Prayer for the Fruit of the Spirit

Beloved, do you want to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit at all times? If so, I have an encouraging word and prayer for you that will help you–because it’s the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of you! And when you know that Holy Spirit is the One Who bears all righteous fruit in you, it takes the pressure off you and releases you to walk in grace by abiding in Jesus!

Too often, people try to conjure up the fruit of the Spirit in the strength of their flesh.

It’s almost like people make a checklist for each day, trying to cross off various items from their “Good Christian List.” Even if they don’t realize it, their mindset goes something like this:

“Did I fast and pray today? Check. Did I read my Bible today? Check. Was I gentle to somebody today? Check. Did I tell the truth today? Check. Okay, I must be doing good; this is what the Christian life looks like.”

The problem with that is that in your flesh dwells no good thing, according to Romans 7:18:

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18 NKJV).

And we can do nothing at all under our own power, or even through the sheer weight of our own determination! We might set out to do a good thing in the strength of our own flesh, but we cannot accomplish it! Jesus said so Himself–and God’s Word also tells us that it is through Jesus that we can do anything at all. Look at these truths:

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NKJV).

And also:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV).

So, if you notice what Jesus said in John 15:5, it is not our flesh at all that accomplishes anything good.

Instead, the fruit-bearing is accomplished in people who abide in Jesus, and in whom Jesus Himself also abides. Why? Because JESUS, Father God, and Holy Spirit are the Ones Who actually are doing the work of bearing the fruit. They are literally moving through you to produce fruit, and to give you fruit that remains:

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (John 15:16 NKJV).

It is God’s will for you to bear fruit, but yet you cannot do it on your own.

Here’s the good news: God Himself will move through you, particularly by His Spirit, to bear that fruit that remains through you. How do we know this? From all the Scriptures above, plus many more–and the most obvious one of all is that the Bible calls it the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of you!

Look at this list of the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:19-23 NKJV).

And there is an additional, expanded description of the fruit of the Spirit in Ephesians 5 also:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-19 NKJV).

This passage in Ephesians does not contain a longer list, but it does contain a broader list of what the fruit of the Spirit is. From this passage, we learn that the fruit of the Spirit is in ALL goodness, righteousness, and truth–in other words, that Holy Spirit bears fruit of everything that is good, righteous, and true.

So, Holy Spirit is not limited to bearing “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control“; if there is anything at all that is good, He also bears that fruit; He produces that thing in you too.

Therefore, beloved, if we want ANY positive, holy, good fruit coming forth out of our lives, Holy Spirit is the One Who will bear that fruit in us and through us.

This is one of the many reasons why it’s so essential to abide in Jesus at all times. We must abide in Him, and in His love, so that we can remain focused on Him and not take our eyes off Him–and therefore not hinder the work of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives.

This should take the stress and pressure to perform off you, beloved. Yes, we all need to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit, actively exhibiting His fruit in every area of our lives. However, we do that by His grace–by abiding in Jesus, and by honoring (and not grieving) His Holy Spirit; and, as we do that, Holy Spirit is the One Who works through us to bear His fruit and release it both in our lives and through us onto the earth.

Hallelujah!

Always remember Zechariah 4:6:

“So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts”” (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV).

Therefore, friend:

Do you want increased levels of the fruit of the Spirit in your life?

Are you ready to pray and ask God to bear His fruit through you by His grace? If so, pray as follows–feeling free to add your own words wherever you feel led as you pray from your heart!

Here’s the prayer:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You in Jesus’ name.

Abba Father, You are good, and Your mercy endures forever. Thank You for being so good and kind to me, and thank You for always hearing my prayer. Thank You for all the ways You help me every day, for I am nothing without You–and I can do nothing at all unless You are the One doing it through me.

I praise You for Your great grace and mercy toward me, Father, and for Your faithfulness to me. Thank You so much for all that You are, and for all that You do to help me every day. You are the only One Who is holding me together and keeping me alive!

Abba Father, I desire to become just like You, and to please You in everything.

But, Lord, I need Your help even in this. Your Word says that in my flesh dwells no good thing, and Jesus said that we can do nothing without Him.

Yet, Your Word says we are to be filled with the Spirit, and to bear His fruit–but I freely acknowledge today that I cannot do this in and of myself, in my own natural strength–for I have no natural strength. I can only produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life if You are the One bearing that fruit through me, which indeed Your Word says You will–for it’s the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of me.

Therefore, Father, I humbly come before You in Jesus’ name, and I ask:

Lord God, would You please have the Holy Spirit bear the fruit of the Spirit in and through my life?

Today and every day, would You please fill me with ever good fruit–including ALL goodness, righteousness, and truth? Specifically, Father God, when it comes to …

• Love: Let me be filled with Your love, receive Your love deeply into my heart, love myself in a holy way like You want me to, love You back with my whole heart, and love all people the way You want me to also.
• Joy: Please fill me up with joy unspeakable and full of glory today. Help me to abide in Your manifest presence, and to sense Your presence and affection at all times; for “in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11b NKJV).
• Peace: Help me to love Your Word, and to have my mind stayed on You, at all times; for You promise great peace to those who do these things. Also, please help me to be anxious for nothing; but in everything, with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to make my requests known to You; and Your peace which passes all understanding, will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Fill me with Your peace today and every day, Father, and help me to remain in Your peace, no matter what happens at any given time, and on any given day.
• Longsuffering (which is better translated “big fierceness”; it does not mean that there is holiness in suffering longer): Please help me to set my face like flint to obey You and persevere, roaring over whatever assignment You have given me, and not becoming weary in well doing. Make me positively fierce in obeying You, following You, abiding in You, and believing You, come what may, I pray in Jesus’ name.
• Kindness: Please help me to be kind to everyone around me at all times. Change my heart so that I am kind, and use me to bring joy to others through kindness every day, please, in Jesus’ name!
• Goodness: Please purge me of all that is wicked, and release in me all that is good. Let Your goodness exude from my very pores, and please let Your mercy and Your fruit that You bear through me show other people how good You are as well, in Jesus’ name!
• Faithfulness: O God, please make me faithful like You are faithful, in all that that means. Help me to be loyal and true. Help me also to never quit, and never to be a bad steward; but to be dependable, reliable, consistent, and conscientious to carry out what is right and good in all that I do every day.
• Gentleness: Lord, please make me gentle. Please make me gentle. Take all the harshness out of me, and help me to be sweet and patient and gentle to everyone in my words, my actions, and my expectations. Help me to be merciful, as You are merciful, I pray, in Jesus’ name!
• Self-control: Please, may Your Holy Spirit bear this fruit of self-control in me and through me, Father. Whether I’m making a decision about food, exercise, work, family, spending time with You, time management, habits, medical care, use of medication/substances, friendships, my business, spending, or anything else, please let Holy Spirit train me up and release HUGE amounts of self-control in and through me! Please don’t let me be a loose cannon in any area; please help me be disciplined instead, well able and willing to say “no” or “enough” or even “yes” when needed–all as led by Your Holy Spirit, and always and only staying within the bounds of wisdom and righteousness!
• All goodness: Your Word says that ALL goodness is a fruit of the Spirit. So, Father, anything that’s good that I didn’t mention already, please let Holy Spirit bear and release that fruit of the Spirit in me too!
• All righteousness: Abba, please let Holy Spirit manifest everything that is righteous in me, and remove from me any habits, words, thoughts, motives, intentions, or actions at all that are not righteous! Purge me with Your blood, and I shall be clean, Lord; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow–and I pray that ALL of Your righteousness would be visible in all that I am and all that I do, and that there would be no wickedness in me at all, in Jesus’ name!
• And all truth: O Lord, I pray that I would know the truth, and that the truth would make me free. Help me to walk wholly in truth, for Jesus is the Truth. Let only Your Truth come forth out of my life, Lord; fill me with Your truth, and let it be visible to all, to the glory of Your great name!

O Father God, please, in Jesus’ name: Let Your Holy Spirit bear ALL of His fruit in me without delay, without hindrance, and without any rebellion on my part!

Let Your fruit roll forth out of me like a mighty river. Let Your righteousness be visible in all that I do, all that I say, and all that I am–for You have made me a new creation in Christ Jesus; old things have passed away, and all things have become new.

I can’t bear Your fruit on my own, Father. It’s Your fruit. It’s the fruit of the Spirit. But I need Your help, Father, because I want to bear that fruit; I want all the world to see You, and only You, in me.

Therefore, Father, would You please help me abide in Jesus more than ever before, so that Your Spirit can bear His fruit in me?

Would you help me to set my mind and keep it set on things above, where Christ is, seated at Your right hand? Would You help me to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, so that I can prove to everyone what Your good and perfect will is?

And, would You please help me to abide in Jesus’ love, thinking only of You and of what You want, loving You back with my obedience as Jesus commanded us to do when He said “If you love Me, keep My commandments”?

Thank You, Abba Father. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living in me and filling me with the fruit of the Spirit.

I am nothing without You, but I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. And I cannot bear any good fruit on my own, but Your Holy Spirit can bear Your Own fruit through me if I am surrendered to You–and I am.

Please have me for Your Own once again today, Abba Father. Fill me up anew and afresh with Your Spirit, Your fire, Your power, Your glory, and Your love. Bear all the fruit of the Spirit in me by Your Holy Spirit, I pray, in Jesus’ name–and let me never go back to anything less than the full fruit of the Spirit.

Thank You, Abba Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Beloved friend, do you want to be filled with all the fruit of the Spirit?

Do you want to walk like Jesus, talk like Jesus, live like Jesus, think like Jesus, and be like Jesus at all times? And if you do want to be full of the fruit of the Spirit, did you pray this prayer today–and will you keep on asking God for His Holy Spirit to bear His fruit of the Spirit through you?

Leave a comment below if you prayed this prayer for the fruit of the Spirit!