I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:
Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you. It is yours. I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there. Speak to me during these moments. I commit them and myself to you.”
II. Prayer of Confession:
“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you. I confess my sin(s) of ______________. Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)
III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:
Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________. Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”
IV. Scripture Reflection
Read: Proverbs Chapter 12
Reflect:
Proverbs 12:14
14 A person will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
and the work of a person’s hands will reward him.
It’s interesting just how much the book of Proverbs has to say about our mouths. The goal is to use our mouths for good. We want good fruit to come from our mouth. The benefit of good fruit brings benefits not only to us but to others as well. So great are the benefits of bearing good fruit with our lips, that it can bring just as bountiful a harvest as the work we do with our hands.
As followers of Jesus, Paul reminds us to “Lay aside bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity, and insults. But instead, be kind and affectionate toward one another. Has God graciously forgiven you? Then graciously forgive one another in the depths of Christ’s love.” (Ephesians 4:31-32 TPT) It’s easy for us to have really big toes for people to step on, especially when we’re going through difficulties. But that is still no excuse for us to bear bad fruit with our mouths. No, challenges are all the more reason for us to think about what is coming out of our mouths. Will we be grace-filled people? Will we be compassionate? Will we forgive others? How much better when we combine our actions with the words of our mouth! Oh my, that’s when we see the good fruit produced!
Respond:
Let this fruit of your mouth shape you. Let God’s Word renew your perspective. Be quick to use your lips to give others the kindness, compassion, and forgiveness that God has given you.
V. Prayer for others:
Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others.
VI. Prayer of commitment:
“Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself. Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.” (Luke 10:27)
This Week’s Scripture Memory:
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.