PRAY FOR ME: Speech

Pastor Steve Poole

TEXT – James 3:3-12 ESV

1. The Bible and Jesus take speech seriously.

· Proverbs 18:6-7; Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 12:18

· Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue…

· Ephesians 5:3-5; Matthew 12:34-37

2. Speech is serious because it reveals our heart condition.

· Matthew 12:34; Ephesians 4:19-24; 29

· “The grace of God has taken the hate and anger and resentment that spill over in mean and vulgar and irreverent language and has covered them with the blood of Christ and killed them along with the old unbelieving self.” ~ John Piper

3. Godly speech isn’t moralistic—it is life-giving.

4. Summary of God’s standards for speech:

· Does it honor God? Is it true?

· Does it cheapen or degrade what God has called good or holy?

· Does it build others up, bring life to them, or give grace to the hearers?

· It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it.

NEXT STEPS

1. Put your trust in Jesus and be forgiven and freed from sin.

2. Repent, confess your evil speech and invite God to transform your heart.

3. Pray for your loved ones, children, teens, and adults around you.

WEEKLY PRAYER

Circle or underline any key words or phrases you SEE:

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:4

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SAVOR:

Father, we live in a world that is so often careless and crude in how we use our speech. I pray that you would protect _____ from speech that can corrupt and tear them down. Help them to see destructive speech and never become comfortable with it from their friends or from themselves. Give them a strong desire and determination to only use words that encourage others. Help them to learn to speak good words with purpose and precision. Guard them from speech that is filled with filthiness and crude joking. Help them to learn to initiate conversations that are gracious, encouraging, and filled with gratefulness for all that you have done for them. Make thankfulness their primary way they battle speech around them that is filled with foolishness, or crude joking, so that you are glorified, and others are uplifted. For your glory and their good, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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