Watch Your Mouth:  Three Prayers for Taming the Tongue

Taming the tongue can be tricky…especially when we process through talking. What if we took that talking to prayer first?

“Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”
Proverbs 18:21 MSG

It’s been said that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body. That’s not actually true; the top honor goes to the masseter, which closes the jaw so we can chew. The tongue is, however, the hardest working. Unlike our biceps or quads, it never gets tired or worn out.

It just keeps going.

Which may be why James says that no one can tame it. And why he spends so much time warning us about what our words can do. The tongue, James writes, “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8 ESV)

If you think that sounds a bit dramatic, ask yourself a couple of questions. When’s the last time you said something and wished you could take it back? Do you ever find yourself singing praises in church—only to criticize the sermon over Sunday brunch? What about politics? How do you talk about the candidate whose policies (or personality) you do not admire?

Yeah, me too. “We all stumble,” James says, “in many ways.” (James 3:2 ESV)

So what do we do? We know we’ll never be perfect; does that mean we should just throw in the towel?

Not at all.

Three Ways to Pray for our Words

We might not be able to bridle our tongue, but the Holy Spirit can help bring our words under control. Here are three ways we can pray and partner with God to get the job done:

1. Recognize that our words don’t start on our tongue; the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45 NIV). We can borrow the words first prayed by King David and ask God to clean us up on the inside:  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 ESV)

2. When we find ourselves tempted to repeat gossip or say something unkind, we can ask God to put his big old hand over our mouths. Here again, we can pray like David did:  “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3 ESV)

3. And finally, we can actually use the insults or offenses that come our way as a prompt to spark kindness, turning the words of 1 Peter 3:9 into a prayer:  “Do not let me repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but give me the grace to repay insults with blessings, since that’s what you’ve called me to do and so that I will inherit a blessing.”

It’s true that the tongue never gets tired. But neither does God. And the more we rely on his strength to do what we can’t, the more he can do the thing he does best:  Transform our hearts, shape our thoughts, and give voice to our words.

In His Word

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14 NIV)

In Your Life

Think about the words you speak. Are you prone to gossip or criticism? Do your words build people up or tear them down? Ask God to show you any places where your speech patterns are not pleasing to him, and invite him to make the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart pleasing to him.

We Recommend

Read more about the power of our words (and 30 other topics) in Praying the Scriptures for Your Life:  31 Days of Abiding in the Presence, Provision, and Power of God. You’ll discover how to trust God and pray effectively about everything from your relationships, to hearing God’s voice, to overcoming worry and fear.

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