Praying for a Guard over Our Mouth
David knew the power of words. He seemed to know that it was impossible for any human being to control the tongue. Therefore, he prayed a very wise prayer. He asked the Lord to put a guard over his mouth and to watch over the door of his lips. (Psalm 141:3) That would be a very good prayer for all of us to pray every day.
The book of James assures us that the tongue is a fire. It can cause much damage to others and for ourselves. The wise person realizes this potential trouble and makes every effort to speak the right words. However, even then, things slip out of our mouths that bring harm, instead of edifying others. That drives those who want to honor the Lord in all we say, like David did, to cry out to God for His help to put a guard over our mouth and watch the door of our lips. That sincere prayer shows our dependence on God, and it allows the Spirit to come to our rescue. He can tame the tongue, so we do not say the wrong things, but we must fully surrender to the Lord for His help. I pray that we would all learn this lesson, so that we do not bring pain to others and ourselves.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 143-145.
The book of James assures us that the tongue is a fire. It can cause much damage to others and for ourselves. The wise person realizes this potential trouble and makes every effort to speak the right words. However, even then, things slip out of our mouths that bring harm, instead of edifying others. That drives those who want to honor the Lord in all we say, like David did, to cry out to God for His help to put a guard over our mouth and watch the door of our lips. That sincere prayer shows our dependence on God, and it allows the Spirit to come to our rescue. He can tame the tongue, so we do not say the wrong things, but we must fully surrender to the Lord for His help. I pray that we would all learn this lesson, so that we do not bring pain to others and ourselves.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 143-145.