“What you say flows from what is in your heart.” (Luke 6:45); “The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.” (Isa. 50:4) “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov. 15:1)
Lord Jesus, since our words give evidence to whatever is filling our hearts, please fill as our hearts as full as possible with these three things. 1. Astonishment at your unwavering love for us. 2. Humility and gratitude generated by your daily mercies, grace riches, and constant kindness. 3. A core of peace fueled by the assurance of your sovereignty and work in all things for our good. We’d love mega-fullness, Jesus.
If these three realities filled our hearts the overflow would be exactly what you promise in our Scriptures of the day. Our words would sustain the weary, heal the hurting, and disarm the angry. Indeed, “a gentle tongue can break a bone” (Prov. 25:15), for gentleness is 1000 times more powerful than harshness.
It was your irrepressible kindness that first led us to repentance, and continues to do so. Our reactionary snarkiness and irritated judgmentalism are never helpful. They never gives us what we want. So, Jesus, do for us and in us what we cannot do apart from you (John 15:5). We don’t need tongue-control, but heart-fullness.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit afresh. Fill us with a renewed-knowing of who we are in you, Jesus. Fill us with a fresh sighting of you sitting comfortably and joyfully atop the throne of grace—the throne with authority over every personal crisis, family challenge, international mess, and cosmic-disturbance. So Very Amen.