Further explanation of the Fruit to Root exercise from Week Ten: Heman’s Prayer, on page 82 of our Prayer Guide.
“I believe; help my unbelief!” – Mark 9:24
Unbelief is an ongoing reality of our walk with God. While He is faithful to secure us and walk with us, we are prone to wandering and may struggle to practically believe the truths of who God is, what He has done, and who we are—all aspects of the good news of the Gospel. In our own broken understanding, we may distort or reject the truths of the Gospel, and therefore experience unhealthy fruit. For example, this kind of unhealthy fruit could look like outbursts of anger, jealousy, lack of self-control, pride, or anything else that is not aligned with the abundant life found in Jesus.
As we walk by the Spirit, however, we experience and see the fruit in accordance with it: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
This is a simple exercise you can go through alone or with others. It provides an interesting way of examining the roots—underlying beliefs—driving the unhealthy behavior that surfaces. As opposed to behaviorism, where we focus on just swapping bad behaviors with healthier ones, the intent of this exercise is to have you prayerfully reflect on where unbelief is manifesting in your life. Ask the Spirit to open your eyes and convict you, because conviction and repentance are gifts from God that lead to joy and deeper maturity. We can trust that God is loving, compassionate, and kind as we go about this process. Repentance is the act of then turning from sin, or unbelief, and choosing to trust what God has revealed to be true. As our trust deepens in the person of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit is displayed as we are transformed.
Take a look at the following video and exercises and feel free to share what is revealed to you in the Church Center Prayer Group!
Download PDF Activity Guide to help here
“Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life” is a book written by Jeff Vanderstelt. Our teaching series, and the material on this page, is based on this. For more information, and to download the first chapter for free, visit their website. See also: https://saturatetheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Fruit-to-Root-Exercise.pdf
