For a Powerful Prayer, Seek Lasting Fruit Over Results

“When service produces fruit, God is glorified (John 15:8). You can get results by following surefire formulas, manipulating people, or turning on your charisma, but fruit comes from life. Results are counted and soon become silent stats, but living fruit remains and continues to multiply to the glory of God.” – Warren W. Wiersbe

This year, my prayer is for fruit that lasts.

I once heard that bank tellers who are being trained to spot counterfeit money don’t look at fake bills; they only look at real ones. They feel them, hold them up to the light, mark them with a pen, and sniff them. The bank counts on tellers knowing the “real thing” so well that counterfeit money is immediately recognized.

Results can be good, but they aren’t always fruit. The “real thing” is fruit. It’s the goal of the disciple and of the church.

Results are numbers; Fruit is transformed lives.
Results are static; Fruit continues to multiply.
Results are noticed; Fruit is celebrated.
Results are forgotten; Fruit is remembered.

Let’s pray for fruit from our ministries and lives this year.

We will work hard and strive for good results from the efforts we invest, but we must trust God for the fruit that will last.

*Special Note: The blog post above was written and published in 2018 after reading the book On Being A Servant of God by Warren W. Wiersbe. After discovering this old post, I realized something amazing. Since reading this thought and subsequently writing about it, my prayers have been different over the last seven years. I have found myself praying (and inviting people to pray) for fruit that will last. This prayer and desire has taken root (no pun intended) in my own life and heart to the point that this prayer has become my overriding desire in ministry.

I like words like legacy – I hear about it a lot, but that’s not my main goal. I like the idea of excellence – something ministry leaders talk about – and as nice and motivating as that is, it’s not the primary thing. The concept of bearing fruit is what brings about change, multiplication, and God’s work in the lives of others – especially the next generation.

Read what the Bible says about fruit in John 15:1-17, Matthew 7:15-20, and Galatians 5:22-23.