“For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
– Hebrews 12:11
Hebrews 12:11, what a good reminder that we all need. Like when I talk with my kids, do they say, “I enjoy discipline”? No, nobody enjoys discipline when that happens in our lives. And that’s the whole point here in Hebrews chapter 12 and for the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant. Anyone who has ever experienced discipline knows that. But the beauty is what the Bible’s teaching here is that discipline when done in love by a good father in heaven yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. So when you think about that yield, that peaceful fruit of righteousness, do you want that?
Lord we ask for Your loving, compassionate, and wise discipline in our lives. Train us with your discipline to run from sin and to trust in You.
This Verse Prays For His Discipline In Our Lives
Because if you want that, if I want that, then we want discipline. We would ask God for discipline. And so, I want to encourage us in prayer to do exactly that today, in a way that seems weird because we’re asking for that which may seem painful rather than pleasant, but we’re asking it believing Hebrews 12:11 that discipline from God will yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. So, God, we know that we are still prone to sin, that we still have areas of our lives that are not completely and fully and wholly pleasing to you. And so, God, we ask for your loving, careful, compassionate, wise, good discipline in our lives.
Hebrews 12:11 Wants His Discipline To Help Us Run From Sin
But I don’t know all that means for me. I don’t know what all of that means for everybody who’s praying this with me right now, but God, we pray that you would train us with your discipline to run from sin, to deny self, and to live with holiness and purity by the power of Christ in us.
We pray that you’d help us to live the Christ-life that you have called and created us to live. So, discipline us, we pray. Take us even through painful discipline to yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness that you have designed for us, and God, help us in that discipline to trust in you, to trust in your goodness. We’re asking for it, God, because we believe you love us and believe that you desire good for us. So please, oh God, please bring about the peaceful fruit of righteousness in each of our lives. Discipline us as a loving father toward that end. By your grace, by your love. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
