Salty Speech
By Bethany LaShell
Monday - 3.1.21
My favorite example of a powerful prayer is the story of Elijah at Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18:20-40. My brother and I would beg my dad to read it to us at the dinner table because we loved to cheer on the good guys (Elijah and God) and hear about the perfect demise of the bad guys (Baal and his false prophets)—all because of a simple prayer:
“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back” (v. 37).
As a former literature professor, I can appreciate the perfection of the hero’s journey archetype here. As a more mature Christian, I can appreciate the profound impact that Elijah’s prayer of faith had:
“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, ‘The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God’” (vs. 38-39).
I don’t know about you, but I have often wished that my prayers could be as effective as Elijah’s. With 316 references to the word pray in the Bible, we can find plenty of examples and guidance in Scripture; however, I still find myself without words occasionally.
Even the disciples needed guidance when it came to prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4), so it makes sense that we would, too. For many of us, praying to our heavenly Father seems much more difficult and mysterious than conversing with a good friend over coffee.
The apostle Paul also felt it necessary to instruct the believers in Colosse on how to pray and conduct themselves as Christians among worldly people. As we come to the end of our study of Colossians, Paul gives his final instructions on how believers are to speak and act—both in private and in public.
He jumps right in with a command to “continue steadfastly in prayer.” This implies that he knew they were already praying, and that they should be earnest and persistent in their prayers. Often, we have a tendency to give up before our prayers are answered, but we are called here to keep on praying for our kids to return to the Lord, for our unsaved family members to know Christ, for unity among believers, for peace, for comfort, for healing, for our national leaders, for Christ’s name to be glorified, for God’s will to be done.
As the great preacher Charles Spurgeon advised us, “Besiege the throne of God with a hundred hands, and look at the promise with a hundred eyes. You have a great work on hand for you have to move the arm that moves the world; watch, then, for every means of moving that arm.”
Paul also reminds the Colossians to be “vigilant,” which means wakeful. We do tend to struggle with staying awake when we pray. (Just me? Thought not!). Instead of only making requests when we go to our heavenly Father in prayer, we are also to be thankful and offer up praise for who God is and for answered prayers.
Trust that God hears every single prayer. Just because He doesn’t answer right away or answer the way we wish He would does not mean that he didn’t hear us.
God not only cares about what goes on in our private prayer closets, but He also cares about how we present our public character.
Kids these days use the word salty to mean bitter. But here, Paul is urging believers to make sure our speech is seasoned with salt, connoting wit and wisdom.
Another phrase I hear regularly is, “I never think about what I say; I like to be just as surprised as everyone else!” But, friend, that’s not biblical! With our tongues, we spew “both blessing and cursing. My brothers [and sisters!], these things ought not to be so” (James 3:9 ESV). The Bible contains 136 references to the tongue, 52 references to speech, and 548 references to the word speak. I’m pretty sure that indicates that God cares about what comes out of our mouths, and we should, too!
When we live wisely and speak graciously, we bring glory to God, and that’s what our lives should be about.
Call to Action:
Pray and reflect on the following Scriptures regarding prayer:
Matthew 6:9-13—the Lord’s prayer, our prime example for how to structure our prayers.
Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (ESV).
Reflections
What is your biggest struggle with prayer? Ask God to help you overcome it.
Write out prayers for your loved ones based on Scripture passages, then write a letter (or email) to them letting them know how you’re praying for them.
How can you ensure your speech this week is “seasoned with salt” rather than just salty (bitter)? Do you need to repent of negative speech patterns in your life?
Do your closet prayers and your street life match up? What do you need to change to ensure that you’re both talking the talk and walking the walk?
