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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Strengthened Words
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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Strengthened Words

Every day you and I give people an impression of who Jesus is by the words we use.  Are they hearing, or reading, words from you which would draw them to Christ or push them away?  Are you using words which draw you into greater relationship with God or words which create distance?  Over the next 9 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Watch Your Mouth”, with the prayer that it helps you discover some of what God has to say about choosing words which honor Him.

Here is day twenty-three with an important reminder that watching your mouth should lead you to words which have been strengthened by God.

Choose Strengthened Words

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NIV)

How have the words of others helped you to overcome, or persevere, in times when you were weak?  What about their words gave you strength?  Do you think the people around you would say they are strengthened or weakened by your words?  Or some of both?  How does God’s grace in your life add strength to your words?  Do you find grace-filled words to be more strengthening than legalistic words?  Which do you find yourself using more than the other?

There are days when I seem to hit bottom and a weakness in my mind seems to trigger a switch, turning on an anxiety-fueled panic attack.  In the midst of these attacks, I turn to God’s Word and songs about God’s character to strengthen me in my weakness.  Each time, these words are about God’s grace, love, mercy, compassion, patience, understanding, and a variety of other things that communicate He understands and I’m still His.  As you pray, ask God to strengthen you by His Word.  Pray that the words you speak to others would strengthen them when they are weak.

In prayer,

Tom  

Watch Your Mouth: Choose Spirit-Filled Words
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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Spirit-Filled Words

Every day you and I give people an impression of who Jesus is by the words we use.  Are they hearing, or reading, words from you which would draw them to Christ or push them away?  Are you using words which draw you into greater relationship with God or words which create distance?  Over the next 10 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Watch Your Mouth”, with the prayer that it helps you discover some of what God has to say about choosing words which honor Him.

Here is day twenty-two with an important reminder that watching your mouth should lead you to words filled with the power of God’s Spirit.

Choose Spirit-Filled Words

“The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.”
2 Samuel 23:2 (NIV)

Are there people that you listen to who seem to have words that are filled with wisdom beyond their training?  How often do you think about the presence of God’s Spirit living in you?  In your religious practice, how open are people to consider the working of God’s Spirit in an individual’s life?  What would Spirit-filled words sound like?  How would you recognize them?  Where did what we have as the written Word of God come from?  What might that say about a starting point for choosing Spirit-filled words?

One of my mentors use to say in teaching about listening to God, “If God did all of the work to put His Spirit within you, don’t you think His Spirit might have a few things to say to you?”.  God says that all scripture is God-breathed and written by men, not of their own will but carried along by the Spirit.  As you pray, ask God to help you use His Word as a starting point for Spirit-filled words in your life.  Pray that you would grow in your recognition of, and listening to, His Spirit God has put within you.  Pray that the words you choose would always be Spirit-filled words.

In prayer,

Tom  

Watch Your Mouth: Choose Solemn Words
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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Solemn Words

Every day you and I give people an impression of who Jesus is by the words we use.  Are they hearing, or reading, words from you which would draw them to Christ or push them away?  Are you using words which draw you into greater relationship with God or words which create distance?  Over the next 11 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Watch Your Mouth”, with the prayer that it helps you discover some of what God has to say about choosing words which honor Him.

Here is day twenty-one with an important reminder that watching your mouth should lead you to use solemn words.

Choose Solemn Words

“When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, ‘Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.  They are not just idle words for you — they are your life.  By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.’”
Deuteronomy 32:45-47 (NIV)

What types of events do you think of as being solemn occasions?  As you think about what makes them so, how would those traits carry over into the idea of solemn words?  Have you ever had someone tell you something that you took completely serious only to have them add later, “Just kidding!”?  How did you feel?  Do people know you as one who can be serious when you need to be or do they tend to laugh you off when you try to be serious?  Why?

If you have ever had someone not follow through with something you had asked only to be told they didn’t think you were serious, you can probably understand the reason God describes the final instruction from Moses to the Israelites as being “solemnly declared”.  There are things we often joke about and probably shouldn’t take too seriously, but there are also things of great importance that require us to use solemn words.  As you pray, ask God to help you speak in ways that people will take the important things you say seriously.  Pray that you would be filled with loving words that also express the seriousness of having a relationship with Jesus.

In prayer,

Tom  

Watch Your Mouth: Choose Satisfying Words
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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Satisfying Words

Every day you and I give people an impression of who Jesus is by the words we use.  Are they hearing, or reading, words from you which would draw them to Christ or push them away?  Are you using words which draw you into greater relationship with God or words which create distance?  Over the next 12 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Watch Your Mouth”, with the prayer that it helps you discover some of what God has to say about choosing words which honor Him.

Here is day twenty with an important reminder that watching your mouth should lead you to use words which are satisfying.

Choose Satisfying Words

“From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.  The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 18:20-21 (NIV)

What has been the most satisfying meal you have ever eaten?  What made it so?  How would those reasons apply to words that are satisfying?  What is the most satisfying thing someone has said to you?  What made it so?  Have you ever had words which left “a sour taste in your mouth”?  What about them was so unpleasant?  Do you think the people around you would say the words you use are satisfying to you?  To the hearer?

Most people want to find satisfaction not only in the things they do, but also in the things they hear and say.  Many times when we are frustrated by the words we hear coming toward us, it is because we have ignored God’s principle that we will reap what we sow.  Choosing satisfying words will not only benefit those who hear them, but they are seeds that will return a harvest of satisfaction in our own life.  As you pray, ask God to help you consider the words you use.  Pray that you would use the words spoken to you as a tool in examining how satisfying the words you speak to others might be.  Pray that you would chose the Words of Life which satisfy completely.

In prayer,

Tom  

Watch Your Mouth: Choose Restrained Words
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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Restrained Words

Every day you and I give people an impression of who Jesus is by the words we use.  Are they hearing, or reading, words from you which would draw them to Christ or push them away?  Are you using words which draw you into greater relationship with God or words which create distance?  Over the next 13 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Watch Your Mouth”, with the prayer that it helps you discover some of what God has to say about choosing words which honor Him.

Here is day nineteen with an important reminder that watching your mouth should lead you to use words with restraint.

Choose Restrained Words

“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.  Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”
Proverbs 17:27-28 (NIV)

How often do you find yourself “biting your tongue”?  Do you view that practice as a good thing or bad?  Why?  How does being filled with godly knowledge help a person have restraint with their words?  Have you ever been injured by words spoken rashly?  Have your unrestrained words ever injured someone?  What did you do about it?  What should you?  Why does it seem so difficult for most people to choose restrained words?

Here in the United States, we pride ourselves on having a freedom of speech that can’t be taken away from us.  Because we often hear about our first amendment rights, we start to believe we must exercise that right at every opportunity.  Many act as if when a thought enters their mind, they must express it as soon as possible.  God calls for us to choose restrained words so that we consider His perspective before we speak.  As you pray, ask God to help you to put a reign on your tongue.  Pray that you would always take the time to hear how something might sound before you actually speak it.  Pray that God would fill you with the wisdom to know when to speak words which have been restrained.

In prayer,

Tom  

Watch Your Mouth: Choose Reliable Words
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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Reliable Words

Every day you and I give people an impression of who Jesus is by the words we use.  Are they hearing, or reading, words from you which would draw them to Christ or push them away?  Are you using words which draw you into greater relationship with God or words which create distance?  Over the next 14 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Watch Your Mouth”, with the prayer that it helps you discover some of what God has to say about choosing words which honor Him.

Here is day eighteen with an important reminder that watching your mouth should lead you to use words which are reliable.

Choose Reliable Words

“Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?”
Proverbs 22:20-21 (NIV)

Do you know anyone with a reputation of “being as good as their word”?  What do you think of when you hear that phrase?  Would the people around you say that you are a person of your word?  What things make the words of some people seem to be more reliable than those of others?  Do you believe the Bible to be the reliable words of God?  How often do you turn to the Word of God to choose reliable words?  How does choosing reliable words help you to give sound answers to those you are accountable to?

When we hear, or use, words that appear to have no intention of being kept, trust is often an early casualty.  Our commitment to choosing reliable words helps other to not only trust us, but to trust the things we say about our relationship with God.  As you pray, ask God to help you weigh your words carefully in considering how reliable they are.  Pray that you would know the reliability of the words of others before you even consider sharing them.  Pray that your word choices would help you to be a reliable witness to others of the power of Christ in you.

In prayer,

Tom  

Watch Your Mouth: Choose Pure Words
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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Pure Words

Every day you and I give people an impression of who Jesus is by the words we use.  Are they hearing, or reading, words from you which would draw them to Christ or push them away?  Are you using words which draw you into greater relationship with God or words which create distance?  Over the next 15 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Watch Your Mouth”, with the prayer that it helps you discover some of what God has to say about choosing words which honor Him.

Here is day seventeen with an important reminder that watching your mouth should lead you to use words which are pure.

Choose Pure Words

“Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.”
Psalm 17:3 (NIV)

How important is purity to you?  Does that answer change depending on what we attach the word pure to?  Are you concerned about the purity of the food and water you eat and drink?  Why?  Have you ever thought about the purity of the words you use, and listen to, being even more important than the purity of your food and drink?  How do you feel when you know pure words are being spoken to you?  How will you use pure words to protect your heart and encourage others?

In today’s culture, sexual purity is probably the first thing that comes to mind when most people hear the word purity.  While that is an important area of purity, God teaches that impurity in any area of our life comes as a result of our thoughts and words.  James says that if anyone could completely control their tongue they would be a perfect person.  As you pray, ask God to help you listen to the pure words that are found in scripture.  Pray that the words that come from your mouth would always be pure in content and intent as you seek to build up others according to their need.

In prayer,

Tom  

Watch Your Mouth: Choose Promised Words
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Watch Your Mouth: Choose Promised Words

Every day you and I give people an impression of who Jesus is by the words we use.  Are they hearing, or reading, words from you which would draw them to Christ or push them away?  Are you using words which draw you into greater relationship with God or words which create distance?  Over the next 16 days I will be sharing from the devotional journal, “Watch Your Mouth”, with the prayer that it helps you discover some of what God has to say about choosing words which honor Him.

Here is day sixteen with an important reminder that watching your mouth should lead you to use words which uphold your promises.

Choose Promised Words

“I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you — vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble. ”
Psalm 66:13-14 (NIV)

How important is it to you that you keep your promises?  How do you feel when people make promises to you that they do not keep?  How faithful has God been to you in keeping His promises that are found in His Word?  What kind of promises do you make to God?  How consistent are you in keeping them?  Do you view your immersion into Christ as a promise you made to Him?  As a promise He made to you?

When in trouble, people are often quick to promise anything that they think will rescue them from the troublesome circumstance.  When out of trouble, the remembrance of the former promise is sometimes rather vague.  When we become a Christian, we promise God that we belong to Him forever and He promises to be our God completely.  As you pray, ask God to help you recall any promises you have made that you have not yet kept.  Pray that you would speak words of promise that are backed by a firm commitment of doing.  Pray that you would represent God’s faithfulness by the way you share His promises with others.

In prayer,

Tom