Intentional 21 Devotional: Day 16 - Alyssa Aguilar

The Stronger Your Discipline, the Clearer His Voice

There is nothing more rewarding than the clear sound of His voice echoing in my mind and soul. Nothing on this earth can compare.

To be holy and pure. To host the King of Heaven within my heart.

But hosting Him comes with both reward and cost. The strength of our discipline is not measured by intensity or perfection, but by the purity of our intention, effort, and desire to worship Him in spirit and truth. True discipline is a life uncluttered, surrendered, and set apart—led by the Holy Spirit, not human striving. When I treat my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, His voice is no longer muffled, but clear. After all, this is where His presence dwells.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Romans 12:1 “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

The first weeks of the year are some of my favorites. They usually mean my husband is eating more vegetables than he prefers and getting creative in the kitchen. But beyond physical discipline, I love what it does for my mind and soul. It reminds me that discipline is taught by the Holy Spirit and begins with surrender and obedience.

Galatians 5:25 (MSG) “Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives…”

I struggled to write this devotional because I couldn’t decide what message to bring. Then the Holy Spirit gently reminded me: if He is going to speak through my heart, He must be dwelling fully within it. Writing flows freely when His voice is the loudest—and that requires letting go of my agenda.

So today, take inventory of your heart: Am I treating my body as the temple of the Holy Spirit? What needs to be surrendered so the Spirit can lead? What clutter must be removed so His voice remains clear?

Everyone’s journey with the Father looks different, but the Word of God remains the same. I’m not here to judge convictions or place burdens on you. I’m simply inviting you to recognize the importance of discipline—and to allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in it.

For me, God’s voice is clearest when nothing else competes for space in my mind and soul. Just before writing this, I laid my coughing baby, Selah Joy, in her crib after days of holding her through sickness. Those days were full of quiet opportunities to sit with Jesus—but I lacked discipline.

What changed? God’s kindness.

Without realizing it, I confessed my struggle to my earthly father over FaceTime. But God was listening.

Romans 8:26–27 “The Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

I admitted I was tired, hungry, overwhelmed, and undisciplined. My feelings were valid—but they were never meant to lead me. The Holy Spirit is. Later that night, I stood in the quiet bathroom and heard a quiet voice in my mind say, “Okay, now brush your teeth—and you’re made new.”

Sometimes that’s all it takes. One honest admission. One small act of obedience. That moment cleared space for His voice again.

We often wonder why God feels silent or why we aren’t growing spiritually. More often than not, the answer is discipline. We walk around with AirPods in, scrolling and planning, then wonder why we can’t hear Him. He is speaking—we just can’t hear Him through the clutter.

Spiritual discipline is setting aside fleshly desires for spiritual grounding.

 And though it may not sound glamorous, there is nothing more rewarding than the clear sound of His voice echoing in your soul. Nothing more honoring than learning to host Him well.

Engagement:

Seal this moment with Jesus in your own prayer—or partner with mine:“Thank you, Lord, for your grace and mercy to learn daily how to live according to your word and by the guidance of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for helping us take true inventory of our heart posture and giving us the strength to choose Your ways. I give you full reign over my life. I pray that you will continuously refine my heart to be pure in effort, intention, and desire– that which strengthens my spiritual discipline. I pray that I will lean into the voice of the Holy Spirit for every decision or next move throughout my day so I can host you well within the temple that you have created as my body. You are matchless in every way and more fulfilling than any earthly gift. I praise you for who You are and that is more than enough. May you receive all the glory in my life. Amen.”