The Power of Thoughts

 


But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God.
Matthew‬ ‭15:18‬ ‭CEV‬‬

In this verse, Jesus teaches that the true source of defilement and sin is not external, but internal. It is not what we eat or touch that makes us unclean, but what we think and say. Our words reveal the condition of our hearts, and they have the power to hurt or heal, to bless or curse, to honor or dishonor God.

Jesus said this in response to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who criticized his disciples for not following the traditions of their ancestors, such as washing their hands before eating.

Jesus exposed their hypocrisy and showed that they were more concerned about human rules than God's commands. They neglected to love and respect their parents, and they taught false doctrines that contradicted God's word. They praised God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him.

Jesus also explained this to his disciples, who asked him to clarify what he meant by the things that make people unclean. He listed some examples of the evil thoughts that come out of the heart, such as murder, adultery, theft, lying, and slander.

These are the things that make us unfit to worship God, because they violate his holy and righteous character and his law of love.

Therefore, we need to examine our hearts and our words, and repent of any sin that we find in them.

We need to ask God to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to create in us a pure heart and a right spirit.

We need to fill our minds with God's truth and our mouths with God's praise.

We need to speak words that edify and encourage others, and that glorify and honor God.

We need to remember that we will be judged by every word that we say, and that we will have to give an account to God for them.

By doing this, we will be able to worship God in spirit and in truth, and to enjoy his presence and his peace.

We will also be able to witness to others about his grace and his salvation, and to share his love and his gospel.

We will be able to fulfill the greatest commandment, which is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second, which is to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for your word that teaches me how to live and worship you.

I confess that I have sinned against you with my words, and that they have revealed the evil in my heart.

I ask you to forgive me and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

I ask you to create in me a pure heart and a right spirit, and to fill me with your love and your truth.

I ask you to help me to speak words that edify and encourage others, and that glorify and honor you.

I ask you to help me to worship you in spirit and in truth, and to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself.

In Jesus' name I pray,
amen.
***

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