Prayer To Have The Right Words In The Right Way At The Right Time
Thursday July 23, 2020
THE RIGHT WORDS IN THE RIGHT WAY IN THE RIGHT TIME
We hear so many words these days about COVID-19, what we should or shouldn’t do, who we should or shouldn’t listen to. It’s hard to know how to take in all the information, process it, and do something useful with it. The back and forth discussion on what is helpful or unnecessary during this pandemic gets so loud sometimes. With so much that is unknown about this virus, we won’t always get it right and we will need to learn from one another and make adjustments as we go forward.
But, God’s way of doing that is often not what I see or hear modelled on social media or even on the mainstream media. Whether it is those who think all this is a conspiracy or those who are seeking to use these events for personal gain, there are many strident voices. God’s word helps us as we speak to others. Tone is as important as the words I think:
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:6
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love,
I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1
Loving God we come to You today because we want to live well and bring honour to Your name. We want our words to reflect what You would be saying if You were standing in our shoes before those we are conversing with.
Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,
but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.
Proverbs 13:3
Would you help us to be careful about what we say. If we don’t know help us to just either be quiet or say we don’t know. Whether we agree with someone or not I pray that we will guard our lips from responding poorly and rashly. We don’t want to make wild statements of our own based on limited information. We want to operate in truth and trust. You are the one who knows what I going on and we want to submit our thinking and speaking to what You are showing us to be truth.
Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us. None can compare
with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
Psalm 40:5
Most of all Lord, we want to open our mouths and speak well of the things that are good and right – and those are things connected to You, Your character, and Your plan for our lives, Your care for us, Your constant companionship and help on our behalf.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of
your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal
your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.
Psalm 40:10
We will not hide these things in our hearts but will take all the opportunities we find to speak of Your goodness God with one, with a few, or in a great assembly. Holy Spirit guide us in recognizing the opportunities and then guide our mouths as we listen and speak so we are faithful witnesses on Your behalf.
Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to
become in every respect the mature body of him
who is the head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15
Help us today, Holy Spirit, to speak the truth in love so all of us can become more and more mature and more and more like Jesus. That’s all that really counts today.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry.
James 1:19
You word is pretty clear, God, about how we should be quick to listen slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Help us to be good models of this kind of behaviour and draw others into Your peace by our bringing of Your kind presence and Your peace-building words. Amen
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