – Jesus’ Instructions on Prayer in John 15

Grape Vines in Washington State

Grape Vines in Washington State

Look at vines, branches and prayer in in John 15, chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17.  In those four chapters, Jesus was trying to comfort His disciples.  Right in the middle of that, in chapter 15, Jesus was talking about abiding. He was talking about how we need to be like branches on a vine. He was the true vine. Some people say this describes kind of an organic, living and real relationship between Jesus and us, or between us and the Father.  Without getting into the rest of the context, there, John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” That seems kind of like a blank check where you can expect God to do anything you ask of Him. Some people look at that verse and they wonder why God doesn’t answer when they pray for something. There is a condition in this verse, though. It says, “If you abide in Me and My words aide in you”.  The “asking”is prayer.

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

The first condition, there, is, “If you abide in Me… “ Without getting into the context,there, one way to abide is to stay in the Lord, to rest in the Lord, or to remain in the Lord.  I would even say it means to do the things God wants you to do, to obey the Lord.  He says, “If you abide in Me”.  Then He says, “And if My words abide in you”.  This passage in the book of John says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you”, you can ask whatever you will and I will do it. What words is He talking about when Jesus says, “And My words abide in you”? I believe He is specifically talking about the word He is speaking. I believe it also has to include the words of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

Grape Vines in Eastern Washington

The video this text is taken from is on  Drew’s YouTube channel.  This portion is at YouTube.

Trees in the Bible

There are many places in the Bible that talk about trees. Let’s start with the two most significant. This picture is one of the most beautiful trees I photographed while in Israel about two years ago.  Over 100 Bible verses mention or use, the word “tree“.

Beautiful Tree in Israel

Beautiful Tree in Israel, Near the Sea of Galilee

Psalms 52:8, But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.

Psalms 104:16, The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted.

Isaiah 55:12, … shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

The tree of life is first mentioned in Genesis chapter 2. Then the last mention is in the last book of the Bible, Revelation chapter 22.   Genesis 2:9, And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; and the tree of life, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Revelation 22:2, In the midst of its street, and of the river, on this side and on that side, the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, in each month yielding its fruit; and the leaves of the tree for healing of the nations.

The next passage I want to talk about is John 15:1-2, where the word “tree” is not mentioned, but John does use the word, “vine”.  To me the words “tree” and “vine” are closely related.   John 15:1-2.  “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  John uses the words vine, vinedresser, branch and fruit.

To me the vine and tree indicates that God wants us to have an intimate close relationship with Him so that our Christan life flows out of His life. More about this later. But in John 15:7 is a great Bible verse on prayer, “If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall come to pass to you”.

John 15:16, You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and have set you that ye should go and that ye should bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Notice the relationship between “tree“and “fruit” in Matthew.  Matthew 12:33, Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit.

Here are some more great Bible verses which contain the word “tree“.

Revelation 22:19, And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

Revelation 2:7, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of  the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Two Trees, Chorazin Israel

Two Beautiful Trees, Chorazin, Israel