Our words have the power to build people up or tear them down, draw them to Christ or drive them away. The things we say reveal what’s in our hearts. They can set us apart from the world and demonstrate our devotion to God, or they can show that we’re not keeping Him as our focus. James wrote: ‘People who think they are religious but say things they should not say are just fooling themselves. Their “religion” is worth nothing’ (James 1:26 NCV). In everything we do, we should be trying to reflect Christ. When we use bad language, say hurtful things, or are careless about what we say, we’re not following Jesus’ example or encouraging others to want Him in their lives. Here are some Scriptures about our words that we need to keep in mind and think about often: 1) ‘Let your speech always be with grace…that you may know how you ought to answer each one’ (Colossians 4:6 NKJV). 2) ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up…that it may benefit those who listen’ (Ephesians 4:29 NIV). 3) ‘Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, making people happy and healthy’ (Proverbs 16:24 NCV). The words we say and the way we say them are so important if we want to show God’s love to those who might not know Him yet. Today, here’s a prayer to help us speak good, graceful words: ‘Father, help me to only speak words that bring credit to the name of Jesus and draw others to Him. I pray that my words will always be a true reflection of my heart for You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.’

What Now?

Try writing your own daily prayer about the words you speak based on the one in today’s reading. If there’s something you know you struggle with (such as a tendency to gossip, or to use bad language), ask God to help you in that area.