Sermon Illustrations

Do not hinder prayer. Those that live without prayer in the world, live without God in their lives. “Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name.” (Jeremiah 10:25). To restrain prayer is worse than not to pray. The latter indicate only a neglect of the duty while the former signify a distant of the duty. To stop a holy exercise (like Prayer) is more dangerous than not to begin or take it up. One is a profane man’s sin, the other is the hypocrites. Those that hinder devotion to Almighty God and not utter prayer with their mouth will soon speak wickedness out of their mouths. (Job 15: 4-5).

A sincere heart prays always while a hypocrite never loves to pray. A highly prosperous hypocrite think that he doesn’t need prayer and nothing to say to God because he has received so much from his creator. On the other hand, however, a hypocrite in deep affliction believe that he cannot get help or get out of his trouble, will stop praying, searching for solution from fellow humans who has no power to help, “Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless” (Psalm 60:11). His spirit fails because his afflictions hold out. He has no true faith in God.

The evil in the heart will be spoken through the mouth unless prayer and the fear of God restrain it. Also, the good that is in the heart will come out of the mouth, especially when prayer unlocks the mouth. David prayed, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise (Psalm 51:15)”. Heavenly thoughts in the heart bring forth heavenly words through the tongue. When the heart is devising of a good matter, the tongue will be swift to speak, and set all to a good tune; same way that the tongue brings out evil matter from the heart.

“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37). Our words show what we are, they declare our hearts. A man may easily be identified through the language that he speaks. There is a spiritual connection between the heart and the tongue. The heart is your data base, your mouth is your outlet; when pressure comes, whatever is in the heart will come forth. It is not a matter of training your mouth what to say but building your heart with the Truth of God's word. It's not our will power but the power of the Word. Faith is belief, belief comes from hearing God's Word. Belief will transform your heart, perception, reasoning and action. That's why God has to get us to believe and confess Him first, then we are put into the realm of righteousness. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10)

When Faith and mouth are connected, power is manifested. Paul, a man of faith and power, said, "I believe and therefore I speak." We can't manufacture faith, only God is the source of faith, only the Bible is the treasure of faith. Faith comes as we hear or receive Word of God, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

As our hearts fellowship with God, wait on and hear Him earnestly and humbly, the supernatural force of faith comes, for you have touched the heart of God! Then out of the abundance of your heart, filled with the presence of God, your mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45) The tongue is not idly talking or negatively complaining any more but purposefully declaring, decreeing, commanding with a strong conviction and persuasion called faith.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mark 11:22-23

Dear Almighty God, give us the tongue of the learned so that we can know how to speak a word in season to a weary man (Isaiah 50:4), and pray earnestly for the broken hearted. Give us a sincere heart to pray regularly. Help us O lord to tame our tongue because its beyond our power (James 3: 8). Glorify yourself in our words every day, in Jesus name we have prayed, Amen.

(Outline from JOSEPH CARYL'S EXPOSITION ON THE BOOK OF JOB)

Related Sermon Illustrations

Related Sermons