What About the Roots?

Wow! We talk all the time about the Fruit of the Spirit. We pray for one another for the Fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

I find it ironic and exciting at the same time. I want to be operating in the fruits of the Spirit; I really do and I am thankful for those who pray this over my life, but I believe it is more beneficial for people to pray for me to have healthy roots first, otherwise my fruit might be deformed...unhealthy and stunted. This is so much the case for all of us. Do we have healthy roots? It makes more sense to me to pray about the roots first and the healthy fruit will come as the roots are made strong and vibrant!

I want fruit, but I want healthy, whole fruit. What does fruit look like when it comes from roots that are not whole and healthy? In my mind fruit from unhealthy roots looks deformed, smaller than it should be and maybe even lopsided. It never reaches full potential and often rots before anything good can come of it. Deformed fruit leads to deformed relationships. Ha! So as it is with anything else we pray when we pray for people...I believe we need to get to the root of what we want for that person. If we pray for fruit, or wisdom or anything at all, we need to consider the roots first.

Each root must be attached to the Father in order for it to grow healthy and strong. When we ask the Lord to give this one the fruit of self control or that one the gift of wisdom what are we really asking for? What is that person hearing when we pray with them and we ask for such things? When I was a new believer I would believe that if someone prayed for me to have wisdom it would just happen. Ha! We know better than that. The process is vital for anything healthy and lasting to occur.

The Lord has placed it on my heart to get to the root, pray for healthy strong roots, which can only happen through relationship with him, so I am praying for a closer relationship with my Father. Seek Ye first the Kingdome of God and all these things will be added unto you. It is through the daily interactions between the Father and his children that strong roots are developed. We should be praying for people to seek a deeper relationship with the Father and the fruit will naturally grow out of that relationship.

Just pondering...