Stop Speaking Wickedness
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Stop Speaking Wickedness
The following is an excerpt from our daily devotional series Fasting and the Heart of God.
“Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness…” (Isaiah 58:9)
We’ve been looking at Isaiah 58:9, a pivotal verse in the chapter. It begins, “Then you shall call and the Lord will answer.” Verse 10 continues, “Then your light shall dawn…” Sandwiched between these mountain-top promises are several exhortations to get things right with God so He will be free—consistent with His sacred Word—to serve up blessings for His people. The three requirements in verse 9 are 1) remove the yoke; 2) [stop] pointing the finger; and 3) [stop] speaking wickedness.
Pray for your fellow intercessor.
Is there an application for us today? Surely, as Christians, we have turned from “speaking wickedness.” Most likely no one reading this is in the habit of using coarse language or cursing people. Indeed, for many believers, even the occasional “darn” is out of character. Yet the Bible is filled with warnings and directives about our speech—what is or is not pleasing to God. The references are too numerous for this devotional. So I asked, “Why so much emphasis on content and attitude in what we say?” And I felt the answer was, “Read James 3. You are weak and need constant help to “let no evil talk come out of your mouth” (Eph. 4:29), and “let your speech always be with grace…” (Col. 4:6).
James is blunt in his letter. He devotes eight verses to the unruly tongue (James 3:5-12). His summary: “No one can tame the tongue.” In fact, “the tongue has the power of life and death” (Prov. 18:21). Both Apostles Paul and Peter admonished Christians to “put aside [i.e., repent, turn from] bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking” (Ephesians 4:31); and to “lay aside malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking” (1 Peter 2:1-2). Note the intimacy between evil (wicked) speaking and sinful heart attitudes. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34). That principle applies to each of us. Thus David prayed, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). And so must I pray that prayer, every day.
In your time seeking God today:
- Ponder in your prayer time the direct connection in God’s Word between heart attitudes and speech patterns. Freedom will follow if we do not excuse ourselves with “it was only a slip of the tongue.”
- Do you find yourself thinking at times, “I wish I hadn’t said that”? (Perhaps you were angry?) Ask God to forgive and to help you “guard your heart” (Proverbs 4:23). The Lord will forgive and help.
- God does not want us to live with continuous guilt even where we have failed by “speaking wickedness” (perhaps through gossip, slander, by judging another person, or speaking into a situation without the facts, etc.). Part of getting free may be to ask for forgiveness from anyone we have hurt. If we humble ourselves and ask for courage, the Lord will help us.
- Check that your promptings come from God’s Spirit, not the devil’s accusations. God convicts gently; the enemy hounds relentlessly. Write in your prayer journal the date you confessed your sin to God and were forgiven. It will be a permanent mile-marker of victory.
- For many, the biggest battlefield is within the family. Between spouses and with discipline of children, we may overstep and say things in “the heat of battle” that cut deeply, leaving wounds. Am I prepared to ask forgiveness, even if “right” on the issue? Family ties will be strengthened.
- Write in your prayer journal steps you are taking to overcome “evil speaking.”
Related Scripture:
- Psalm 19:14; Proverbs 4:23-24; Proverbs 18:21; 1 Peter 2:1-2; Colossians 4:6
- Matthew 12:33-37; Ephesians 4:15 and 4:29-32; James 3:5-12
Fasting and the Heart of God Full PDF Version
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Comments
So very thankful you àre encouraging all who will to pray 🙏 for our country. Blessings and love
I am so ashamed to say that it is a lifelong habit for me to speak unkindly about others, but I have the power of God to help me become a new person by changing the way I think and act. It is a daily battle for me to live God’s way. God give us all strength for this battle, and give us victory.
This article hits home with me. Just this past week I had to write a letter of forgiveness to a coworker that could tell what I said hurt her. I wanted to talk with her in person and ask forgiveness,but she was avoiding me so after two weeks of a guilty conscience I decided it would be best to write her an apology. She has not responded to my letter, but that’s okay I truly feel I have done what was right in God’s eyes.
IFA,
There is another storm in the gulf, Milton. They are saying it will be just as strong as Helene, and headed straight for the Florida peninsula. Landfall on Wednesday. We must be praying over this, declaring and decreasing.
Father, in Jesus name, will your people declare and decree that this storm stops in its tracks! Supernaturally, falls into the ocean and goes calm. We curse all of the words a prognostication that this storm will be like Helene heading for Florida. We use the power and authority that Jesus paid the price for us to have on the cross! This storm will cease and desist, in the name of Jesus!
Amen and amen Sheridan. At the Lord’s rebuke, this storm is can be stilled to a whisper. That was my prayer this morning. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to our Lord. He is our Rock and our Redeemer!
Psalm 65:7 You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.
Psalm 89:9 You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them.
Psalm 107:29 He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Mark 4:39Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
Luke 8:24 The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm.