How to mutilate a prayer

I've begun to be careful about asking others to pray for me. At least, I've started editing the people/groups I want praying for me or mine.

Here's why. Sometimes when we ask others to pray for us, they agree, and then immediately sabotage their own prayers.

Here's how it works. They pray, "Lord, please help ______ to get well..." (or whatever the request) and then they proceed to cut the heart out of their prayer with their own tongue:

"I just heard _____ has a terrible disease... he probably won't make it... I had a cousin who died with that disease within weeks of the diagnosis... nobody ever recovers from that...", etc.

I know what you're thinking. At least they're praying. Does it really matter what they say in casual conversation?

Well, Solomon said, "Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed." (Proverbs 11:11 NIV).

And, "The tongue has the power of life and death..." (Proverbs 18:21 NIV).

Maybe that's why James, one of Jesus' brothers, said that the tongue can set the whole course of a person's life "on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." (James 3:6 NIV).

Strong words! These wise people knew that the human tongue operates the levers - to either bless or curse. And the tongue can mutilate a prayer until it's beyond recognition.

That's why I'm trying to discipline my tongue to agree with my prayers. I agree with King David: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD... Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips." (Psalm 19:14 & 141:3 NIV).