1Cor9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

DISCIPLINE AND DENIAL

I am a huge fan of Cristiano Ronaldo. Though age is catching up with him and he’s not performing optimally, I still admire him.

Many athlete didn’t play soccer above 35 years of age. At 38, he’s still on the field aspiring for more. One thing that made him last long at the top is his discipline. To keep fit, he doesn’t drink and eat anyhow.

He gets to training before his teammates and they leave him there after the training is over. That’s discipline and denial at work.

*Discipline is living as demanded while denial involves sacrificing temporal pleasure to achieve something spectacular*.

You cannot build a strong prayer life If you lack discipline even if the most anointed preacher lay hands on you. It is impossible.

I listened to a man of God who said he formed the habit of waking up by 3am to pray and study on daily basis. He goes to bed by 9pm at night daily so that he can wake up early.

He denied himself of television programs at night because of what he want to achieve.

*Just as an athlete would deny himself of certain pleasures to gain mastery, same applies to anyone that desires to be consistent and mighty in prayer*.

*One of the reasons for prayerlessness is indiscipline*.

After discovering your body requirement for rest, be disciplined enough to sleep at the proper time so that you can wake up early to pray.

There are times you may need to avoid heavy foods at night so that you can be light to wake up early.

One of the things I recommend to people is that they should not eat heavy meals If they intend to do vigil or wake up to pray early.

*Sometimes, you need to engage in long fast to revive your prayer life If the fire of prayer is burning low*.

*Your prayer life must be carefully planned and given all it takes*. For those with very tight work schedule, be disciplined enough to use those spare hours or break time in the office to fellowship with God.

For sit at home moms, the hours of the day when your husband has gone to work and children are in school can be used judiciously. *Avoid unnecessary street gist*.

Do not forget that you would achieve more spiritually If you spend time with God than with men.

Leonard Ravenhill said: ‘*To be much for God, you have to be more with God*’. That requires some discipline and self denial.

*PRAYER*: Father, let the burden of prayer rest upon me in Jesus name.