What is the Fruit of the Spirit?
The Apostle Paul describes the qualities the Holy Spirit produces in Believers in his letter to the Galatians.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ~Galatians 5:22-23 WEB
Each of these qualities reflect the character of Christ and shows how the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts from the inside out:
- Love is more than emotion—it’s a choice to serve others selflessly.
- Joy is rooted in our relationship with God, not circumstances.
- Peace comes from trusting in God’s sovereignty.
- Patience teaches us to wait with grace and endurance.
- Kindness is compassion in action.
- Goodness reflects integrity and moral courage.
- Faithfulness is loyalty to God and His Word.
- Gentleness shows strength under control.
- Self-control helps us resist temptation and follow God’s will.
Living out these virtues isn’t about trying harder, but about staying connected to the Holy Spirit. As we walk with God daily – through prayer, Scripture, and fellowship – we begin to bear this fruit naturally.
How to Pray through Each Fruit of the Spirit
As Believers, we long to reflect the Lord’s nature, so I’ve gathered a few reflections to guide us as we seek His face (in beholding Him, our lives will begin to reflect Him), as we knock on heaven’s door in prayer, and as we find Him in whom our heart delights.
Ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened. ~Matthew 7:7-8 AMP
Love – Ask God’s Imprint of Love to be expressed through us.
God’s love is pure, unconditional, and sacrificial. We can ask the Lord to help us love without expecting anything in return.
Prayer for the fruit of love:
God, You are love. Your very essence is love. Lord, in Your Word, You call us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And You call us to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Lord, fill us afresh with the power of Your Holy Spirit that we might love, honor, and obey You and that we might love others as You have so greatly loved us. Amen.1
Joy – Pray for unshakeable joy.
Joy isn’t based on our circumstances; it is based on who God is, His presence, and our relationship with Him.
Prayer for the fruit of joy:
Lord, according to Your Word, we choose to ‘rejoice in the Lord always.’ For You have made known to us ‘the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.’
Lord, fill us afresh with Your joy that bubbles up, runs over, and refreshes all those who drink of Your well of salvation. Let ‘psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts’ spring up and overflow in worship to You, for You are worthy of all praise, worship, and adoration. Amen.2
Peace – Pray for the Prince of Peace to share His peace that passes understanding.
Peace comes from learning who God is, His nature, and His ways – His sovereignty, His compassion, and His love that never fails. Based on His character, we know we can trust Him no matter what we are experiencing (challenges, storms, trials, persecution) or how we feel. Peace comes from knowing that we are sheltered under the shadow of His wings.
Prayer for the fruit of peace:
Lord, we come to You, choosing to dwell in Your shelter, O Most High, and to abide in Your shadow, Almighty One. We acknowledge our trust in You as our strength, shelter, and shield. We are not afraid of the night terrors or of the day’s chaos, for You are with us. You, O Lord, never leave us, nor do You ever forsake us. Lord, You will strengthen and protect us from the evil one.
Lord, as the Prince of Peace, You give us a peace that passes all human understanding, a peace that delivers us from every fear and trouble, and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Thank you for covering us in Your peace today. Amen.3
Patience – Ask for God’s abounding grace.
Patience can be defined as endurance and perseverance through difficult circumstances or as long-suffering when dealing with difficult people.
Prayer for the fruit of patience:
Lord, we pray for Your grace to abound to us that we might have hope for that which we currently do not see. Lord, You are the Everlasting God, the Creator of the universe, who does not grow weary or tired, Your understanding is incredible!
Lord, You give strength to the weary and to those who wait upon You. Lord, You cause those who wait upon You to mount up with wings like an eagle, so that we run without getting tired, and walk without becoming weary. Lord, help us to ‘not grow weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up’. Amen.
Lord, give us the grace to be ‘quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger’ for You are ‘gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness’ and we can do ‘all things through Christ who strengthens us’.4
Kindness – Pray for compassion to be shown through our actions.
Kindness is compassion in action.
Prayer for the fruit of kindness:
Lord, we do not want to ‘love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth’ for You say that You are ‘near to the brokenhearted and You save those who are crushed in spirit’ and we are to comfort others with the comfort we have received from You, the God of all comfort. Lord, we recognize our kindness brings value, worth, and comfort to others’ hearts.
Lord, we want to walk in a spirit of kindness to all we meet, expecting nothing in return. Lord, we want to do everything as unto You, with all our heart, knowing that You will keep an account and reward us. Lord, even if we give a cup of cold water in Your name, not to be seen by men, but by You, our Father in heaven, You remember for You will not forget the labor of love which we have shown toward Your name. Lord, we choose to abide in You, so that through You, we might bear the fruit of kindness. Amen.5
Goodness – Pray for integrity and moral courage.
Goodness reflects integrity and moral courage.
Prayer for the fruit of goodness:
Lord, we taste and see that You are good! Indeed, we will look upon Your goodness, Lord, in the land of the living! ‘How great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have worked for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men!’ Lord, we want to walk in Your love and goodness by doing good, even lending, ‘expecting nothing in return’ for You Yourself are ‘kind to ungrateful and evil men’. Lord, you are good to all, for You are good and You do good, so teach me Your ways.
Lord, You have told us what is good; and what do You require of us, O Lord? But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with You. O Lord, help us to do good by doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly. Lord, help us to be people of integrity who walk in moral courage. Amen.6
Faithfulness – Pray for a heart focused on Him, yet remembers others.
God’s faithfulness is reflected in His unchanging character. He was faithful yesterday, He is faithful today, and He will be faithful tomorrow. He is the Faithful and True One.
Prayer for the fruit of faithfulness:
Lord, Your faithfulness is based on who you are and not our faithfulness or faithlessness. You are faithful because You cannot deny Yourself, the Faithful and True One.
Father, Your love and faithfulness are so great that You sent Your only Son to die and redeem us from our sins. Lord, Your love and faithfulness are so great that You ‘canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and You took them out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Lord, You disarmed the rulers and authorities, making a public display of them, having triumphed over them.’ We belong to You, for You purchased us with Your blood.
Lord, because of Your great love, Your unfailing compassion, and Your never-ending faithfulness, we look to Your path of faithfulness and set our hearts upon Your Words of life, which are a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Amen.7
Gentleness – Pray for strength that is born from humility and empathy.
Gentleness is strength under control. We see this in nature, as creatures take care of their young, and in us, as we take care of infants, the elderly, the sick, or those disabled. Our hearts seek to comfort and help those in need.
Prayer for the fruit of gentleness:
Lord, we recognize You are a good and gentle Shepherd who protects Your flock and gathers Your lambs in Your arms. Lord, You gently and carefully lead those nursing their young. Your gentle protection comforts our hearts.
Lord, You say a gentle tongue is a tree of life, and blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Lord, You call us to not be quarrelsome or violent, but to be above reproach. Lord, You call us to clothe ourselves in gentleness, so we desire to be clothed in Your gentleness that our gentle spirit may be evident to all. Amen.8
Self-Control – Pray for strength to take every escape from temptation, deny ourselves by the power of the Holy Spirit, and follow His will.
Self-control enables us to resist temptation, take the Lord’s way of escape, and follow God’s will.
Prayer for the fruit of self-control:
Lord, we submit to You, resist the devil, and He must flee from us in the mighty name of Jesus. Lord, thank you for delivering us from evil and from the evil one.
Lord, we humble ourselves before You, and turn from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We take Your way of escape, and choose life.
Lord, we choose You this day! And by the power of Your Holy Spirit, we will walk in the spirit and not in the flesh, for we belong to Christ Jesus, who has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires and has made us new creations. Hallelujah! Amen.9
A ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ Prayer
Join me in praying for the fruit of the Spirit of God to be written in our hearts and manifested through our lives.
Lord, we thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit.
Lord, we acknowledge our desire to grow in You and our heart’s yearning to bear good fruit.
Lord, we ask You to fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit that we might bear spiritual fruit that remains.
Lord, we long to be filled with love that worships, adores, and honors You and gives freely to others. Lord, we desire a joy that bubbles up from deep within, overflows, and remains.
Lord, we yearn for Your peace that passes all understanding, that is secure, steadfast, and endures through every challenge, storm, or trial.
Lord, we ask for Your patience that runs deep, is unmistakable, and cannot be provoked by another.
Lord, we aspire for the teaching of kindness to be on our lips and acts of kindness to flow freely through our hands in a tangible way.
Lord, we yearn for Your goodness to be visible in us and through our actions.
Lord, we ache for Your faithfulness that endures, is unchanging, and cannot be denied to be evident in our lives toward You and toward others.
Lord, we hope Your gentleness is discernible in our words and observable in our actions.
Lord, we desire Your self-control to be recognizable in our speech, conduct, faith, and love.
Lord, we long for our lives to reflect Your character, nature, and ways that we might bring glory and honor to Your name – in Jesus’ mighty name we pray, Amen.
Call to Action
If this blog post has been an encouragement to you, please share this encouragement with others.
Recommendations
3 Types of Peace – Internal, External, Eternal – Strength with Dignity
18 Powerful Prayers of Repentance – Strength with Dignity
References
1 1 John 4:8; Mark 12:30-31; 1 John 5:3, 4:11
2 Philippians 4:4; Psalm 16:11; Isaiah 12:3; Ephesians 5:19
3 Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 91; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Deuteronomy 31:6; John 14:27; Philippians 4:7
4 2 Corinthians 9:8; Romans 8:25; Isaiah 40:28-31; Galatians 6:9; James 1:19; Psalms 145:8; Philippians 4:13
5 John 3:18 WEB; Psalm 34:18 NASB; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Colossians 3:23; Matthew 10:42, 6:1; Hebrews 6:10; John 15:5
6 Psalms 34:8, 27:13, 31:19 WEB; Luke 6:35 NASB; Psalm 145:9, 119:68; Micah 6:8
7 2 Timothy 2:13; Revelation 19:11; John 3:16; Colossians 2:14-15 NASB; 1 Peter 1:19; Ephesians 1:7; Lamentations 3:22-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Psalm 119:30, 105
8 Isaiah 40:11 AMP; Proverbs 15:4 WEB; Matthew 5:5; 1 Timothy 3:3, 7; Colossians 3:12; Philippians 4:5
9 James 4:7; Matthew 6:13; 1 John 2:16; 1 Corinthians10:13; Joshua 24:15; Galatians 5:16-26; 2 Corinthians 5:17
Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995), copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
World English Bible (WEB) by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is a registered trademark.
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18 thoughts on “The Fruit of the Spirit: How to Prayerfully Cultivate”
Such a wonderful post, Lisa. Thank you for sharing each of the parts of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, along with the prayers for each one. I was excited to get to the end with self-control, as it seems to be the word the Lord has for me for 2026! I actually copied and pasted that particular one. Thanks so much!
Self-Control will be a great word for 2026, Dianna! I’m glad it brought encouragement to you.
I love this, Lisa. So life giving. I feel like this whole blog post could be turned into a book!
I’m glad you were encouraged, Sarah!
Lisa, I’m putting together a Christmas talk on how to make your holidays holy-days. My core thought has been centered around being filled with the Holy Spirit. You excellent post reminded me the fruit of the Spirit shows us what holiness looks like.
What a wonderful encouragement to make the holidays into holy-days, Debbie!
I’m hearing the song in my head that I learned as a child about the fruit of the Spirit. Always beautiful qualities that enrich our lives.
Lisa, now I’m singing Steve Green’s song, The Fruit of the Spirit, too!
Lisa, this was such a good post to take time to think upon. We so want our lives to have each of these fruit, but how often do we pray specifically for each one. That is something I want to do more intentionally. My desire is for the fruit of His Spirit to grow increasingly in my life. Blessings!
Yes, Joanne, I have been pondering this too, the intentionality of praying for the fruits of the Spirit.
Wonderful post, Lisa. I love how you’ve connected the fruit of the Spirit to God’s names and attributes. What a blessing to be able to pray for each of these elements to grow in us.
It is a blessing to pray for the fruit of the Spirit, Lois.
Oh my–you’ve provided such a thorough, practical, well-researched (through the scriptures) post on the fruit of the Spirit, Lisa! Thank you for this resource to help us in our pursuit of becoming abundant fruit-bearers. Many of us yearn to manifest this fruit; you have shown us how: through moment-by-moment submission to the Holy Spirit and prayer. Each aspect of this fruit is intertwined with the others; and at least several of them encompass them all, including: love, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. I think that makes the task less overwhelming. (It’s also the reason why they’re called the FRUIT of the Spirit, not the FRUITS.) As you said, staying connected to the Holy Spirit is key, then the fruit comes naturally.
Yes, Nancy, it is the fruit of the Spirit and not the fruits. And I agree that the key is to abide in Him and the fruit will naturally overflow from Him through us.
This is a thorough post about the fruit of the Spirit! Thank you so much! I’m bookmarking this one!
May you continue to be encouraged, Valerie!
Praying with you today Lisa. So beautifully spoken.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month sweet friend. I’m so happy you’re here.
Praying for the fruit of the Spirit brings freedom, Paula. It’s a joy to join you each month, thanks for hosting us as friends at your table.