We certainly know the difference between what tastes sweet and what tastes sour, don’t we? Over the Christmas holidays, many of us have been eating and enjoying sweets. We still have some chocolates at our house that we are slowly savouring. They are pleasant to have as a treat. When we put something sweet in our mouths, the taste really is pleasing. What about the words that we speak? What kind of a taste do they produce? I was reading these words of Scripture, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24) Any of us a recipients of pleasant words can know in a personal way the positive effect that they have. God can use the kind and pleasant words that we speak to bless others. In a time when there is such a high level of frustration, impatience, distrust, and anger, we can pray and ask God to give us pleasant words to speak. These will need to be carefully considered words that are spoken with love and grace. God can convey His love and grace through the pleasant words that come from our mouths and hearts. The whole tone of another person’s day can change when pleasant words are spoken. Our own outlook and attitude is also blessed with sweetness when we choose to speak pleasant words. One of the hardest challenges is to respond with pleasant words when someone else says something that is not pleasant, but God can help us with that too. Even while we are staying home, conversations within our households and on the phone or through social media will either be sweet or sour depending on the words that we choose. We can notice that not only are pleasant words sweet to the soul, they have the potential to heal. People can be healed in both soul and body when pleasant and tender words are spoken. Tomorrow, when we join for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER, we will be committing to God the words that we speak and asking that they will be pleasant words that can bring blessing from God. Please plan to pray with us January 12th at 1 pm.
Our God of love and grace who speaks love over us and to us, we come to you today needing your help. You know our God the effect of the words that we speak. We want to speak pleasant words that will be sweet to the soul and bring healing to the bones. We recognize that not only do we need healing from the spread of this virus, we do need healing for the damage done by words that have been spoken and are being spoken. In some instances, neighbours and coworkers with differences of opinion have fallen out with each other. Please bring healing for the harsh words that have been spoken. Within families there has also been severing of relationships and we pray for those not speaking to each other or only speaking from a place of irritation. In having to wait longer for virtually everything, we pray for attitudes and words of patience. With the increase in short staffing in health care and in other settings, we pray that you will guard the words spoken. When we are feeling tired of it all, please assist us in resisting making that an excuse for words carelessly spoken. We recognize our God that You really can use the words that we speak to bless others and to bless us. Thank you for our memories of words that have been kind and how that has brought encouragement and healing. Thank You for those who have spoken pleasant words to us. Allow us to be those known for speaking pleasant words. May these words reflect You and our faith in You. Our prayers today encircle those who can’t remember when they last heard pleasant words. We pray for those wondering how much longer they can endure the demands upon them. Please God, arrange for us to encounter someone who is longing to hear pleasant and kind words and inspire us to speak those words. We pray to remain humble in the words that we speak. We know that the grace to speak pleasant words must come from You. We are not better than anyone else because we strive to speak pleasant words. Our God, as we consider every day an opportunity to speak words that will be sweet to the soul and bring healing, we pray that we will not be confined or restrained by regret. Please forgive us for words spoken that were not pleasing to You and give us the gift of today being a new day and a new opportunity. We trust You to keep forgiving and restoring and redeeming us and the words that we choose. Our hearts are stirred as we ask that the words that we speak will bring opportunity for people around us to encounter You and Your words of love for them. In the Name of Jesus Your Son Who is the Living Word of God. AMEN.