Don't Speak Evil

Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.  If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law.  But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.

—James 4:11 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Help me never to speak evil against another—never say anything about someone which would hurt or bring injury to them, or defame their character in the eyes of someone else.  Instead, let every word I speak be truth, spoken in obedience to Your commands—as I purpose to live by Your law of love.

Replace any critical spirit within me with a spirit of grace and truth.  Grant me the wisdom to discern truth in every situation—and as I seek after what is just and right, help me remain submitted to Your laws of forgiveness, kindness and grace.

Help me to capture and bring my every thought into obedience to Christ and His character, as revealed in Your Word—so that any word I speak would be true and useful to bring encouragement and unity between myself and others.

And if I ever feel offended by someone, keep me from sharing that offense with others.  Rather, help me always to go directly to the offender to express my complaint against them—in humility, with kindness and love—so that understanding can come, our relationship can be restored and even strengthened, and the enemy’s plans to bring division between us can be stopped.

Help me never to speak evil against another—never say anything about someone which would hurt or bring injury to them, or defame their character in the eyes of someone else.  Instead, let every word I speak be truth, spoken in obedience to Your commands—as I purpose to live by Your law of love.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.