Joyce Meyer Devotional 28th October 2024, Monday Message
TOPIC: The Fruit in Your Life
A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. – Matthew 7:18 (AMPC)
During my first few years of ministry, I spent a lot of my prayer time asking God for powerful and dynamic gifts that would help me be an effective minister. I focused on the gifts I needed, but I didn’t give much thought to the fruit of the Spirit. I must admit I was more concerned about power than godly character.
Then one day the Lord impressed upon me, “Joyce, if you would have put even half as much energy and time into praying about and trying to develop the fruit of the Spirit as you have the gifts, you’d already have both.”
As Christians, many of us pray that God will give us great spiritual power, but our first priority really should be developing the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The closer we get to God, the more fruit we will naturally produce.
We are known by our fruit, not by our gifts. When people see the fruit of God’s Spirit in your life, they can see what God is doing in your heart. I encourage you today to ask God to cultivate the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life on a daily basis. If you’ll focus on the fruit, the power will follow.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, help me to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in my life on a regular basis, amen.
Joyce Meyer is one of the world’s leading practical Bible teachers. She is a New York Times bestselling author, and her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on how the Word of God applies to our everyday lives. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences, and helps others understand how to apply biblical principles to their own lives. Christ, amen