Day 16: Learning to Speak Life

He who guards his mouth preserves his life,

but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

- Proverbs 13:3

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For out of the abundance of the heart

the mouth speaks.

- Matthew 12:34

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Lord, I pray that David and Elizabeth will choose to use speech that glorifies You. Fill their hearts with Your Spirit and Your truth so that what overflows from their mouths will be words of life and not death. Put a monitor over their mouths so that every temptation to use profane, negative, cruel, hurtful, uncaring, unloving, or compassionless language would pierce their spirits and make them feel uncomfortable. I pray that obscene or foul language be so foreign to them that if words like that ever do find their way through their lips, they will be like gravel in their mouth and they will be repulsed by them. Help them to hear themselves so that words don't come out carelessly or thoughtlessly.
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Keep them from being snared by the words of their mouths. You've promised that "whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles" (Proverbs 21:23). Help them to put a guard over their mouths and keep far away from adversity. Your Word says that "death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21). May they speak life and not death. May they be quick to listen and slow to speak so that their speech will always be seasoned with grace. Equip them to know how, what, and when to speak to anyone in any situation. Enable them to always speak words of hope, health, encouragement, and life, and to resolve that their mouths will not sin.*
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May I be an example of a pure mouth to my children and all I come in contact with. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Let the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord,

my strength and my redeemer.

- Psalm 19:14

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But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak,

they will give account of it in the day of judgement.

For by your words you will be justified,

and by your words you will be condemned.

- Matthew 12:36-37

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*Make this prayer your own! From the book, The Power of a Praying Parent. Ordering information at the bottom of this page.