May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14, NLT*
This is a familiar passage often prayed before meetings or in other gatherings where we desire God to be honoured. I always took it to mean “what we discuss and decide or plan here”
But what about all the other things in our hearts when we’re alone?
Isn’t that what meditation means, to focus on or rehearse? To dwell on? To, perhaps, stew over?
How many times do we let our thoughts swim with negatives and complaints? We wish a conversation could have gone differently, we pick at what we didn’t like about Sunday service, we fret over grievances.
Not exactly the “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” that we’re called to do.
Holy and good God, who searches our thoughts and knows our hearts, forgive our sins and retrain us in Your ways. May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing to You. And when they’re not, please get our attention and bring us back on track. Don’t let anything pull us away from nearness to You.
∞
Let Kathryn Scott’s song, “Search Me, Know Me,” be our prayer today:
*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Yes and I read from Hebrews 12: 1-3 … fix your eyes on Jesus..
Blessings,
Jan
Sometimes I can almost hear Him coaching, “Focus!”
Sometimes though, I have to just hold up the whole sorry mess to him and say, “Here it is, you know anyway, and love me in spite of it, but HELP!”
And He always does, when we pray like that!
Wise counsel, my dear friend. Bless you!
I share what I’m learning, and what I still need to learn. Any wisdom is His. 🙂
’tis true, my friend. ’tis true.