Watering the Plants

By Susha Roberts, Senior Director of Marketing

Post date: April 1, 2019

I don’t have a green thumb.

My mom always had an amazing garden with an abundance of flowers and produce. I tried to emulate what seemed to come so easily to her, but I failed repeatedly. I thought maybe it was the fertilizer or some trick in planting.

Turns out it was water.

Mom went outside each day, sometimes twice a day, in dry San Diego to make sure her plants were getting a consistent water supply. Forgetful, sometimes lazy me struggled to make watering the plants consistently a priority.

But then a pandemic happened. As I gathered up my things from the office to take to my house, I noticed the plants on my teammates’ desks. At the time we weren’t sure how long we'd be staying in our homes, but I thought about the disappointment of returning to dried up foliage. So I loaded up all the pots in my car and took them home.

I have a few patio plants that I’ve managed to keep alive, although some struggled to blossom with inconsistent watering. But now I have a responsibility to care for my teammates’ plants. Every morning and evening I check the soil, deadhead flowers and trim spent leaves. As I inspect each plant, I think of its owner and pray for that person; often that time spills over to other people in my life who also need intercession.

This exercise has not only improved my gardening, but it’s brought joyful consistency to my prayer life. Jesus is an incredible example of a leader who served through prayer. He regularly got away from the busyness of his ministry life to spend time with the Lord, and I believe that time included praying for his followers.

In John 17, we read what Jesus prayed for his disciples and for all believers who would come after them — including us! He acknowledges their belief and obedience to the Father; he affirms their calling. Jesus asks for believers to have unity of purpose, to be protected from the enemy, to be sanctified by the Word, to see God’s glory and to experience the same love that the Father lavished on him. These are things we can pray for people in our lives.

In the busyness of regular life, and especially during difficult seasons, it’s easy to feel dried up. Jesus, the living water, is our source of refreshment. In this season of isolation, let’s follow his example by creating a regular, ongoing service of prayer for our brothers and sisters. Water the plants in your lives!

Questions for Reflection:

• Have you ever gardened or tended to plants? Do you find you have a green thumb? Why or why not?

• Who needs your consistent service of prayer right now? Write their names down and pray over them each day.

• What things in your life right now are leaving you feeling “dried up”? Reach out to someone you trust and set a time to consistently pray together.

Don’t forget to dive deeper into how Jesus set the example of what it means to love others with grace and humility with our devotional.

Para leer el devocional en español oprima aquí.