January 18th is National Thesaurus Day. Now, who doesn’t love a good thesaurus? Right?! I, as a writer, love my thesaurus! It never leaves me with a lack of words, but more specifically, it helps me choose the right word. 

Did you know that the average person speaks 7,000 words per day? While we may consult the thesaurus when writing, we don’t often consult it when in conversation with others. Yet, our conversations shape our connections with other people. Perhaps National Thesaurus Day offers us the opportunity to more carefully consider our words and how those words might impact others.

Scripture has quite a bit to say about how we use our words. In this day of vitriolic speech and opinions on social media, I would like to encourage you to take some of these scriptures and turn them into prayers. Ask the Lord to give you words that will encourage others.

Here are a few great scriptures along with three prayers to say over your words:

“The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed” (Isaiah 50:4). 

Sovereign Lord, I ask you to instruct me and to teach me how to use my tongue in a way that encourages and comforts the weary. Lord, so many are weary and discouraged right now. Father God, I pray that each morning as I wake, you will lay on my heart at least one person that I can encourage. Whether it’s my spouse, my kids, a friend, or a co-worker, may all who encounter me today feel encouraged after they are with me. Show me the beauty of using my words to lift others up.

“The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).

Holy One, I praise you that You have given me the ability to speak words. Set a guard over my tongue, I pray. As I move through my day, I pray that gentleness will govern my words. I pray that the words I speak today would bring life to others. May they feel lighter in their spirits because of the words I speak. Holy Spirit, fill me so that love, joy, and peace flow from my tongue. 

“To slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always gentle towards everyone” (Titus 3:2). 

Lord Jesus, in this day of polarizing opinions, I pray that I would be known for not criticizing others. Let me be known for encouraging others and not for slamming people. I pray that I would not talk behind another person’s back and that I would not do anything to cast a slur on another person’s character (Psalm 15:3). Instead, let me learn to listen with the ears of Jesus, seeking to understand as He did and speaking the truth with gentleness. In all my relationships, I pray that I would pursue peace and be considerate in the way I communicate. Fill me now, Holy Spirit, and allow your grace to flow through me to others. 

Friend, let’s pray that the Lord will guard our tongues and help us use our words to lift others up. May we be found faithful.

This week on The Connected Mom Podcast we have a special guest, Jenny Randle. We’ll be talking about cultivating creativity in your kids or grandkids! You don’t want to miss this episode!