Grant Me the Grace of Self Control

Let the words of my mouth, 

  and the meditation of my heart,
     be acceptable in thy sight,
     O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

(Psalm 19:14, RSV)

O Lord my God,

grant unto me the grace of self-control, I pray.

My daily goal is to honor you, and glorify you;

and yet things I say, and even things I think,

get in the way of fulfilling my goal.

I want my words and my heart-thoughts – 

  especially my heart-thoughts – 

to be pleasing and acceptable to you.

You have clearly told me how necessary

it is for me – and all your people – 

to tame the tongue:

     “The tongue is a fire,

     a world of evil among the parts

     of the body” ⁺

And you have reminded me – 

and all your people – 

that it is from the heart that 

come the things that defile us.*

And so if my daily goal is to glorify you,

and to honor you,

then I must ask that you help me

to govern my heart and my mouth.

Fill me, I pray, with grace.

Let my speech be filled with words that

  convey your majesty,

    bring hope and comfort,

      offer compassion and mercy,

        build up, edify.

And let my every thought 

be motivated by the burning desire

  to love you with my whole being,

    and to love my neighbor as myself,

      and to love others as you have loved me.

O Lord my God,

grant unto me the grace -- the fruit of the Spirit --

of self-control, I pray.

Let the words of my mouth,

and the meditations of my heart,

be acceptable in your sight,

my rock and my redeemer.

Amen.

+James 3:6

* See Mark 7:15

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.