Pray First!
I have found myself in Proverbs and in Ephesians 4:29, Ok, many other places, but for a page certainly one must narrow it down.
Romans 16:17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
So much truth there.
We must remember out of our hearts our mouths speak (what we think dictates what we feel and what we feel contributes to our thoughts). It is wisdom for us to return to the Lord first, settle our minds and thoughts in Him, Be still and wait on Him, pray that He would fill our thoughts and hearts. And then,...... we speak.
As women, we share our hearts with each other, our hurts and disappointments and we comfort each other. The danger in this without praying first, whether we are speaker or the hearer, is separation, division, and hardness of hearts, also we may repeat (gossip), we may fall into bearing (even false) witness to what we heard, and it may be emotionally charged, but it may be a fire of false testimony of another. Praying first for God to guard your heart and mind and mouth.
If you are the speaker, and have a burden, go to God first, then if led, go to a trusted person, and pray first before sharing. This will keep you from a multitude of sins, and the listener as well. For if you share, and they harbor resentment towards another due to what you shared, you may have been a stumbling block to them, it is important to speak in love and wisdom with the Lord as the watchman over your tongue and heart and theirs as well. Also if you are speaking of a hurt remember to share with that individual when forgiveness and reconciliation has taken place. And again pray that your hearts not be hardened.
Listener, you have a responsibility as well. Ask to start with prayer. And pray together that the Lord would measure the words being spoken and heard and that truth and love would be shared and that the Lord would bring wisdom for reconciliation and forgiveness.
Women we must guard our thoughts, heart, and mouths. Do not open your mouth to speak if it is to divide. Simple.
My heart has been burdened and the Lord was kind and peaceful departing His wisdom. Do not sit and partake in the way of scoffers, do not listen to those that tickle your ears, do not stand in the path of sinners. Even our dearest, even ourselves, can and will be those, when hurt, mad, or disappointed, bear with one another, but do it through Christ, apply His word, His way!! Do not sin with gossip, do not cause another to sin by putting them in earshot, and do not put yourself in that place as a receiver of divisive words. PRAY FIRST!
I have journeyed in all the above positions, and now I am excluded in many ways because I insist on prayer and this limits many conversations. Praise be to God. I am thankful for the Lord is guarding my heart. I am grieved at times when a little sneaks in, but God is faithful and kind and brings it to my mind and touches my heart to remind me, to give it to Him. Being left out of somethings is quite the blessing. It is a simple life we are after with our Lord Jesus Christ, and when we abide in Him, even when we don't feel like it, and so we read His word, because we can't clear our own mind, He is faithful and just to redeem us for Himself. The truth sets us free, because we are no longer a slave to the bondage's of lies and man. Indulge in the simplicity of this elegance
Isaiah 55:11 (NIV) So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me [a]void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Psalms 1:1 (AMP)Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).
Luke 6:45 (CJB)
The good person produces good things from the store of good in his heart, while the evil person produces evil things from the store of evil in his heart. For his mouth speaks what overflows from his heart.
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Matthew 18 All of it. And remember you are a child of God, it is not just the little children, you too are children!!
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