Day-21-Lenten-Reflection.docx
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🕊️ LENTEN DEVOTION – DAY 21🕊
💎 Tuesday – Third Week of Lent. 💎
💔 The Power of Gentle Speech 💔
Today, we consider how our words shape reality. In Colossians 4:6 (NKJV), Paul
writes, *_“Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”_* Words can build up or break down; they can heal or harm. Lent invites us to cultivate speech that reflects Christ—kind, constructive, and corrective where needed, always aimed at mercy and reconciliation.
African nations can boast of bustling markets, busy offices, and vibrant mosques and churches, where a single harsh word can inflame tensions or erode trust. African traditionalists are so calm and few these days.
Conversely, a timely word of encouragement or a gentle rebuke given in love can
defuse conflict, restore relationships, and strengthen community bonds. Practising
gracious speech means choosing words that de-escalate anger, preserve dignity,
and invite collaboration in addressing communal challenges. Africans have now developed a brazen use of social media to heighten fears, create tensions and divide their nations more than they should build it: They call it, *_“telling the truth to power!”_* What a misnomer!
*Reflection:* How often do my words reveal grace or grumble? Do I speak to uplift, or do I contribute to fatigue and fear? Lent invites us to an intentional reformation of our tongue—speaking truth in love, with patience, and with the humility to listen as well as correct.
Today’s practice invites you to: Pause before replying in conversations, especially online. Choose one person to bless with a constructive word. Pray for grace to respond with gentleness in tense situations, to build up gracefully.
💎 *LITURGICAL PRAYER* 💎
*_O gracious Jehovah Mokeddishkem,_* shape my words today that they may build up, encourage, and heal. Give me the wisdom to speak the truth at the right time and to the right audience, so that it will change situations for the better and not inflame or incite violence. Grant me grace to speak truth with love, to rebuke with compassion, and to season my speech with wisdom. May Nigeria feel the warmth of edifying conversation that fosters peace and unity. Amen. (Colossians 4:6 NKJV).
*Prayer for disciplined speech: _Abba Father,_* help me think before I speak, weighing my words in the light of Your Word. Guard my lips from sarcasm, evil sharpness, or rashness; empower me to be a conduit of grace. Amen. *(Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 16:24 NKJV)*
*Intercession for national discourse:* Lord, steady public conversation in our nation. Cure harsh rhetoric with measured communication, and empower leaders and citizens to pursue truth, justice, and respect. Amen. *– James 1:19-20; Proverbs 12:18* NKJV.
*Closing blessing: _May your day be filled with words that heal, encourage, and
honour God. Amen._ – Ephesians 4:29* NKJV.
🕊️ *_“Let your speech be always with grace.”_ – Colossians 4:6* (NKJV) 🕊️
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