Hollywood Prayer Network On The Pain Of GossipSample

WORDS ARE POWERFUL

"Few friendships would survive if each one knew what his friend says of him behind his back." Blaise Pascal

PRAY:  Dear God, I want to understand the power of words and how I can choose my words to avoid betraying the confidence of others, in order to be a trustworthy person who can keep a secret, and to never be a perverse person, stirring up conflict. Lord, You tell me that a gossip separates close friends. I never want to do that. I want to be known for stopping quarrels and building closer friendships, not gossiping and fueling fires. Help me to check my words and be a person of love, kindness, encouragement, and integrity. Thank You, God!

REFLECT:  Proverbs 18:18 says "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts." Contemplate the power of words expressed right here. It is completely contradictory to the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Who thought of that and how did it ever become popular? It's a phrase from the enemy in cute poetry so that kids will say it to one another and begin to believe it. But we must be aware that words go down to the inmost parts of our hearts and souls and they stay there to fester and grow. Words are a weapon or a salve, depending on which ones we choose to use. Gossip is all about words. We can either choose to hold our tongues or hurt other people, in once sentence. That's all it takes. How can we become more aware of the words we use, especially when we're joking or being flippant? Those words can come out so quickly that it's sometimes too late to ever take them back. 

ACT:  An assignment for today is to be focused and aware of every word you say. You can either make a mental note or write down all of your jokes, conversations, casual comments, and responses. Watch what you say and how you say it. And notice if you're saying things that you wouldn't say if you were writing them in a letter or leaving them on a voice message. Try to heighten your awareness of your words and see if you're pleased or surprised at how you use your words. Most people don't think about their words and cause more damage than they even mean to. At the end of the day evaluate all the words you said. How did you do?