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A Time to Keep Silent and a Time to SpeakSample

A Time to Keep Silent and a Time to Speak

DAY 13 OF 13

Ask God for help

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3)

When we need to make an important decision, we may ask the Lord God for wisdom. When we are facing a difficult task, we may pray for strength. Likewise, we may ask the Lord for help in bridling our tongue, for that can be very hard! We cannot do it in our own strength.

In Psalm 141, David asks the Lord to guard the door of his lips. In doing so, he actually surrenders control of his life to God. David knows himself and he is aware that sometimes he is too quick or careless with his words. He does his best to choose his words with caution, but he struggles. We find the same concern in the letter to the Romans, where Paul laments, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19) Does this sound familiar to you? You don't want to gossip, you don't want to act snippy, you don't want to appear insensitive ... but your tongue is faster than your brain. And all the regrets in the world can't take your words back.

If you are struggling with this, echo David's prayer: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth!”

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Day 12

About this Plan

A Time to Keep Silent and a Time to Speak

“If speaking is silver, then listening is gold” is an old Turkish proverb. There is a lot of truth in that. But sometimes it is important to speak up. This reading plan discusses various Bible texts that teach you when to speak and when to remain silent, and help you to choose your words wisely.

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