Watch Your Words: A Devotional on Taming Your Tongue - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - March 24, 2026
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3, NKJV).
As Christ followers, our speech should reflect Him and His ways and be seasoned with grace, humility, and love. If we confess our faith in Christ, there should be evidence of our changed speech as well as our changed life and behavior. When people meet us, they should hear and see something different than the rest of the world, which does not follow the Lord.
I admit, I struggle to tame my tongue, especially when I am caught up in my emotions and/or sleep-deprived or hungry. My flesh wants to rule, and one way that happens in my life is how I am wielding my words.
If there were one verse from the Bible that I should have tattooed under my eyelids, it would be from Psalm 141:
“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3, NKJV).
This has become a constant prayer for me, especially as I am seeing how my speech is influencing my children. Children are little sponges, and they absorb everything we say and do. My oldest is becoming a master of sarcasm thanks to me. I see my sinful speech tendencies in my children, and I don’t want these habits to form into consistent behavior. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34), so our words are a reflection of what is going on in our hearts. We should pause when we see ungodly speech become consistent in our lives, repent, and ask God to help us guard our mouths and choose our words wisely, or to know when to be silent.
Even in disagreements, we should continue to speak with a heart of love for others and not use profanity or offensive remarks that would hurt or cause pain. We should also be careful not to grumble or complain or speak ungraciously about someone, but to use our tongue to proclaim our thankfulness unto the Lord, as well as speak good and edifying things of others. Taming the tongue is something we must grow in each day as the Lord sanctifies us. The good news is that we are never left on our own to walk in that type of self-control regarding our words. It is not something we can do apart from the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. The temptation to use our tongue for our own benefit and reputation is strong, but let us be quick to ask the Lord for His help daily as we continue to grow in the likeness of Him, especially in our speech.
Do you struggle with watching what you say? Let’s take time to repent for using our tongues to puff ourselves up above others, complain about our circumstances, or hurt others with painful words that cut deep to the heart. We need God’s help to control our tongues in times of strife or disagreement with others. Our words should be used to glorify and honor God and share His truth and gospel. Do your actions reflect your speech? By God’s grace, He can help your life match your profession of faith. Ask the Lord to help you guard your mouth and to choose your words wisely, or know when it’s best not to say anything at all. When your flesh wants to rule, God will always provide a way out every time you are tempted to use your words in a foolish way to hurt others or complain. Our desire should be to look more and more like Jesus in word and deed, and the more we spend time with Him and read His word, the more He will be faithful to work in our lives!
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
