DAILY PRAYER (BY SPURGEON)
As we have read the charge of your word against that unruly member, the tongue; as we have heard your servant James rebuking our envy and other evil spirits that are within us, we do feel humbled under your hand, and our prayer is, Lord, kill our envy, Lord, help us to command our tongue, grant us grace to be holy: may we be kind and gentle towards our fellow-men, having that fruit of the Spirit, which follows upon purity, even peace.
Oh, that we might live for you and not for self. Slay self we pray, gracious God, whenever there is a selfish, angry disposition about us; help us to trample it out, as men put out sparks lest a fire should arise therefrom.
Amen.
VERSE OF THE DAY (COMMENTARY BY SPURGEON)
“If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself.” (James 1:26)
James settles that matter off very quickly. An unbridled tongue indicates a godless heart.
If religion does not salt your tongue, and keep it sweet, it has done nothing for you. If the doctor wants to know the state of your health, he says, “Let me see your tongue;” and there is no better test of the health of the mind than to see what is on the tongue. When it gets furred up with unkind words, when it turns black with blasphemy, when it is spotted with lasciviousness, there is something very bad inside the heart, you may be quite sure of that.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Get control of your tongue (and the rest of you too!)
In today’s prayer, Spurgeon prayed that God would help us tame our tongue. Our words are powerful, so getting control of our speech is an absolutely essential step towards godliness that we must all take. We prayed for this today, because we can’t do it alone — we need God the Holy Spirit to bear the fruit of self-control in our lives (Galatians 5:23).
While our growth in holiness is a miracle that only God can do, we also have a role to play in this work. You will not automatically grow in godliness — you need to pursue godliness with the strength that God the Holy Spirit gives you.
A great, practical book on growing in godliness (self-control, taming the tongue, and more) is The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges. This book won’t just tell you that something is sinful, it will actually equip you practical tools and truths from God’s Word to slay your sin and live in godliness.
Whatever pressing sin you are currently facing and want to grow in, The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges is a great resource to help you take your next steps. I hope you pick up a copy today.