A Prayer for the Second Sentence

God of peace, you have told us that a gentle answer turns away wrath and a harsh word stirs up anger. We know it is true, and we still reach for the harsh word because it feels like strength. Forgive the things we have said in heat. Forgive the things we said quietly that were meant to wound.

Today give us the gentle answer. When someone speaks to us sharply, let us hear the hurt behind it before we answer the sharpness. When we are tired and tempted to snap, hold our tongues for us, since we cannot always hold them ourselves.

Remind us that our words are a harvest we will eat. Let us plant life. Let us speak to our children, our spouses, our coworkers, and the strangers we meet in ways that leave them better than we found them.

And teach us contentment, so that a small meal with love feels like the feast it is. Give us hearts at rest in you, and let the rest show on our faces. Through Christ, who never spoke a careless word. Amen.