Have you ever found a promise in the Word and released your faith to receive it? This is how Christians are supposed to live—by finding out what the Word has said and then acting on that Word to see it come to pass.
Seeking God through His Word delights the Father, but it takes more than just reading the Word and believing it to see manifestation.
For healing, deliverance and prosperity to become realities, you must be disciplined in acting on the Word. First, there is a desire to achieve the promises of God but then there is discipline. It releases the blessings from the spiritual realm into the natural and causes your godly desires to become real in your life.
What does it mean to be disciplined? Discipline can be described as “training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement.”
My life is governed and controlled by the Word of God. I follow His rules for every aspect of my life. From marriage to how I handle my finances. I practice the Word of God on a consistent basis by doing what it says all the time. This is what it means to live a disciplined life. As a result, I am experiencing the abundance of God’s blessings.
You may think that being disciplined sounds like work. Well, it is. Often, the very reason the Word isn’t working in our lives is because we don’t discipline ourselves in it. Getting up consistently every morning to pray takes discipline, but the reward is a closer relationship with God and wisdom for making decisions in life.
Taking time to read your Bible every day may seem like a chore at first, but the more you do it, the more revelation, understanding and knowledge you will gain from God’s Word. This will help you renew your mind and live a successful Christian life. There is a price to pay to go to higher levels in God, and discipline is that price.
Discipline is never fun when you are first training yourself to do certain things. If you ever played sports in high school or college, you probably can testify to the fact that practice wasn’t the most enjoyable time.
In fact, you probably dreaded having to do the same exhausting drills over and over again. But when it was time to play the game, you were prepared. The discipline that you developed in training yourself to be the best was evident when you won the game and brought home the victory.
Getting up at 5:00 every morning to pray will be difficult at first and hard on your flesh. Training yourself to come out of certain habits and mindsets won’t be easy and the devil will fight you every step of the way.
But if you will make a quality decision to live a life of discipline, Jesus Christ Himself will help you follow through on what you have decided to do (Phil. 4:13).
You’re not going to wake up one day and all of a sudden be disciplined. On the road to following God’s rules and living your life in accordance with His Word, you’ll have to work at it and develop patience. It will take a decision of quality and a commitment to grow up spiritually.
Keep a vision before you of where you want to be and who you want to become. Set spiritual goals for yourself to give you something to work toward. Having a clear destination in sight will help keep you focused on the journey and help you perfect a life of diligence.
There are men and women who will never see their visions and life purpose manifest because they lack discipline. This critical aspect of the Believer’s life is not often talked about and is usually overlooked in favor of focusing on only the spiritual aspects of achieving breakthrough.
However, the truth is that you must be disciplined in your everyday habits and spiritual practices if you want to become great. No successful person achieved success without discipline. I encourage you to examine your life and consider what blessings may be blocked because you fail to discipline yourself in the things of God.
When you realize what it is, decide today to change, and watch God manifest His goodness to you.
Becoming disciplined is a part of developing godly character.
Changing Your World Magazine
Creflo Dollar Ministries All rights reserved.
Creflo Dollar is the founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International (WCCI). He is a highly sought-after speaker ministering the Gospel at conferences worldwide. His works, in the form of books, CDs, and DVDs are available in many countries around the world. Known for his prolific insights and charismatic style, he helps thousands improve their lives by teaching the Gospel of Grace that empowers change in their day-to-day experiences.