Why You Don’t Have to Pray for Love, Joy, Peace or Patience

The moment you accepted the Lord, a divine conception took place in which the seed of God was planted within you (1 John 3:9).

The Greek is much more descriptive than our seemingly bashful English versions. It’s word for seed is sperma. Need I say more?

Your Regeneration

In theological speak, what took place at your salvation is termed “regeneration.” “Regeneration” defined is the process by which something becomes new. And this is precisely why the Bible assures, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17, MEV). But hidden in the word “regeneration” is another word that provides perhaps a more vivid illustration of just what happened when you said yes to Jesus. Notice the first six letters. They spell, “regene.”

Your salvation marked a metamorphosis moment when God’s DNA was planted in you and re-gened you with new attributes—His attributes. The implications of this are remarkable. As a Christian, you no longer have to beg God for “love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). But these qualities of God’s Spirit, along with other gifts and a God-given destiny, were all planted in you in the nanosecond of your new birth.

Of course, though the seeds are in you, their fruits aren’t all evident because they first have to grow. And this is dependent upon a process that Jesus likened to the death of a seed of wheat: “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24, MEV).

Jesus’ words here are very intentional. And exploring the death of a seed reveals tremendous insight into the growth of what God has placed in each of us. Let’s explore this now.

The Story of a Seed

Within a single seed is the potential for so much new life. Given the proper circumstances, it will sprout into a plant, which can then produce more seeds that sprout into more plants. That’s a wonderful plan, but it’s contingent upon a very uncomfortable process.

When a seed is dropped onto the ground, with the right amount of water, oxygen and temperature, new life is birthed inside. As water is absorbed into the seed, its outer shell is softened so that when the seed is buried into the proper soil, the pressure cracks open the shell so that the new life inside can emerge.

Notice that the life held inside of the seed doesn’t burst the shell open itself. Rather, the shell is first crushed so that the life may arise. Imagine if the seed never died. The potential inside of it would never be seen, and it would never have the ability to reproduce.

Do you see the tremendous parallels for your life? As we already reviewed, at salvation, God planted seeds of new life in you. Now, what’s holding back this new life in your life? The attributes of the old life—slavery to sin, guilt, shame, fears or insecurities are what the outer shell of the seed represent, which must be cracked, crushed and killed so that all of the fruits in you can burst forth.

How to Crush the Old Life?

But practically, how do you crush the old? In Romans, Paul provides the clue: “Consider yourselves to be dead to sin” (Rom. 6:11, MEV). The keyword here is “consider,” which means “to think carefully about.” That is, the death of the old things in your life begins with the renewal of the mind according to the new creature that you are in Christ. It means meditating on the truths of what God’s Word says about who you are and what you have. Here are some great mind-renewing truths to consider:

• “I am a new person in Christ. Old things have passed away; all things are made new” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).
• “Jesus canceled the record of my wrongs by taking it on Himself. Now, I am declared righteous in Him” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 2:14).
• “I don’t worry about anything. But as I make my requests known to God, the peace of Jesus guards my heart and mind” (cf. Phil. 4:6-7).
• “I will not fear anything because God has given me power, love and a sound mind” (cf. 2 Tim. 1:7).

As you consistently plant yourself in the environment of the Word and water it into your mind, its pressure will crucify the influence of old habits, thoughts and feelings. Over time (not overnight!), you’ll begin to experience the fruits of God manifest in your thoughts, then your words, then your actions and then your everyday life.

If you need help to renew your mind according to God’s Word, I’ve produced a one-hour album of spoken Scripture confessions over original, instrumental music. The album consists of 15 tracks that help you crush feelings of anxiety, depression, fear, unforgiveness and so much more.

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Kyle Winkler equips people to live in victory. His mobile app, Shut Up, Devil!, is the No. 1 spiritual warfare app, and his recent scripture confessions album, Experience Freedom, has helped thousands identify with the truths of God’s Word. Kyle holds a Master of Divinity in biblical studies from Regent University. Get daily encouragement from Kyle on Facebook and Twitter.