Today's Verse: Ecclesiastes 5:2

Thursday, May 2, 2024

This week we're mailing annual US IRS donation records...

Please check your mailbox, inbox, and spam folder. Thank you for your support!

 More Info
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
— Ecclesiastes 5:2
Now you can listen to Today's Verse on iTunes, Spotify, Echo devices, and more!

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Even in our TikTok®, short sound-byte world, far too often, many words are spoken in pledge to God that go unfulfilled. We are also tempted to pray long prayers, thinking God will hear us because of our many words (Matthew 6:7). Instead, let's thank him, praise him, and make our requests to him. But let's also realize that while our prayers need to be persistent, our words don't need to be elaborate, refined, and many in number.

My Prayer...

Almighty God, thank you for the Holy Spirit interceding with you for us as we pray (Romans 8:26-27). Thank you for reminding us in your Scriptures that we don't have to use articulate prayers for you to hear our hearts. Thank you for not expecting grandiose promises or dazzling words from us when we pray. We come to you as your children, your humble servants, who long to live for you and praise you with our lives and our words. In Jesus' name, dear Father, we seek your grace as we pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

5 Related Resources by Heartlight

Let your Words be Few
Illustration of Ecclesiastes 5:2
Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. - Ecclesiastes 5:2
Consider Your Words
Article by Tom Norvell
How many words are too many words? Tom Norvell makes a short and simple point about not using too many words.
Too Many Words
Article by Phil Ware
Fearful words for any preacher to hear! We must guard against using too many words!
Post 9-11, Prayer, & Politics
Article by Phil Ware
Are you ready for the bumpy ride? Phil Ware reflects on 9-11 and reminds us to pray, while directing us to read and think through our faith.
See All 5 Related Resources about Ecclesiastes 5:2

Illustration

Illustration of Ecclesiastes 5:2 — Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Thursday, May 2, 2024

Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Yielded to Righteousness' (Ro. 6:19-23)
"Dear Father, Master of my life, As I once yielded my members to impurity and greater and greater iniquity, so now I yield them to you for..."
Spiritual Warfare
A daily devotional about God's power for our battles.
'Bribes Make People Ignore Bad Behavior'
"Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'So Merciful, This God of Ours' (Ps. 116:5-7)
"How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of childlike faith; I was facing death, and he saved me....."
God's Holy Fire
A daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
'Spiritual Understanding' (1 Co. 2:12)
"What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us."

About This Devotional

Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

More Today's Verse