For this month’s edition of Prayer Corner, Winnie will be sharing with us on the need to prune away distractions of life to make room for God in our hearts.

April ’22: Pruning
By Winnie LF

With the weather becoming warmer and the daylight getting longer, it is not only the season of cherry blossoms but also the season to get our gardens ready for planting! I took one look at my garden bed and knew that I had work to do. The raspberry plant, rosemary bush, and other herbs had many overgrown and bare branches. Without removing the bare branches and pruning, new growth would at best be anemic. As I kept clipping away the dry branches, I was reminded that I also need to prune away distractions in my everyday life in order to make room for God to have a stronger foothold in my heart.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about the seed that fell among thorns: “Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seeds fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” —Matthew 13:7-8

How do I go about removing the thorns or dead branches in my life so that I have good soil in my heart? Do I even recognize the thorns when I see them?

In my HomeBuilder group, we talked about “busyness” and how to make more space to spend time with God. We committed to spending one evening a week, for one month, away from electronic devices (and screens) and spend time reading a physical Bible instead. I have to admit that it has been very difficult and I failed the first week that I tried.

As part of Lent, I need to prune away some distractions. What dead branches do you need to prune away to make room for you to rest in God’s presence?