Discipline’s Rewards – The Presidential Prayer Team

Whoever loves disciplines loves knowledge. – Proverbs 12:1

Whether eating a 1,200 calorie count each day to lose weight, studying at 6 o’clock every evening to earn a college degree, or establishing consistent sleep times for health, it takes discipline to accomplish worthy goals. Discipline is the ability to consistently do what is right or necessary in the face of obstacles or opposing desires.

Think about Christian disciplines such as Bible reading, church attendance, worship, prayer, fasting, giving, and serving. To be consistent at these requires effort and a desire that supersedes immediate wants. Today’s verse says a lover of discipline also loves knowledge. In order to love discipline, you need to know a few things, like losing weight is worth skipping some goodies, a degree is more valuable than binge-watching your favorite show, or a healthy body and stronger immune system is worth the time invested in good sleep.

Likewise, knowing more about the benefits of faith disciplines will help motivate you to establish great habits. For instance, Bible reading helps you develop a more attentive heart and deeper relationship with God. Church attendance and worship deepen your relationship with God and others. Prayer helps you connect personally with the Lord and receive what He wants for you and your brothers and sisters in Christ. Fasting helps you focus on God and builds your faith. Giving of your time, talent, and treasure is how God’s economy works. Serving is how God extends His love through you.

All of these disciplines are accomplished through love for God and others. Study the disciplines of following Christ and pray for wisdom and motivation to establish these habits in your life. Pray that citizens and leaders of the United States will see the fruits of believers being obedient to the Holy Spirit. 

Today’s Verse: Proverbs 12:1

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who hates reproof is stupid.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

¹²We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise prophecies, ²¹but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.