Control

 

 

Indeed, we all make many mistakes.  For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

 

—James 3:2 (NLT)

 

 

 

Heavenly Father,

Save me from the many sinful mistakes I make when I carelessly open my mouth. Help me control my tongue, so that I might be made perfect in You.

Keep me from gossiping. Help me never to say anything about a person behind their backs, that I would not say—with love—to their face. Don’t let me taint the reputation of another with the negative things I might say. Help me build others up, not tear them down. 

 

Keep me from using my tongue to exaggerate, flatter, or exchange the truth for a lie—knowing that the motive behind each of these is manipulation. And help me to speak the truth in love—from a pure motive of reflecting Christ’s love for us all.

 

Keep me from complaining—since complaining drives gratefulness and joy out of my heart and robs me of my very life. And help me to be thankful—in all situations—for the blessings You so richly pour out on my life.

 

Keep me from boasting—except when I testify to what You have done in my life. Help me to be humble—since I know any good thing found in me is all because of You and is only given to me that I might bring You glory.

 

Remind me that in order to bring You glory, I must know when to speak, where to speak, how to speak, and understand why I should speak—just as much as I need to know what to speak.

Save me from the many sinful mistakes I make when I carelessly open my mouth. Help me control my tongue, so that I might be made perfect in You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Seven Detestable Things

 

There are six things the LORD hates—
    no, seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
    a lying tongue,
    hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
    feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
    a person who sows discord in a family.

 —Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT)

 

 

 

LORD of my Heart,

 

Help me surrender all my heart and life to You—so You would have no reason to detest the things that You find in me.

Remove any haughtiness or conceitedness from within me—especially when my eyes show contempt for others. Keep me from sinning by thinking more highly of myself than I ought to, while undervaluing others.

 

Check me by Your Spirit should any lie be formed in my heart—before it spills across my tongue—that my words would always reflect that I hold Truth as sacred in my life.

 

Purge from me any desire for the shedding of innocent blood—for cruelty or bloodthirstiness.  Help me to have precious reverence for the sanctity of life.

 

Expose any tendency to devise wickedness in my heart or to entertain or rehearse evil plans in my mind—that I might chose to meditate only on what is good and right.

 

Make my feet quick to run to do what is good, so that my feet will be kept from that which is evil.

 

Let me only speak the truth about others—and let those words be pleasing to You—so that I cannot be used as a tool of the enemy for his purposes.

 

And stop me from sowing any seeds of discord among my family—whether my natural family or my brothers and sisters in Christ—that unity would be preserved.

Help me surrender all my heart and life to You—so You would have no reason to detest the things that You find in me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

Unbridled Tongue, Deceived Heart

 

 

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

 

—James 1:26 ESV

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Save me from the hypocrisy of claiming to be spiritually mature, when my unbridled tongue tells a different story.

 

Show me how to control my tongue.  Keep me far from any tendency to gossip about, or to put someone down.  And help me to do away with all boastfulness and arrogance—so I might live in humility before You and my fellowman.

 

Keep me from speaking manipulative words, exaggerations, or lies of any kind.  Let me only speak only words of truth—with compassion and empathy, with patience, kindness and gentleness—in love.

 

Help me never to allow any words that stir up strife to cross my lips.  Let me instead speak words that only offer peace to the hearts and lives of those that hear them—so that I might represent Christ well, and so You can use my words to draw them into an ever-deepening relationship with You.

 

Save me from the hypocrisy of claiming to be spiritually mature when my unbridled tongue tells a different story.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Long and Prosperous Life

 

 

Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 

—Psalm 34:12-14 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Make every word I speak be virtuous and true, every action I take be kind and good, and create in me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

Help me not to speak evil things—words that hurt, rather than heal; words that tear down, rather than build up; words that bring despair, rather than hope.

 

And keep me from telling lies—words that deceive, rather than reveal; words that slander, rather than commend; words that omit, rather than declare the whole truth.

 

Help me to remember that while it is good for me to turn away from evil, You desire so much more of me—that to be truly obedient to You, I must also do those things that are good.

 

Help me to understand that to live in the peace You want me to enjoy, I must never stop searching for that peace and working to maintain it, through all my thoughts, words and actions.

 

Help me to do all these things, as a testimony to Your power at work in me, so that I may live long enough in this world to accomplish Your plan and purpose for me here.

 

Make every word I speak be virtuous and true, every action I take be kind and good, and create in me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

If We Could

 

Indeed, we all make many mistakes.  For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

—James 3:2 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

Save me from the many sinful mistakes I make when I carelessly open my mouth. Help me control my tongue, so that I might be made perfect in You.

Keep me from gossiping. Help me never to say anything about a person behind their backs, that I would not say—with love—to their face. Don’t let me taint the reputation of another with the negative things I might say. Help me build others up, not tear them down. 

 

Keep me from using my tongue to exaggerate, flatter, or exchange the truth for a lie—knowing that the motive behind each of these is manipulation. And help me to speak the truth in love—from a pure motive of reflecting Christ’s love for us all.

 

Keep me from complaining—since complaining drives gratefulness and joy out of my heart and robs me of my very life. And help me to be thankful—in all situations—for the blessings You so richly pour out on my life.

 

Keep me from boasting—except when I testify to what You have done in my life. Help me to be humble—since I know any good thing found in me is all because of You and is only given to me that I might bring You glory.

 

Remind me that in order to bring You glory, I must know when to speak, where to speak, how to speak, and understand why I should speak—just as much as I need to know what to speak.

Save me from the many sinful mistakes I make when I carelessly open my mouth. Help me control my tongue, so that I might be made perfect in You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Things the LORD Detests

 

There are six things the LORD hates—
    no, seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
    a lying tongue,
    hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
    feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
    a person who sows discord in a family.

 —Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT)

 

LORD of my Heart,

 

Help me surrender all my heart and life to You—so You would have no reason to detest the things that You find in me.

 

Remove any haughtiness or conceitedness from within me—especially when my eyes show contempt for others. Keep me from sinning by thinking more highly of myself than I ought to, while undervaluing others.

 

Check me by Your Spirit should any lie be formed in my heart—before it spills across my tongue—that my words would always reflect that I hold Truth as sacred in my life.

 

Purge from me any desire for the shedding of innocent blood—for cruelty or bloodthirstiness.  Help me to have precious reverence for the sanctity of life.

 

Expose any tendency to devise wickedness in my heart or to entertain or rehearse evil plans in my mind—that I might chose to meditate only on what is good and right.

 

Make my feet quick to run to do what is good, so that my feet will be kept from that which is evil.

 

Let me only speak the truth about others—and let those words be pleasing to You—so that I cannot be used as a tool of the enemy for his purposes.

 

And stop me from sowing any seeds of discord among my family—whether my natural family or my brothers and sisters in Christ—that unity would be preserved.

Help me surrender all my heart and life to You—so You would have no reason to detest the things that You find in me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Controlling My Tongue

 

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

 

—James 1:26 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Save me from the hypocrisy of claiming to be spiritually mature, when my unbridled tongue tells a different story.

 

Show me how to control my tongue.  Keep me far from any tendency to gossip about, or to put someone down.  And help me to do away with all boastfulness and arrogance—so I might live in humility before You and my fellowman.

 

Keep me from speaking manipulative words, exaggerations, or lies of any kind.  Let me only speak only words of truth—with compassion and empathy, with patience, kindness and gentleness—in love.

 

Help me never to allow any words that stir up strife to cross my lips.  Let me instead speak words that only offer peace to the hearts and lives of those that hear them—so that I might represent Christ well, and so You can use my words to draw them into an ever-deepening relationship with You.

 

Save me from the hypocrisy of claiming to be spiritually mature when my unbridled tongue tells a different story.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

A Long and Prosperous Life

 

Does anyone want to live a life
    that is long and prosperous?
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies!
Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 

—Psalm 34:12-14 (NLT)

 

 

Heavenly Father,

 

Let every word I speak be virtuous and true, let every action I take be kind and good, and let me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

Help me not to speak evil things—words that hurt, rather than heal; words that tear down, rather than build up; words that bring despair, rather than hope.

 

And keep me from telling lies—words that deceive, rather than reveal; words that slander, rather than commend; words that omit, rather than declare the whole truth.

 

Help me to remember that while it is good for me to turn away from evil, You desire so much more of me—that to be truly obedient to You, I must also do those things that are good.

 

Help me to understand that in order for me to live in the peace You want me to enjoy, I must never stop searching for that peace and working to maintain it, through all of my thoughts, words and actions.

 

Help me to do all these things, as a testimony to Your power at work in me, so that I may live long enough in this world to accomplish Your plan and purpose for me here, before I join You there for eternity.

 

Let every word I speak be virtuous and true, let every action I take be kind and good, and let me have a heart that searches for peace and works to maintain it, down every path You have me walk.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

If We Could Control Our Tongues

 

Indeed, we all make many mistakes.  For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

 

—James 3:2 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father,

Save me from the many sinful mistakes I make when I carelessly open my mouth. Help me control my tongue, so that I might be made perfect in You.

Keep me from gossiping.  Help me never to say anything about a person behind their backs, that I would not say—with love—to their face.  Don’t let me taint the reputation of another with the negative things I might say.  Help me build others up, not tear them down. 

 

Keep me from using my tongue to exaggerate, flatter, or exchange the truth for a lie—knowing that the motive behind each of these is manipulation.  And help me to speak the truth in love—from a pure motive of reflecting Christ’s love for us all.

 

Keep me from complaining—since complaining drives gratefulness and joy out of my heart and robs me of my very life.  And help me to be thankful—in all situations—for the blessings You so richly pour out on my life.

 

Keep me from boasting—except when I testify to what You have done in my life.  Help me to be humble—since I know any good thing found in me is all because of You and is only given to me that I might bring You glory.

 

Remind me that in order to bring You glory, I must know when to speak, where to speak, how to speak, and understand why I should speak—just as much as I need to know what to speak.

Save me from the many sinful mistakes I make when I carelessly open my mouth. Help me control my tongue, so that I might be made perfect in You.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Things the LORD Detests

 

There are six things the LORD hates—
    no, seven things he detests:
haughty eyes,
    a lying tongue,
    hands that kill the innocent,
a heart that plots evil,
    feet that race to do wrong,
a false witness who pours out lies,
    a person who sows discord in a family.

 —Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT)

 

LORD of my Heart,

 

Help me to surrender all my heart and life to You—so You would have no reason to detest the things that You find in me.

 

Remove any haughtiness or conceitedness from within me—especially when my eyes show contempt for others. Keep me from sinning by thinking more highly of myself than I ought to, while undervaluing others.

 

Check me by Your Spirit should any lie be formed in my heart—before it spills across my tongue—that my words would always reflect that I hold Truth as sacred in my life.

 

Purge from me any desire for the shedding of innocent blood—for cruelty or bloodthirstiness.  Help me to have precious reverence for the sanctity of life.

 

Expose any tendency to devise wickedness in my heart or to entertain or rehearse evil plans in my mind—that I might chose to meditate only on what is good and right.

 

Make my feet quick to run to do what is good, so that my feet will be kept from that which is evil.

 

Let me only speak the truth about others—and let those words be pleasing to You—so that I cannot be used as a tool of the enemy for his purposes.

 

And stop me from sowing any seeds of discord among my family—whether my natural family or my brothers and sisters in Christ—that unity would be preserved.

Help me to surrender all my heart and life to You—so You would have no reason to detest the things that You find in me.

 

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Controlling My Tongue

 

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.

—James 1:26 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Save me from the hypocrisy of claiming to be spiritually mature, when my unbridled tongue tells a different story.

Show me how to control my tongue.  Keep me far from any tendency to gossip about, or to put someone down.  And help me to do away with all boastfulness and arrogance—so I might live in humility before You and my fellowman.

Keep me from speaking manipulative words, exaggerations, or lies of any kind.  Let me only speak only words of truth—with compassion and empathy, with patience, kindness and gentleness—in love.

Help me never to allow any words that stir up strife to cross my lips.  Let me instead speak words that only offer peace to the hearts and lives of those that hear them—so that I might represent Christ well, and so You can use my words to draw them into an ever-deepening relationship with You.

Save me from the hypocrisy of claiming to be spiritually mature when my unbridled tongue tells a different story.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.