Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
It is a prayer asking the Lord Himself to stand guard over the mouth and hold the door of the lips shut against wrong words. Like a watchman at a door, every word is to be checked before it is spoken, and this guard is to be kept continually as part of a watchful life of prayer. Keeping the lips in this way calls for constant dependence on Christ rather than self-trust, keeping silent and praying first when tempted to speak passionately. The guard shuts out evil-speaking and slander, gossip and tale-bearing, revealing secrets and dwelling on the faults of others, with words kept few and well chosen. It also restrains careless, harsh, angry and faultfinding speech, so that what is spoken is instead kind, gracious, cheerful and encouraging to those who hear.
Prayer for Guarded Speech
The verse is a prayer asking the Lord to set a watch before the mouth and keep the door of the lips from wrong words and from words that should not be spoken. The image is of a watchman guarding a door, meaning words are checked before they are spoken and careless, rough, and uncourteous speech is avoided. In council and committee meetings this prayer is a fitting safeguard, calling for careful, restrained words and reminding each person that God will judge the motives behind actions, now and for eternity.
The guard must be continual, with the mouth and lips kept under constant watch so that evil is not spoken. It is part of a watchful life of prayer, with religion standing watch at the lips so that words are gracious and reflect Christian character. Keeping the door of the lips in this continual way means speaking kindly, in simple language, and avoiding abrupt answers, reflecting meekness, tenderness, and godly character. Answered prayer through this restraint from frivolous, evil, fretful, and harsh words brings steady, earnest, hopeful peace of mind.
The request reflects humble, contrite dependence, and such prayer is precious to God and not one is lost. In its wider context it is an urgent cry for the Lord to make haste and give ear to the voice of prayer, for prayer to be set before Him as incense and the lifting up of the hands as the evening sacrifice. It is met by the promise that everyone who asks receives and everyone who seeks finds and to him who knocks it is opened, because the heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
Keeping the lips requires constant prayer and dependence on Christ and on God, because trusting in oneself and self-reliance leave one in spiritual danger and unsafe from temptation. When tempted to speak passionately, one should keep silent and pray before speaking, and prayer and silence close the way to temptation. Heavenly angels help resist evil influences that would dishonor God and harm the soul. Discipline of the tongue begins in the mind and heart, and Christ's help enables one to bridle it to speak words that please God and kindly strengthen and encourage the weak rather than discourage others or become angry, unkind, or harmful. Thoughtful, gracious words that encourage hearers are part of reflecting Christ and developing a refined, holy character.
Words to Restrain and Speak
The watch refuses evil-speaking and slander, both speaking evil of anyone and listening to it. When another begins to speak evil, the hearer is to stop it firmly rather than receive it, even when it comes as a quiet, gentle insinuation or as a tale offered as a burden to be shared. Continual guarding of mouth and lips is required so that harmful talk about others is neither spread nor entertained.
The same guard avoids gossip, tale-bearing, revealing secrets, exaggerating, misrepresenting others, and dwelling on their faults. Words are to be few and well chosen, with unadvised remarks left unsaid, in order to preserve unity and prevent needless hurt, misunderstanding, and occasions for others to stumble. Close control of speech keeps words from causing harm, while careless talk injures spiritual life and damages trust and unity in the church.
The watch restrains careless, rough, uncourteous, abrupt, angry, unkind, discouraging, and harmful speech. It checks words before they are spoken, speaking instead kindly, simply, and meekly to encourage hearers and strengthen the weak. Such thoughtful, gracious words reflect Christ's meekness, tenderness, and godly character, and the discipline begins in the mind and heart with Christ's help to bridle the tongue so it pleases God.
Harsh, abusive, retaliatory, provoking, passion-stirring, critical, and faultfinding words are refused, especially by those in responsibility, with speech kept under the Spirit's control. Lips are to be kept from unwise words that provoke wrongdoing, stir up passion, or criticize others, and harsh words are not to be answered with retaliation. Kind, tender speech brings refreshment and blessing while faultfinding sows contention, and wrong words should be confessed and put right with God.
Foolish words and words marked by unbelief are refused, especially in response to criticism, with humble prayer and care preventing unwise speech. Frivolous, fretful, idle, light, trifling, and wicked conversation is also shut out, since temptation makes much grace necessary to avoid speaking wrongly.
Guarded speech is gracious, pleasant, cheerful, and seasoned with grace. Religion stands watch at the lips so that words reflect Christian character and a life ruled by God. Such controlled speech shows care and love for others and reflects Christ.
Guarded Speech in Daily Life
In council and committee meetings the prayer to set a watch before the mouth and keep the door of the lips is a fitting safeguard for guarded speech. It calls for careful and restrained words from those who take part, like a watchman guarding a door over what is said. It reminds each person that God will judge the motives behind actions, with accountability both now and for eternity.
In the home, parents who feel fretful, hasty, or impatient should deliberately watch themselves and resolve not to offend with their words. They should dedicate their words to God and avoid hasty, fretful speech. Only pleasant and cheerful words should be allowed to escape the lips, so that irritability does not harm the family.
Words reveal what fills the heart, leave lasting impressions, and affect those around them for good or evil. Reckless and careless speech can plant harmful thoughts in others and set evil consequences in motion that cannot be stopped. Such unguarded influence can lead another toward temptation, while words shaped by God's love guide and strengthen others toward good purposes and reveal His grace.
Keeping close control over words prevents harm, with speech guided by a changed heart and used for good. Opening the door of the lips through uncontrolled speech, especially when the will is crossed, lets Satan gain control of the tongue and master words and actions. Such careless talk harms the spiritual life and damages trust and unity in the church.
It is a prayer asking the Lord Himself to stand guard over the mouth and hold the door of the lips shut against wrong words. Like a watchman at a door, every word is to be checked before it is spoken, and this guard is to be kept continually as part of a watchful life of prayer. Keeping the lips in this way calls for constant dependence on Christ rather than self-trust, keeping silent and praying first when tempted to speak passionately. The guard shuts out evil-speaking and slander, gossip and tale-bearing, revealing secrets and dwelling on the faults of others, with words kept few and well chosen. It also restrains careless, harsh, angry and faultfinding speech, so that what is spoken is instead kind, gracious, cheerful and encouraging to those who hear.
Prayer for Guarded Speech
The verse is a prayer asking the Lord to set a watch before the mouth and keep the door of the lips from wrong words and from words that should not be spoken. The image is of a watchman guarding a door, meaning words are checked before they are spoken and careless, rough, and uncourteous speech is avoided. In council and committee meetings this prayer is a fitting safeguard, calling for careful, restrained words and reminding each person that God will judge the motives behind actions, now and for eternity.
The guard must be continual, with the mouth and lips kept under constant watch so that evil is not spoken. It is part of a watchful life of prayer, with religion standing watch at the lips so that words are gracious and reflect Christian character. Keeping the door of the lips in this continual way means speaking kindly, in simple language, and avoiding abrupt answers, reflecting meekness, tenderness, and godly character. Answered prayer through this restraint from frivolous, evil, fretful, and harsh words brings steady, earnest, hopeful peace of mind.
The request reflects humble, contrite dependence, and such prayer is precious to God and not one is lost. In its wider context it is an urgent cry for the Lord to make haste and give ear to the voice of prayer, for prayer to be set before Him as incense and the lifting up of the hands as the evening sacrifice. It is met by the promise that everyone who asks receives and everyone who seeks finds and to him who knocks it is opened, because the heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
Keeping the lips requires constant prayer and dependence on Christ and on God, because trusting in oneself and self-reliance leave one in spiritual danger and unsafe from temptation. When tempted to speak passionately, one should keep silent and pray before speaking, and prayer and silence close the way to temptation. Heavenly angels help resist evil influences that would dishonor God and harm the soul. Discipline of the tongue begins in the mind and heart, and Christ's help enables one to bridle it to speak words that please God and kindly strengthen and encourage the weak rather than discourage others or become angry, unkind, or harmful. Thoughtful, gracious words that encourage hearers are part of reflecting Christ and developing a refined, holy character.
Words to Restrain and Speak
The watch refuses evil-speaking and slander, both speaking evil of anyone and listening to it. When another begins to speak evil, the hearer is to stop it firmly rather than receive it, even when it comes as a quiet, gentle insinuation or as a tale offered as a burden to be shared. Continual guarding of mouth and lips is required so that harmful talk about others is neither spread nor entertained.
The same guard avoids gossip, tale-bearing, revealing secrets, exaggerating, misrepresenting others, and dwelling on their faults. Words are to be few and well chosen, with unadvised remarks left unsaid, in order to preserve unity and prevent needless hurt, misunderstanding, and occasions for others to stumble. Close control of speech keeps words from causing harm, while careless talk injures spiritual life and damages trust and unity in the church.
The watch restrains careless, rough, uncourteous, abrupt, angry, unkind, discouraging, and harmful speech. It checks words before they are spoken, speaking instead kindly, simply, and meekly to encourage hearers and strengthen the weak. Such thoughtful, gracious words reflect Christ's meekness, tenderness, and godly character, and the discipline begins in the mind and heart with Christ's help to bridle the tongue so it pleases God.
Harsh, abusive, retaliatory, provoking, passion-stirring, critical, and faultfinding words are refused, especially by those in responsibility, with speech kept under the Spirit's control. Lips are to be kept from unwise words that provoke wrongdoing, stir up passion, or criticize others, and harsh words are not to be answered with retaliation. Kind, tender speech brings refreshment and blessing while faultfinding sows contention, and wrong words should be confessed and put right with God.
Foolish words and words marked by unbelief are refused, especially in response to criticism, with humble prayer and care preventing unwise speech. Frivolous, fretful, idle, light, trifling, and wicked conversation is also shut out, since temptation makes much grace necessary to avoid speaking wrongly.
Guarded speech is gracious, pleasant, cheerful, and seasoned with grace. Religion stands watch at the lips so that words reflect Christian character and a life ruled by God. Such controlled speech shows care and love for others and reflects Christ.
Guarded Speech in Daily Life
In council and committee meetings the prayer to set a watch before the mouth and keep the door of the lips is a fitting safeguard for guarded speech. It calls for careful and restrained words from those who take part, like a watchman guarding a door over what is said. It reminds each person that God will judge the motives behind actions, with accountability both now and for eternity.
In the home, parents who feel fretful, hasty, or impatient should deliberately watch themselves and resolve not to offend with their words. They should dedicate their words to God and avoid hasty, fretful speech. Only pleasant and cheerful words should be allowed to escape the lips, so that irritability does not harm the family.
Words reveal what fills the heart, leave lasting impressions, and affect those around them for good or evil. Reckless and careless speech can plant harmful thoughts in others and set evil consequences in motion that cannot be stopped. Such unguarded influence can lead another toward temptation, while words shaped by God's love guide and strengthen others toward good purposes and reveal His grace.
Keeping close control over words prevents harm, with speech guided by a changed heart and used for good. Opening the door of the lips through uncontrolled speech, especially when the will is crossed, lets Satan gain control of the tongue and master words and actions. Such careless talk harms the spiritual life and damages trust and unity in the church.