Day 8: Pruned for Increase

Scripture: John 15:1-2 - “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

Pruning feels like loss. God calls it preparation. Jesus says the Father cuts back branches that already bear fruit. Not because they failed. Because they are capable of more. Pruning is not rejection. It is investment.

God removes what drains strength. He cuts what competes for life. He trims what limits future growth. This is why pruning hurts. God often removes things that once worked.

• Relationships.

• Roles.

• Patterns.

Ask yourself honestly: What has God been loosening in my life lately? Pruning exposes attachment. It reveals what you relied on instead of God. Growth does not come from accumulation alone. It comes from alignment. God would rather reduce you than exhaust you. He would rather trim now than repair later.

Reflection: What loss or removal are you resisting?

Prayer: God, give me grace to trust You in the cutting. Help me release what You are removing. Produce lasting fruit in me.

Practice:

• Identify one habit, commitment, or mindset God may be pruning.

• Let it go without argument.

Less can produce more when God is the gardener.