“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”

There are five great principles that Paul was praying for His flock to receive in these three short verses:

1. That your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment. This is a prayer that as you get to know the Lord and understand His will for your life, that your love for Him will grow and fill you to overflowing.
2. That you may approve the things that are excellent. As you grow in your faith and love for the Lord, He will give you wisdom to make right decisions and help you know how to please Him in everything you do.
3. That you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. In Spanish, the word sincere means “without wax”. When a pottery vessel was fired in a kiln and a crack or flaw appeared, the crevice could be filled with wax and then painted to make it appear perfect. But a vessel that was flawless after going through the fire was much more valuable. It was marked as a “sincere” vessel–one with no wax-filled imperfections. The Lord is working to make each of us perfect and without blemish. Sometimes we have to go through fiery trials to temper our resolve, but when He is finished with us, we will be the most valuable vessels of honor, fit for His most noble purposes.
4. That you may be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. As the Holy Spirit works in you to make you perfect, He will develop fruits in your life that will exhibit your righteousness to the world. These include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22) This prayer is that you will be filled with all the best fruits that delight your and God’s heart.
5. To the glory and praise of God. Finally, as the Lord develops love and wisdom and perfection and fruits of righteousness in your heart, your entire life will become a praise to God. He will receive the proper glory not only from you, but from those whom your life and light touch as well.

“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men…Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” (1 Peter 2:15-17)

Be a light! Live for the Lord! Laugh for joy! Love well! For you are loved by God.

The post The Prayer of Your Life appeared first on Rock of Revelation.

The Bible has a lot to say about the way we speak and the impact it can have on others. James 3:8-10 talks about the untamable tongue,

“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.”

But what does the Bible say about how we SHOULD speak? There are plenty of good admonitions about positive words and manners of speaking. Let’s begin with a couple of excerpts from Proverbs 18,

“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook…The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, and they go down into the inmost body…A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

We should let wisdom flow out of our mouths but avoid gossip because that penetrates the heart deeply. Our words should bring life and health to the hearers, just like a piece of juicy fruit brings pleasure to the eater.

Ephesians 4:29 also encourages believers to,

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers…Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor (loud quarreling), and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

I encourage you today to take an inventory of your speech. Have you spoken hurtful words to a friend or family member this week? Maybe it was spoken in jest, but it pierced their heart deeper than you realize. Do you have a bad habit of swearing or yelling when you get frustrated? That, too, should be corrected. Perhaps you tend to complain too much or speak pessimistically rather than optimistically. You should pray and ask your Father to heal your tongue so you can impart words that build up rather than tear down. Ask the Lord to give you instead “a word fitly spoken, like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

I pray that you will also relish a sweet, juicy word that will bring pleasure to your ears and heart today.

The post The Fruit of Our Lips appeared first on Rock of Revelation.