Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
– Proverbs 12:18
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,
but a good word makes him glad.
– Proverbs 12:25
A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
– Proverbs 15:4
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and a word in season, how good it is!
– Proverbs 15:23
Gracious words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
– Proverbs 16:24
Devotion
All week we are looking at what Proverbs says about the power of words. Today, we’re looking at how your words can be a source of life, encouragement and joy. Can you think of some people in your life that always seem to be an encouragement to you when they talk to you? What are the qualities about what they say that are so helpful to you?
The verses you read today listed some specific characteristics of speech that are refreshing for others. Gentleness, goodness, and graciousness are among those characteristics. Sometimes developing these traits requires intentionality. As you are working on growing your speech patterns remember the Holy Spirit is your source for each of these.
The Big Question
If your friends were to write a list of three words to characterize your speech, what would they be? Hopefully your speech brings life and blessing to those around you. Is there a specific quality that you’d like to work on? Ask God to help you to be mindful today of bringing life to the people you see with the words you say.