Based on the Book of Common Prayer
Scripture:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by
itself… so neither can you unless you abide in me.” — John 15:4
Reflection
This prayer begins with a confession: God is the author and giver of
all good things. Every virtue, every act of love, every moment of obedience
— none of it begins with us. It begins with Him. The Christian life is not self‑improvement;
it is divine transformation.
The prayer asks God to graft in our hearts the love of His Name.
Grafting is not surface work. It is a deep joining — a new life flowing into an
old branch. We do not learn to love God by effort alone; His Spirit plants that
love within us.
Then we ask Him to increase in us true religion. Not outward
performance. Not empty ritual. But the living faith that flows from union with
Christ — faith that shapes our desires, our habits, our relationships, our
witness.
Next, we ask Him to nourish us with all goodness. Just as a tree
draws life from the soil, we draw life from the grace of God. He feeds us with
His Word, strengthens us by His Spirit, and sustains us through the fellowship
of His people.
Finally, we ask Him to bring forth in us the fruit of good works.
Fruit is never forced. Fruit is the natural result of abiding in Christ. When
His life fills ours, good works become the overflow — not a burden, but a joy.
This prayer is a reminder that the Christian life is not something we
manufacture. It is something God grows. And He grows it in us through Jesus
Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever.
Prayer
Lord of all power and might, graft Your love deep within us, increase in
us the faith that is alive and true, nourish us with Your goodness, and bring
forth in us the fruit that glorifies Christ. Make our lives a living witness to
the grace that flows from Your hear, today ,tomorrow and forevermore . Amen.
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
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