May the Words of My Mouth

There are some Bible verses that seem to find us at just the right time.

Psalm 19:14 is one of those verses for me.

I love how this verse is both simple and deep. It is a prayer—but it's also a reminder of the kind of woman I want to be.

A Little Background

Psalm 19 was written by David, and I love the way this psalm unfolds.

In the beginning, David looks at God's creation and recognizes that the heavens declare God's glory. Then he turns his attention to God's Word, describing it as perfect, trustworthy, right, pure and more valuable than gold.

And then, toward the end of the psalm, David turns the focus toward himself.

After looking at who God is and reflecting on God's Word, David essentially says, Now, Lord, look at me.

That's where we find Psalm 19:14.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

I think there is something very intentional about David mentioning both his mouth and his heart.

The Words of My Mouth

Lord, let my words please You.

That's a pretty big prayer when you really stop and think about it.

It's easy to think about our words when we're sitting in church or talking about the Lord. But what about our words when we're frustrated? When we're tired? When someone has hurt us? When we're irritated or disappointed?

Those moments can reveal what's really going on inside us.

I've certainly had moments in my life when I've said something and later wished I could take it back. And as I've gotten older, I've become more aware of just how powerful our words can be.

Words can encourage someone.

They can make someone laugh.

They can bring comfort when someone is hurting.

But words can also wound.

Sometimes we don't even realize how deeply something we've said has affected someone else.

That's why I love that David doesn't simply say, "May the words of my mouth be good."

He says, "May they be pleasing in your sight."

It's not ultimately about whether everyone else approves of what I say.

It's about whether God is pleased with what comes out of my mouth.

And Then There Is My Heart...

This is the part that really makes me stop.

“...and the meditation of my heart...”

What we meditate on is what we think about, dwell on, ponder and allow to occupy our minds.

And God sees those things too.

Other people hear my words, but God sees my heart.

He knows the thoughts I don't say out loud.

He knows the things I worry about.

He knows the things that hurt me.

He knows the things I struggle to let go of.

He knows the thoughts that can creep into my mind when I'm frustrated, disappointed or discouraged.

And that makes this verse much more personal to me.

Because I can sometimes control what comes out of my mouth while still having thoughts in my heart that aren't pleasing to God.

I can say the right thing while thinking something completely different.

God wants more than just the right words. He wants our hearts.

As I've Gotten Older...

I think about this verse differently now than I might have years ago.

Life has a way of teaching us things.

I've experienced joy and disappointment, answered prayers and prayers that seemed to go unanswered. I've experienced loss, changes, relationships, family situations and all the things that come with simply living life.

And through it all, I've learned that I don't want to just look like a Christian.

I want my life to actually reflect Christ.

That means I want my words to reflect Him.

But I also want my thoughts, attitudes, motives and the things nobody else sees to reflect Him too.

That's harder.

Because it's easy to clean up the outside.

It's harder to let God work on the inside.

And honestly, that's where I still need Him every single day.

"My Rock and My Redeemer"

I also love how David ends this verse.

He calls God “my Rock and my Redeemer.”

My Rock.

The One who is steady when life isn't.

The One I can lean on when I don't have all the answers.

The One who doesn't change when everything around me does.

And my Redeemer.

The One who doesn't expect me to have everything figured out or to be perfect.

The One who can take my mistakes, my failures, my weaknesses and my messes and redeem them.

That gives me hope.

Because Psalm 19:14 isn't a prayer that says, "Lord, look at how well I'm doing."

It's really more like:

"Lord, I need You to help me."

Help me with my words.

Help me with my thoughts.

Help me with my attitudes.

Help me with the things in my heart that nobody else sees.

Help me become more like You.

A Prayer I Want to Pray Every Day

The older I get, the more I realize that I want to be intentional about what I allow into my heart and what I allow to come out of my mouth.

I don't always get it right.

But I want to keep growing.

I want to be the kind of person whose words encourage more than they hurt.

Whose thoughts are focused more on God's goodness than on life's disappointments.

Whose heart is quick to forgive.

Whose attitude reflects gratitude.

Whose life points people toward Jesus.

So this verse has become more than just a beautiful Scripture to me.

It's a prayer.

Lord, may the words of my mouth be pleasing to You.

May the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You.

When I'm happy, may my words honor You.

When I'm frustrated, may my words honor You.

When I'm hurt, may my words honor You.

When I'm alone with my thoughts, may my heart honor You.

And when I fail—and I will—may I turn back to You, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Because at the end of the day, that's really what I want.

Not just to say the right things, but to have a heart that is right with Him.

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
— Psalm 19:14 NIV

That's my prayer today. And honestly, I think it's a pretty good prayer for every day.