Day 2 – JANUARY 9, 2023
Daily Disciplines of a Disciple!
Transforming Truth from God’s Word
Scripture
Luke 9:23 – Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
Thought for the Day
Are you willing to discipline yourself daily to follow Jesus? People who accomplish great things in life often attribute their success to disciplines they have practiced daily for many years. They describe their daily life by describing disciplines and practices such as: spending time in prayer, setting daily goals, working hard, being organized, helping others, treating others with respect and kindness, being on time, spending time reading, preparing for assignments, and learning something new every day. These are all great and noble disciplines that we should aspire to gain and practice to become better people and accomplish more in life. However, I believe that our greatest discipline each day is to follow Jesus more closely and really know Him. Why? Because He is the one who gave His life and shed His blood to save us from our sins and give us everlasting life. Therefore, you and I owe our lives to Him. Nothing that you can achieve or accomplish in life compares to knowing and serving Jesus. The song writer wrote “It pays to serve Jesus, it pays every day, it pays every step of the way…”
Jesus challenged His disciples in Luke 9:23 by giving them (and us) three disciplines that are required to follow Him (as true students of the master teacher).
- Deny yourself! Deny your flesh and selfish desires. Give up your agenda and seek to follow the plan Jesus have for you.
- Take up your cross daily – think about the fact that Christ died on that cruel rugged cross for your salvation, therefore, be willing to take up your cross every day for His sake and do His will.
- Follow Him! Discipline yourself to follow Jesus no matter what it costs you! Do not follow other voices. Listen and follow only His voice. He will lead you to ‘life more abundantly’ and to serving Him with gladness.
A Psalm for Today
Psalm 100:2a – Serve the Lord with gladness –
God’s Promises for Today
It’s Time to Pray
God my Heavenly Father, I pray that with the help of Your Holy Spirit who lives in me, I can guard the minutes, hours, and days You’ve given me. I pray for godly discipline and the courage to deny myself the trappings of this world and daily follow Jesus. I pray that You would do more with my minutes, hours, and days than I can alone. Father, through Your Holy Spirit, fill me with the power so that daily discipline becomes a part of my character. I have decided to follow Jesus…no turning back, no turning back… In Jesus’ name – Amen.
Great lesson. I’ve been undisciplined in some areas of my life. I plan to do better.