“Pray… for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make know the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Eph. 6:19-20 NIV1984).
As a prisoner in Rome, Paul wrote those words. He wasn’t asking to be released or for better living conditions. He simply wanted to share the message of Jesus with everyone he encountered. His prayer request was that he might do it boldly and without reserve whenever he opened his mouth. Paul’s calling was to share the gospel with everyone, and even in prison, God gave him a large mission field, and he was going to share the gospel with everyone around him.
We should pray for pastors, teachers and leaders in every position, as well as for one another, that when we open our mouths, we will be eager and unashamed to share our hope in Christ — “as we should.”
As I approached this subject, I thought of other reasons we should want people to pray for us “whenever we open our mouths.” We know how James describes the tongue — it can be an instrument for good or bad. Therefore, our request for prayer should be that our words will be uplifting and encouraging, offer comfort and hope to hurting people, and, most importantly, always express our desire for others to know Jesus. We are to be Christ-like in everything we say. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Gal. 5:22).How wonderful if those attributes would always be reflected when we opened our mouths to speak.
Negative words can also come from our mouths. Therefore, we should request prayer that we will be careful not to complain, criticize, gossip, say hurtful words or spew anger to those around us. We need the prayers of others so we will be mindful of the words we write on social media, words that only encourage arguments or solicit unnecessary comments. Remember the old saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Our words can have far-reaching effects.
Most of the time, our words reflect the fruit of the Spirit; however, the opposite can often be true. If you find it challenging to keep your mouth in check, asking someone to pray for you is okay. Why? It is important that “the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).May we also remember that “pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Prov. 16:24). What a difference our words can make!
While imprisoned in Rome, Paul preached to large numbers of people and “declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets” (Rom. 28:23). It was obvious people had prayed for Paul whenever he opened his mouth to speak. “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance, he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 28:30-31). Whenever we open our mouths, may we always speak the right words that benefit all who hear us.
