June 23, 2023
“Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness” (Psalm 141:3-4 NLT). David understood that he needed help controlling his speech. Only the Lord can tame the tongue. So, David prayed that God would take control of his words
June 23, 2021
TAMING THE TONGUE David understood that his tongue was beyond his control. We need help from the Lord to tame the tongue. So, David prayed that God would take control of his words and set a guard over his lips. The Spirit inspired the apostle James to write about the same topic saying, “If
June 23, 2019
TAMING THE TONGUE David understood something about the human tongue, no one can control it. We need help from the Lord to tame the tongue. So, David prayed that God would take control of his words and set a guard over his lips. The Spirit inspired James to write about the same topic saying,
June 23, 2016
David prayed that the Lord would help him control his tongue. He wanted to stop sinful speech. He understood the difficulty in taming the tongue and knew he needed help. Many is the sin that spews forth from the mouth, which in fact, expresses the condition of the heart. David was right to petition the Lord for a guard over his mouth, yet an even better prayer is to ask the Lord to deal with our hearts. And this is just what David did in the next verse of the psalm, saying, “Do not let my heart incline to any evil” (Psa. 141:4). Let us join David in praying today, “Lord, cleanse my heart and control my tongue today!”
December 22, 2013
This psalm of David shows his familiarity with the worship of the Tabernacle. The temple incense was made from a recipe of ingredients that were not to be used elsewhere. The priests burned the incense in censers that filled the temple with their fragrance. The daily evening sacrifice was a burnt offering whose smoke would waft upward from the temple altar. David asks God to accept his prayer as incense and his lifted hands as sacrifice. Perhaps David was hiding in a cave or laying down under the stars, far from the house of the Lord. He asked God to let his voice and body be like the tabernacle’s worship.
December 22, 2012
David’s prayer is appropriate for all, but especially for those who presume to teach and preach. I pray this always, and even more fervently before stepping in front of God’s people on Sunday mornings.
December 22, 2011
David understood that no man can tame the tongue (James), so he asked for the Lord’s help. This is a great daily prayer, especially for those of us that talk a lot. Asking the Lord to guard our mouths, we should also request that He tune our ears for listening. Talk less, listen more.