Root Below, Fruit Above
Pastor Ashley McArtney
Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. Isaiah 37:31
We are in a time of increased disruption and shaking. This is a sign of the Lords appearing. As the Lord’s return approaches, everything shakes, for everything must bow to the King of glory. Times of shaking require solid foundations. Its only during an earthquake where a building is truly tested. And that which is tested is unseen. Concrete pillions driven deep into the earth. Only at these times do those involved in the foundational work truly appreciate what was done and invested into.
In shaking we become aware of our foundations - or in Isaiah 37:31 - our root system. Fruitfulness and Longevity begin below ground. Is our root system, concealed to the sight of most, able to sustain what is above the ground and visible too many? For there to be fruit above there must be strength below.
Deepen your Roots in Prayer
Rich Villodas points out that Jesus spent 8 hours a day, every day for 3 years with his disciples. This equates to over 8000 hours with them! And they still had major gaps… 2 hours a week on sunday will never change us. We need a prayer life that is increasingly conscious of the presence of Jesus daily. It is our only hope!
Everyone wants to walk in the power of Christ but who is willing to walk in His prayer life? The disciples saw that the power, authority and revelation of Jesus was directly connected to his prayer life. So they would ask Him “Teach us to pray!” Jesus indeed taught them much on prayer. He also modelled a lifestyle of prayer. Prayer was the conduit between the Father and the Son, and Jesus prioritised it above all else.
But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
For Jesus, faced with the greatest mission given to any man, and confronted with more need than any man, intimacy with His Father was essential, so a lifestyle of prayer and fasting was His priority. For us to truly live lives of deep prayer, we must look to the way of Jesus. We must be intentional and prioritise communion with God as a non-negotiable rhythm of life.
Set a schedule to pray.
Make it a priority. If you schedule time for prayer you will pray 10 times more than you do right now. In every other area of life we schedule what we prioritise. There are so many demands on our time. Therefore we must be intentional about developing consistent times with the Lord. The world is fighting for your attention, there is a war for it. Go against the tide.
‘Close the door’.
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Matt 6:6
God is waiting for you in the secret place. “Surely God is in this place and I didn’t even know it” Gen 28:16. You don’t have to fight for His presence or attention. The fight is closing the door. In Matthew 8:23 Jesus was asleep in the boat, waves crashing into him, clothes wet… yet He was at total peace. He had ‘shut the door’ on the chaos, wind and water. For us to close the door we must acknowledge to noise of the world and then take measures to shut it out. This includes social media, world news and events, our busy schedules. It also includes the self-noise of fear, guilt and shame. All of these things will distract us from the One waiting for us in the secret place.
Have some on-ramps -
Again, the key to communing with God is awareness. I like to come into the secret place with a few ‘handles’ or ‘on ramps’ that help me realise His nearness. These include;
A Prayer list
Praying in tongues
Take Communion
Bible prayers (The Lord’s prayer. Apostolic prayers. John 15)
Worship music
Simplify - Prune Above
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts Mark 6:7
By traveling light the disciples had the ability to be flexible in their plans. Simplicity… reducing our options… travelling light… carrying only what we must… intensifies what is really important. Peter exhorts us to have a “Clear mind so that you can pray”. If you want a strong prayer life, conscience of the Presence of the Lord, simplify your life so that the intensity of your devotion and awareness can increase. A simple life gives space to what is important. A simple life magnifies what is important!
Our lives are anything but simple, so it takes a radical approach to strip things back to the bare essentials. For instance, 6 months ago we stoped watching TV at home (except for the cricket….) The results have been stunning! I sleep better, I wake up earlier! I dream more. I am more easily moved to tears.
I am convinced that Christians in the west need to downsize their lives - prune what is visible. Our life goals, debt, house size… Ask yourself the following question “Is x,y,z central to the Lords Kingdom, or am I seeking first peripheral things?” Aim to live light and simply.
