When You Regret Words You Spoke Today
Your Nightly Prayer for Feb. 24, 2025
by Rachel Wojo, Host of the Untangling Prayer podcast
TONIGHT'S SCRIPTURE
“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” - Proverbs 12:18
SOMETHING TO PONDER
"I wish I wouldn't have said that." The thought crosses your mind just after you turn out the light and lie down to sleep. If you're carrying regret over something you said today, tonight's prayer is for you.
Our words carry an enormous amount of power. They can wound deeply or restore and heal. Sometimes, in moments of frustration or weariness, words leak out of our mouths and leave behind pain. The pain not only hurts others but also wounds our own hearts.
A careless comment often gets replayed in your mind at the end of the day; have you noticed that? The tone, the delivery, the reaction- they all linger. Words can be weapons of destruction or forces of strength. Whether you spoke harshly to a loved one or snapped at a co-worker, impatience resulted in unkindness.
The good news is that God invites us to bring these moments to Him. Through His redemptive grace, His healing stretches to mend the hearts we've hurt and our own.
While we can't take the words back, we can take steps toward healing that will allow us to rest. First, we can ask God to forgive us and trust that He is faithful. Secondly, we can ask Him for guidance and wisdom to apologize and mend the relationship. Then, we can ask the Holy Spirit to give us new words to usher in sweetness and replace the bitterness.
I love what David prayed in Psalm 19:14, "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer."
As you prepare to rest, let this truth settle in your heart: while our words can wound, they can also heal. Through God's grace, we can choose wisely and bring life to those around us. Tomorrow is a new day—a new chance to speak words that build up and bless.
YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
Tonight, I come to You with a heavy heart. I regret the words I've spoken today that may have hurt others. You see my heart, Lord, and You know the pain my words may have caused. I ask for Your forgiveness for allowing frustration and impatience to guide my tongue.
Help me to walk in humility, Lord, and give me the courage to apologize to those I've hurt. Restore any brokenness my words have caused, and bring healing to strained relationships.
May my tongue be a tool for healing, encouragement, and love. Tomorrow, when I'm tempted to speak in haste, remind me of the power of my words and help me to pause and pray before I speak. Thank You, Jesus, for Your mercy, grace, and unfailing love.
Amen.
THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
1. Something soft. Perhaps the pillow you rest on or the blanket that drapes your bed.
2. A time you choose to speak life into someone else and remember the beauty that followed.
3. Something lovely. A word of encouragement you received and want to emulate.
Thank you for joining me today. I'm Rachel Wojo and I hope this prayer has encouraged your heart. If you're looking for guidance on deepening your prayer life in tough times, I invite you to check out my new book, Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life's Darkest Moments. You'll find real-life stories, prayers, and practical ways to connect with God when you need Him most. You can learn more at desperateprayers.com. The link is in the show notes. Until next time, remember, God sees you, hears you, and He knows your needs.
Photo Credit: ©Getty/Mladen-Zivkovic
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Originally published Monday, 24 February 2025.
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