Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with song and lyrics from Matt Redman singing … Let My Words Be Few … poignantly singing of the attitude we should have when we come into the presence of our Lord in prayer.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 [NLT] … 1 As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.
… As today’s linked song proclaims … when we come into an attitude of prayer, approaching God, … “let my words be few.”
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7[NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The author shows us how we are to approach God … more with a listening ear than a rambling tongue.
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Reference Passage : … Proverbs 10:32, 13:3 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Solomon, gives us guidance on how to approach Him … with a listening ear and a muted tongue.
Reference Passage : … Matthew 12:34b [NLT] … 34b … whatever is in your heart determines what you say.
… Jesus tells the religious leaders that what ever comes out of our mouths emirates from our heart. [Also see Luke 6:45]
Reference Passage : … Ephesians 4:29b [NLT] … 29 … Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
… Paul teaches on how to limit our speech only to those things which lift others up or convey God’s grace to the hearers.
Reference Passage : … James 3:1-12 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… James shows us the importance to limiting what we speak.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, citing the author of Ecclesiastes, shows her readers (me) how we should come into the presence of the Lord in Prayer. The ODB author wrote: One day during a university philosophy class, a student made some inflammatory remarks about the professor’s views. To the surprise of the other students, the teacher thanked him and moved on to another comment. When he was asked later why he didn’t respond to the student, he said, “I’m practicing the discipline of not having to have the last word.”
This teacher loved and honored God, and he wanted to embody a humble spirit as he reflected this love. His words remind me of another Teacher—this one from long ago, who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes [see highlight passage].
Readers here have probably heard the old saying: “We have two ears and one mouth; and we should use them in that proportion.” And according to God’s word, from Solomon, to Paul, to James, and yes, even Jesus (see above), that is good advice when it comes to approaching God in prayer as well.
Most certainly it is truth that what we say is a reflection of our hearts (see Jesus’ admonition in Matt. 12 and Luke 6 referred to above). So, knowing that my heart defaults to my flesh (see Jer. 17:9), the admonition of today’s linked song is good advice. Therefore, when I come to God in prayer, as today, I should “let my words be few” and listen to God’s Spirit at least twice as much as I speak my piece to God.
So, today … and prayerfully tomorrow too … I need to be listening for God’s perfect “GPS,” especially from His word; and then speaking only what He leads my heart to say.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Lord, Jesus, thank You for pouring Your grace of illumination and enlightenment into my heart that I might speak Your thoughts to others.
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My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Help me to pour out your grace and edification to others and stop to listen for what You’re saying to me before I speak to You, and certainly others. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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