January 29, 2022
Repent of Your Sinful Words
Lord’s Prayer Focus: The Father’s Forgiveness
After Jesus addresses requests in prayer, he moves on to repentance. He continues the Lord’s Prayer saying: “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.…” (Matthew 6:12). As we focus on witnessing and evangelism, we are boldly calling others to repentance. If we are going to prophetically call for repentance, we must be sure that we also are repenting of our own sins. We must also repent of the sins that keep us from effectively witnessing to those in our circle of influence. Each topic in this section will call for repentance for a common sin. The questions and prayer points in the coming weeks aren’t meant as condemnations or accusations. Rather, they present an opportunity for self-reflection and humility as the Spirit reveals our sins.
Psalms 43:13: “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.”
James 3:5-12 (ESV) “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”
The Bible has a lot to say about our words. As James instructs in his letter, our words can be used for good or for evil. We can worship God at one moment and curse his image-bearers the next with the same mouth. We can use our words to deceive, gossip, and slander. We also see that our words have great weight. The power of life and death is held in our words (Prov. 18:21). And, as James says, our words can be full of deadly poison.
We live in a time where words are cheap. Lying is normalized. Whole systems of social media revolve around attacking people with 280 characters. Gossip is commonplace and outrage drives much of our media. If we are going to be true witnesses of Christ, if we are going to proclaim him without hypocrisy, we must not use our words as the world does. If we claim to have the Truth within us, do our words reflect that? Jesus said that our words reveal what is in our hearts (Matt 12:34). We must be sure that the words we use when we witness are matched by the rest of our words.
Consider:
Prayer Points
Lord’s Prayer Focus: The Father’s Forgiveness
After Jesus addresses requests in prayer, he moves on to repentance. He continues the Lord’s Prayer saying: “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.…” (Matthew 6:12). As we focus on witnessing and evangelism, we are boldly calling others to repentance. If we are going to prophetically call for repentance, we must be sure that we also are repenting of our own sins. We must also repent of the sins that keep us from effectively witnessing to those in our circle of influence. Each topic in this section will call for repentance for a common sin. The questions and prayer points in the coming weeks aren’t meant as condemnations or accusations. Rather, they present an opportunity for self-reflection and humility as the Spirit reveals our sins.
Psalms 43:13: “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.”
James 3:5-12 (ESV) “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”
The Bible has a lot to say about our words. As James instructs in his letter, our words can be used for good or for evil. We can worship God at one moment and curse his image-bearers the next with the same mouth. We can use our words to deceive, gossip, and slander. We also see that our words have great weight. The power of life and death is held in our words (Prov. 18:21). And, as James says, our words can be full of deadly poison.
We live in a time where words are cheap. Lying is normalized. Whole systems of social media revolve around attacking people with 280 characters. Gossip is commonplace and outrage drives much of our media. If we are going to be true witnesses of Christ, if we are going to proclaim him without hypocrisy, we must not use our words as the world does. If we claim to have the Truth within us, do our words reflect that? Jesus said that our words reveal what is in our hearts (Matt 12:34). We must be sure that the words we use when we witness are matched by the rest of our words.
Consider:
- In what ways do you sin with your words?
- Are you known to be truthful?
- Has your witness been compromised by your words?
Prayer Points
- Repent of your sinful words.
- Pray God would replace your words that bring death with words that bring life.
Posted in 2022 Prayer and Fasting