Night Prayer
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Inspiration
Our speech reveals what is in our hearts and minds. Are we full of wisdom and grace, or are we on a course toward destruction? When we speak with love and truth, setting aside malice and deception, God’s grace is revealed in us. But when our words are careless, we not only harm others, but we reveal ourselves to be untrustworthy, bringing down judgment upon our own heads.
Prayer
Father God, You alone are the source of all wisdom. My mind is limited and my ways are faulty. Help me to seek You before I speak, so that I may discern truth from folly and speak only what is gracious and right. Guard my mouth against impetuous and unrestrained speech, so that I may not harm myself or others with my words. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
