O Lord, Forgive my Foolish Tongue and Help Me Trust and Follow You

Posted byJim SimoneauPosted inUncategorized

Day 110  Psalms 39:1-5

            Psalm 39:1 To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. I said, “I will guard my ways, Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.”

            Oh God, my intention was not to speak when I was around that person. They had shown themselves sinful in the past and I did not want to sin as I was around them. I was planning not to say a thing. I was very careful. I knew how evil they were, and I was not going to join in their wickedness or give them any opportunity to use my words in an evil way.

            Psalm 39 2 I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; And my sorrow was stirred up. 3My heart was hot within me; While I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

            I did not speak for a little while. I was quiet and did not say anything, even anything good. But the longer I kept silent, the more I was saddened at what was going on. Like Moses who grew angry and struck the rock because of the people’s sin, so, O God, my King, I let their evil stir me to be foolish. The fire burned within me, and I failed to control it so I spoke and I said things I should not say in the heat of the moment.

            Psalm 39:4 “LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. 5Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah.

            Lord Jesus, help me to see that I am just a man. I think I am so strong and in control, but truly I am not as strong as I think I am. I cannot even control my tongue. Indeed, no one truly can perfectly control the tongue, except for You. James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” Proverbs 10:19 also reminds me, “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

            Lord, forgive my pride when I would think more highly of myself than I ought to think. I am just a sinner saved by Your grace. I live constantly as a dependent on Your mercy, love, and help, by the indwelling presence of Your Holy Spirit. Lord, if You did not go with me I could not stand.

            Help me to continue to trust You alone for forgiveness, mercy, and grace.

            In Jesus’ name. Amen

Published by Jim Simoneau

Jesus Christ brought me to Himself at a very early age. I began seeking the Lord and writing prayer journals in my early teens and have continued to grow in my knowledge and experience of prayer. I am still learning and growing in my prayer life and long to help others grow in their prayer lives as well. I am not an expert, but a practitioner who needs God to continue to teach me to pray. Prayer is both simple, yet also profound. It is deep and draws us into the depth of God, but it is also so easy and wondrous that we can cry out to God with "Abba, Father" prayers because of the work of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. Prayer comes from God's heart, works in our hearts, and teaches us to go back to seek God's heart!

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