Lord..! Help me to guard my tongue

When God Reveals Why Our Prayers Are Not Answered – The Power of Guarding Our Tongue

Sometimes, we wonder why our prayers remain unanswered despite repeatedly approaching God with a humble heart and a broken spirit. We pray, plead, wait and hope, yet the doors before us seem to remain closed.

I, too, have been experiencing such feelings these days. I began to wonder why God was not even listening to my prayers when I was knocking at every possible door, seeking His intervention.

Yes, I had a painful grievance against our Almighty Lord, who hears the prayers of His children.

I even asked Him why He was displeased with me. I pleaded with Him to reveal the reason behind His silence. If there was something wrong in me, I wanted Him to show it to me so that I could repent, correct myself and return to Him with a renewed heart.

Then, something happened last night.

As I was tossing and turning in my bed, struggling to fall asleep, a particular Bible verse came to my mind. It was just one simple line, but it revealed something profound about my own behaviour and the reason I needed to examine myself.

"If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless,"

(Jeremiah 15:19)

That single line made me reflect deeply on my own words, conversations and behaviour over the years.

The sins committed through my tongue

I realized that I had often been too talkative, argumentative and combative.

For almost everything that did not meet my expectations or agree with my personal standards, I would become annoyed, irritated or complain.

I developed a habit of finding faults in others based on my own perceptions and yardsticks.

At times, I indulged in gossip and discussed other people's mistakes and shortcomings. I frequently uttered unnecessary and worthless words during conversations and discussions.

I criticized the wrongdoings of governments, leaders, bureaucrats, politicians, the police, the media, the judiciary, the private sector and even the organizations and industries in which I had worked.

Whenever I encountered heated arguments, I would raise my voice and try to establish my point of view. I often continued arguing until the other person stopped responding. I believed that proving my point was more important than maintaining peace.

I judged people according to my own understanding, without always considering their circumstances, limitations or perspectives.

Looking back, I now realize that many of my sins, mistakes and blunders were committed not through my actions but through my tongue.

Unfortunately, my own words sometimes became my greatest enemies, both personally and professionally. They brought me embarrassment, strained relationships, disappointment and setbacks.

For many years, I failed to recognize the damage caused by my unnecessary words. Even though I read numerous teachings in Isaiah, Proverbs and Psalms about controlling the tongue, I did not sincerely put those teachings into practice.

What does the Bible teach us about our words?

The Bible repeatedly warns us about the consequences of careless, harsh and evil speech.

1. Stop pointing fingers and speaking evil

"If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil."

(Isaiah 58:9)

2. Guard your mouth to protect yourself from trouble

"Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity."

(Proverbs 21:23)

3. Keep your tongue away from evil

"Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies."

(Psalm 34:12–13)

4. Respond gently rather than harshly

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

(Proverbs 15:1)

5. Understand that too many words can lead to sin

"Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues."

(Proverbs 10:19)

There are so many beautiful teachings in the Bible reminding us to control our speech, avoid gossip, refrain from judging others and speak with kindness.

Yet, merely reading these verses is not enough. I must practice them in my daily life.

I read them, understood them intellectually, but failed to transform my behaviour. Perhaps that was the very lesson I needed to learn.

My repentance and resolution

Today, I feel that I must sincerely repent for the evils committed through my mouth.

I must learn to pause before speaking, think before responding and examine whether my words are necessary, truthful, constructive and kind.

I must stop finding faults in everyone and everything.

I must understand that I am not appointed to judge every person, correct every mistake or win every argument.

I must learn that silence is sometimes wiser than speech, forgiveness is greater than criticism, and a gentle response is more powerful than a loud argument.

This does not mean that we should remain silent in the face of injustice or wrongdoing. Rather, we must learn to express our concerns responsibly, without hatred, humiliation, gossip or unnecessary accusations.

I now understand that prayer is not merely about asking God to change our circumstances. It is also about allowing God to change us.

Perhaps, while I was repeatedly asking God to open the doors before me, I had failed to examine what needed to change within myself.

Perhaps, I was asking for blessings while neglecting the discipline of my own words.

I do not claim that every unanswered prayer is a consequence of our sins or that I have discovered the reason behind every silence of God. But this personal realization has made me understand that I must first examine my own life before questioning His ways.

My humble prayer to Almighty God

Dear Lord Almighty,

I have complained about my circumstances, questioned Your silence and wondered why my prayers were not answered.

But today, I want to examine myself rather than blame You.

Forgive me for the unnecessary words I have spoken, the people I have hurt, the faults I have magnified, the arguments I have prolonged and the judgments I have made.

Give me the wisdom to distinguish between words that build and words that destroy.

Teach me when to speak, what to speak and when to remain silent.

Let my words bring comfort rather than pain, understanding rather than conflict, encouragement rather than discouragement, and peace rather than anger.

Above all, transform my heart so that my thoughts, words and actions become pleasing to You.

I humbly pray with the words of the Psalmist:

"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

(Psalm 19:14)

Amen!

A thought to remember:

We often ask God to open the doors that are closed before us, but sometimes we must first close the doors to our own unnecessary words, harsh speech, gossip and judgment.

Prayer is not only asking God to change our lives; it is also allowing God to transform our hearts, thoughts, words and behaviour.