Gracious Father, we thank you for the practical and empowering truth your Living Word produces in our lives. Today, we invite you to make our communication with others edifying. We are often apt to enter conversations and only half listen and, even worse, go in presumptively and already prejudiced to react. We invite you to bless us with humble strength derived through intense understanding of the gospel. Give us such peace and confidence in our relationship with you that our focus might only be on the needs of others. May your unconditional forgiveness and patient sanctification be extended through us to others for Christ’s glory.
Bless us as we enter all conversations. Make us quick to listen, not just going through the motions of listening or responding with prematurely anticipated answers, but truly listening with focus, interest, clarifying questions, discernment, and care while always believing the best about someone.
Holy Spirit, before we speak, give us the self-awareness to quickly perceive any sinful motive within us such as insecurity, prejudice, jealousy, envy, protectiveness, or competitiveness; as needed, give us a responsive heart to seek your forgiveness. Having these out of the way, guide each word we speak to be full of supernatural wisdom and life-giving hope as we speak the truth in love, pointing others to Christ.
Give us extraordinary self-control, protecting us from fleshly anger that is expressed from a heart of disappointment, fearfulness, hopelessness, or defensiveness. Bless us with hope-filled faith and words of life to hold the crown over someone’s head until they themselves find victory through Christ.
Father, may our words be filled with grace, mercy, and wisdom as we speak into the lives of others.
In Christ,
Blessings!
James 1:19-20
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.