“Lord, help me to guard my lips, that no hasty, unkind, or untrue word may escape them. Keep my speech pure, seasoned with love, and full of the gentleness of Christ. Let my tongue be a fountain of blessing, speaking only what edifies and comforts. Deliver me from idle talk and from every word that wounds or misleads. Grant that my mouth may be an instrument of righteousness, and that all my utterances may honor Thee and help my fellow‑men. Amen.”
—E. M. Bounds (1835 – 1913), Methodist pastor, author of The Possibilities of Prayer (1886)
Source: E. M. Bounds, The Possibilities of Prayer (Nashville: Southern Methodist Publishing House, 1886), 112.
Reflection: Where in my daily conversations do I most need God’s grace to restrain harmful speech and strengthen words that heal, encourage, and honor Christ?