“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
Col 4:2-6 NKJV
“Be courageously persistent” or “hold fast and not let go” in persistent prayer… staying awake, alert for specific needs about which to pray. NLT says: Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity to share Christ. Speak what is spiritual, wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, purposeful, complimentary, gentle, truthful, loving and thoughtful.
Just as salt not only flavors, but prevents corruption or decay, as it acts as a preservative, our speech should act not only as a blessing to others, but as a purifying influence within the decaying society of the world.
-- Macarthur Study Bible
I’ll tell you what, I am praying this morning! I shouldn’t be surprised when the enemy tries to lie his way into our minds, especially with such a bold-faced nasty lie first thing in the morning. I shouldn’t be surprised that Satan is showing up. God has begun a new work in us and so of course the enemy shows up to try to trip us up right out of the gate. Please continue to pray for us!
Yesterday Bryan shared with me how the Lord answered one of our prayers. We had asked the Lord to “PLEASE!!!!” give us each the gift of discernment as we minister to each of our kids in the youth group. So often we get a call of distress or a text of confessing a particular sin and it’s our prayer that we will see the root of the problem so that we can offer more than a bandaid. We want to be able to pray effectively for that young person, but also encourage them in a practical way by helping them see the real root of the issue. We wanna know what to say!
And the Lord said to us… “Pray. Pray with an alert mind and with a thankful heart. God will open the door, He’ll provide the opportunity, He’ll provide the Word and show us what we ought to speak.” He said to us, “Walk in that wisdom among your little flock, especially with those who are struggling, especially with those who are on the fence, especially with those who are on the other side of the fence dabbling with compromise. And speak what is spiritual, wholesome, purposeful, truthful. Be salty for these kids, walk in wisdom, and you’ll know how to answer each one.”
Thank you, Lord, for being so specific! I loved what the Macarthur Study Bible said about speech. Gracious speech is a topic we consistently talk about in this home. So I’m going to be putting these passages up in my bathroom for Bryan and me to see each time we brush our teeth. I’m going to teach my kids about salt. I’m going to train myself to speak only what edifies the listener! So we can always seek to be a blessing to others, not only by how we live, but by what we say.
Eph 4:29 has always been one of my getting’ thru daily life kind of verses and it confirms what the Lord’s been showing us in Colossians:
Yesterday Bryan shared with me how the Lord answered one of our prayers. We had asked the Lord to “PLEASE!!!!” give us each the gift of discernment as we minister to each of our kids in the youth group. So often we get a call of distress or a text of confessing a particular sin and it’s our prayer that we will see the root of the problem so that we can offer more than a bandaid. We want to be able to pray effectively for that young person, but also encourage them in a practical way by helping them see the real root of the issue. We wanna know what to say!
And the Lord said to us… “Pray. Pray with an alert mind and with a thankful heart. God will open the door, He’ll provide the opportunity, He’ll provide the Word and show us what we ought to speak.” He said to us, “Walk in that wisdom among your little flock, especially with those who are struggling, especially with those who are on the fence, especially with those who are on the other side of the fence dabbling with compromise. And speak what is spiritual, wholesome, purposeful, truthful. Be salty for these kids, walk in wisdom, and you’ll know how to answer each one.”
Thank you, Lord, for being so specific! I loved what the Macarthur Study Bible said about speech. Gracious speech is a topic we consistently talk about in this home. So I’m going to be putting these passages up in my bathroom for Bryan and me to see each time we brush our teeth. I’m going to teach my kids about salt. I’m going to train myself to speak only what edifies the listener! So we can always seek to be a blessing to others, not only by how we live, but by what we say.
Eph 4:29 has always been one of my getting’ thru daily life kind of verses and it confirms what the Lord’s been showing us in Colossians:
29Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it. Amplified Bible.
God says to me this morning, "Speak what is spiritual, wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, purposeful, complimentary, gentle, truthful, loving and thoughtful."
And I say, Lord, strengthen me for the day ahead. Help me to see the needs of my kiddos and meet them lovingly and patiently. Help me to be a wife and mommy who builds up her husband and children. I need your Spirit today, God, fill me afresh so I can pour out grace and mercy on my family and be an encourager for my husband.
1 comment:
Amen and Amen!!!! Lord, sometimes I think about the coal touching our lips because they're so unclean like Isaiah realized, but then I think, No! Don't just cleanse my lips, cleanse my heart, for out of the mouth speaks! You have given us a new heart though, you remind me, we just need a daily "coal touching" of our lips. Just as You washed the dirty feet and Peter said, "don't just stop with my feet, wash my whole body," You remind me that You've already dealt with the whole, now daily you deal with the dirt by washing it.
I pray in agreement with my sister. Give us discernment for our kids and those we speak to and help us to listen for You as we pray continuously!
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