A Good Word

If you pray and ask God to lead you to speak a word of blessing over someone, I believe that is a prayer request the Lord enjoys answering with a yes!

A Good Word

"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad."

(Proverbs 12:25)

I often refer to this proverb as it is my favorite of all the proverbs written by Solomon. As I mentioned in yesterday's devotion, my primary love language is words of affirmation. (For a good treatment on the five primary love languages, see The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.)

In the 2017 movie Wonder, the main character is a young boy named August "Auggie" Pullman (played by Jacob Tremblay). Toward the end of the movie, little Auggie makes a profound and true statement: "Be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle." Similarly, the actor Robin Williams once said, "Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always."

A prayer I often pray to God is, "Lord, help me today to give and receive kindness." I am not talking about flattery, where you compliment someone only because you are seeking a compliment in return. No flatter; just sincere words of blessing and affirmation to all we meet.

Let me encourage you to do this today and begin with the people closest to you, those who live in the same home as you, your family. It is easy to speak harsh words of criticism and neglect this ancient wisdom of Solomon to speak good words. Solomon also wrote: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver" (Proverbs 25:11). He also said in Proverbs 30:11 and 14: "There is a generation that curses its father, and does not bless its mother. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men."

If you pray and ask God to lead you to speak a word of blessing over someone, I believe that is a prayer request that the Lord enjoys answering in the affirmative! Try it. Pray, ask the Lord for direction, and when He brings someone to mind, send them an encouraging word.