He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity – Job 36:10.

Discipline is an intentional action. When one wants to grow spiritually, they will make intentional time to spend with the Lord in prayer or reading the Bible.

We live in a very busy, chaotic world; it seems as though there’s never enough time in the day to finish the different tasks placed before us. With all this busyness, we make time to prepare so that we can be on time for work. We set a time to prepare dinner or go out to dinner. We spend time watching our favorite television program, but we never intentionally set aside time to spend with the Lord.

Many profess to be Christians, but they don’t make time to build a relationship with the One they are supposed to be serving. To build a relationship, you have to spend time with the person to get to know them. Relationships will never grow without investing time in the relationship.

Try not to spend time with your spouse and see how long the relationship lasts. Well, the God we serve deserves just as much of our time, or more than we do with our spouse. Just like you like to hear the voice of your spouse or your children, God also likes to hear our voices.

When we take the time to pray and read the Word that tells Him we love Him, and we want to get to know Him for ourselves. We’re telling Him, He is important to us, and we will make time to spend talking to Him and wait to hear what He has to say to us.

Like us, God does not want us to come to Him only when we want something. He likes to hear us thanking Him for the things He has already done, and showing our appreciation daily. We should start our day with prayer and end our day with prayer and praises.

We can start our day with a five or ten-minute prayer. Acknowledging Him and asking Him to lead us that day in His will and plan. Disciplining ourselves to spend time with our Creator and the Savior of our souls. It is He who keeps us and holds back the hand of the enemy.

As Christians, we have the honor to go before the God of the universe to pray. The God that has all power and all knowing. He invites us to come into His presence (Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light – Matthew 11:28-30). We have the privilege to come before the Almighty God any time, night or day. We don’t have to be in a certain place or position to pray.

When we pray and read the Bible, He opens our understanding of what is acceptable to Him. Everything suppose to be Christians are doing is not acceptable in His sight. We must read the Bible to be conformed to the Word of God, and not conformed to the world (And be not conformed to the world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God is – Romans 12:2).

Our lifestyle should be modeled by the Word of God. As Christians, we should not be looking like the world, talking like the world, and our actions should not be those of the world! God is not going to make us do anything; He has given us the privilege to choose whether we will live as Christians or hypocrites. A hypocrite is a nonbeliever using the name of a Christian.

God has given us power to discipline ourselves to follow His instructions (According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue – 2nd Peter 1:3). It’s our choice to discipline ourselves to live according to His Word.