A Prayer for the Second Sentence
A prayer about speech, shaped by Proverbs 15 and the day's ordinary conversations.
Proverbs 15:1NIV
God of peace, you have told us that a gentle answer turns away wrath and a harsh word stirs up anger. We know it is true, and we still reach for the harsh word because it feels like strength. Forgive the things we have said in heat. Forgive the things we said quietly that were meant to wound.
Today give us the gentle answer. When someone speaks to us sharply, let us hear the hurt behind it before we answer the sharpness. When we are tired and tempted to snap, hold our tongues for us, since we cannot always hold them ourselves.
Remind us that our words are a harvest we will eat. Let us plant life. Let us speak to our children, our spouses, our coworkers, and the strangers we meet in ways that leave them better than we found them.
And teach us contentment, so that a small meal with love feels like the feast it is. Give us hearts at rest in you, and let the rest show on our faces. Through Christ, who never spoke a careless word. Amen.
More in prayer
A Prayer for the Tired
For the end of a long day, when strength is thin and the work is not done.
A Prayer for the Tired
For the ordinary evening when the day has asked more than we had to give.
A Prayer for the Tired
For the hours when the work is not finished and the strength is nearly gone.
