LORD, Place a Guard at My Mouth

The meaning of guard is, to watch over in order to PROTECT or CONTROL. To protect against DAMAGE or HARM.

The definition of sentry is, a soldier STATIONED to keep TO KEEP GUARD or TO CONTROL ACCESS to a place. 

Psalms 141:3 says, 

“LORD, place a GUARD at my mouth, a SENTRY at the door of my lips.”

So many times I’ve failed terribly at keeping watch over what comes out of my mouth. I get the ‘oops’ disappointment. 

Here in the verse above … the Psalmist David asked God:

1. to keep a guard over his mouth to protect it against damage or harm
2. to place a soldier at the door of his lips. 

Don’t know about you … but for me … I sometimes surprise my own self by what comes out of my mouth. It’s those ‘unguarded’ moments that I constantly need to keep watch over. 

Let me set your mind at ease – there’s NO outrageous words …but certainly UNKIND and THOUGHTLESS words. You know that verse that says, sin waits at the door. YEP!!! The struggle is real.

I’ve proven many times that I personally CANNOT keep guard over my mouth… therefore like the Psalmist David – I need God to place a GUARD at my mouth that will BOTH OPEN AND SHUT my lips.

If my mouth and my heart is under God’s watch, then all will be well. 

There’s NO way to prevent hasty, thoughtless, and unkind words from proceeding out of our lips in the midst of an unpleasant situation THAN by asking God to keep GUARD over our mouth.

Unguarded words can both dishonor God and hurt others. 

The beautiful thing about trusting God to guard our mouths is, He understands what we mean even when we are unable to express it. 

Short and quick prayers works wonders in our most unguarded moments. ‘The bended knees and uplifted hands positions’ are true marks of total dependence on God to keep guard over our mouths.

David was concerned about the use of his tongue so he made it a matter of prayer. 

We all need grace to speak in a way that pleases God. 

David knew the wisdom in asking God for help. He understood his weakness was in his unguarded moments of speech. 

LORD,

May we pray before we speak. Not think before we speak, but PRAY before we speak. 

Amen. 

1. Walls can be rebuild 
2. God responds to prayers 
3. We can accomplish great things
4. Understanding God’s Word leads to repentance