Building up

9/11/20
Today’s devotion for today is based on Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.”

If you are not careful, you can misread parts of the Bible, missing what is going on in the text. The verse above is one of those verses I’ve often misread. When I used to read the text, I believed that our goal is just not to say bad things. After studying the verse closely, I now realize that what Paul is saying is that we need to consider if our words benefit them. It has changed how I communicate with others.
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Please prays the prayer for today with me: Heavenly Father, creator, and sustainer of all things, seen and unseen, help us to speak words that build up our hearers – not just avoiding unwholesome talk, but words that build up those who need it, words that edify, and words that grow people. Help us to truly know and love those we talk with so that we know the right things to say by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, we pray