“O Lord, govern my tongue, that I speak not but that which is good, godly, and wholesome. Let no filthy communication proceed out of my mouth, but such as may edify my neighbor in all godliness. Make my words profitable, seasoned with grace, and acceptable unto all men, that I may stop the mouths of the ungodly and glorify thy holy name.”
— Thomas Becon (1512 – 1567), a widely published English Reformation pastor and member of Thomas Cranmer’s circle
Source: Bacon, Thomas. The Pomander of Prayer. London: John Day, 1560, 134.
Reflection: Where do my words most need God’s governance so that they build up rather than break down?