A Prayer to Put in the Hard Heart Work
By Laura Bailey
“You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.” - Matthew 12:34-35
My husband and I were in a heated debate; unable to contain my frustration, I let words slip I knew I would immediately regret. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” I quickly spouted, hoping to soften the blow. Except, I did mean what I said; I just hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Has that ever happened to you? Has an internal thought ever worked its way out of your lips before you had a chance to stop it? Perhaps pent-up resentment and anger bubbled up and spilled out in your speech before you could reign them back in? Or maybe, like me, in the height of your emotions, you accidentally spewed words your heart has wanted to say for a long time, only to feel the pain of regret once they were out in the open.
Scripture speaks a lot about our words; books like Proverbs spend many verses warning us about the dangers of carelessly spoken speech. However, God’s desire isn’t just for us to control our tongues but to deal with the root problem of loose lips, our hearts. In Matthew, 12:34-35 Jesus tells us that what is in our hearts will determine how we speak and act. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their general hypocrisy and, in this case, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. However, in the greater context of these verses, Jesus teaches that a person’s actions (or speech) represent what is in their heart. Our speech and actions are an overflow of what is really in our hearts and minds. It isn’t enough to control the words that come out of our mouths (which is essential); the more significant way to prevent potential speech slip-ups is by having a good heart.
Understanding the word “good” in these verses doesn’t imply sinlessness; instead, a person actively tries to do God’s will and walk in step with the Spirit. Sometimes we say the wrong thing, quickly speak and listen slowly, but these should be the exception, not the norm in the believer's life. We will not always get it right, but as we put in the hard, heart work, even under pressure, our words and actions will demonstrate a life led by the Spirit. As we renew our minds daily through Bible reading, prayer, and meditation, our hearts will begin to align more with God’s desires than our own, and eventually, so will our speech.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, help us as we seek to honor you with both our hearts and words. You know what’s in our hearts and minds, and we ask that you forgive us our sins and help us seek to be more like you in all we say and do. As it says in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”
Lord, we ask for healing in relationships that our careless words have strained or possibly severed. Grant us humility in asking for forgiveness, and we pray reconciliation is possible. Let us use our words to encourage and build up the body of believers instead of tearing down and discouraging. May we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, leaning into the power of the Spirit. We ask our hearts be filled with fruits of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, so our lives will produce good fruit. Thank you for loving us even when we fail. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/ PaulCalbar
She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com
Related Resource: "I AM" - A Lenten Journey with Jesus
When the world feels heavy, clarity isn’t always what we need most. Sometimes what we need is presence. In John 8:12, Jesus doesn’t promise all the answers. He promises Himself: “I am the light of the world.” Light doesn’t show us the entire path—it gives us enough to take the next step. It reminds us that we are not alone in the dark, and that God is present with us even when things feel uncertain. I’m praying this meditation reminds you that Jesus is present—and you don’t have to walk in the dark alone. This week’s guided Scripture meditation is part of my larger Lent series that invites you to slow down, listen, and follow the Light who leads to life.
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Originally published Saturday, 22 April 2023.
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