Discipline for Canada's Leaders

Explore the vital role of discipline in the Christian life and its significance for Canada's leaders. Learn how prayer and obedience shape our nation.

Transcript

Back about 30 years ago, I was a part of a team that planned a worship conference in Waterl, Ontario called Make Us Holy. Those are the days that I was back in the Midnight Brethren Church. And uh Brian Dirkson, the worship leader, Brian Dirkson, was a part of this conference. And he wrote a specific song called Light the Fire Again. It's amazing how even 30 years ago, 30 years plus ago, more like 32 years ago, um that this song had real relevance and it's relevant today. And there, so the song goes, "Don't let my love grow cold. I'm calling out, light the fire again. Don't let my vision die. I'm calling out. light the fire again. And then there was this verse and and it kind of came up in

prayer this past Tuesday on our Tuesday morning call and I really started at some that verse started to come into started to meditate it while I was in the middle of prayer and you know our hearts our deeds I'm calling out light the fire again we need your discipline and the scripture says this that God loves God disciplines those that he loves. You see, when the Lord is walking in our lives, he requires us to be a disciplined people. Jesus said this when he was was about to ascend. He said, "Go into all the world." He didn't say this. Everybody thinks go into all the world and save souls. He didn't say that. He said, "Go into all the world and make disciples." disciplined ones of all

nations. And are we disciplined? Are we disciplined in our prayer walks? And the thing reason why you need to learn discipline is so that when the Lord speaks to you, you actually respond to what he's saying. This is the importance of having a daily devotion. This is the importance of being in prayer every day in the moment. This is the importance of being in the secret place so that you can hear what the instructions for the moment are from the father and be disciplined to walk them out. We were praying for our government this week that the Lord would discipline Canada. That seems kind of harsh, doesn't it? Because some of us have connotations of getting a swat in a

fanny, right? I had a few when I was a little and but this is what the Lord requires of us. And so we've been praying for our government, but not just our government. It's important that when we ask God for things and we see things and we say, "God, fix that." I want you to remind you when you're saying, "Fix that." Your focus needs to be fix me. Fix me. I've said this very often like who can descend in the hill of the Lord except those with clean hands and a pure heart. You know that verse. It's important that we we we just don't point and say that's the problem. Fix that. And there are a lot of problems out there that need fixing. But when we ask God to bring

discipline into a place, we have to also recognize and say, "Search me, oh God." know my heart. Try me. Know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me. Discipline me, Lord. So, as I'm crying out, Lord, will you help Canada be disciplined? That we be disciplined how we care for our people. That we be disciplined on how we spend our money. That we'd be disciplined how we govern our land. I'm praying, God, discipline. We need your discipline. But also, I'm crying out, God, discipline me. Make sure that I'm in that place of obedience, that I'm in that place of not passing judgment because scripture says we could judge, right? But if you're going to judge, remember, you're going

to be judged by those standards. That's what the scripture says. So this week we've been praying, Lord, our nation needs discipline, but not just our government. All of us need discipline. Lord, discipline us because you love us and you're merciful. I'm Chris Byber, the director of the National House of Prayer, and we'll see you next time. Bye for now. [Music]