Protect Me from Myself

Psalms 141:3-4 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.

The psalmist begins with a plea that the Lord make haste to hear his prayer. It was his desire that his prayer would be acceptable, and come before the Lord as incense, which was used in the Tabernacle for worship. He raised his hands to the Lord as a sacrifice of praise. Regardless of our circumstances, we should always offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanks. In this prayer, David sought God's protection. However, it was protection against himself and what he knew he was capable of. This is a prayer that all of us need to pray, because all of us are vulnerable to doing the wrong thing, and can easily become like the rest of the world. The Lord tells us to come out from among them and be separate (2 Corinthians 6:17). In other words, we are in the world, but not of the world, so we need not behave like the unsaved of the world. David prayed that God would set a guard on his heart and his lips. He did not want to act like the world, speak like the world, or even become so comfortable with their ways that he would sit at their table and behave like them. How easy it is to let our heart become hardened toward the things of God, and be swept away by our own desire and what the world offers. How easy it is to speak lies, and speak corruptly, as the world speaks, when our lips are not guarded. The Bible tells us that our hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9); and only God knows it and can change it. Our tongues are like a fire that consumes and destroys, if not kept under control. We are told not to let a corrupt word proceed out of our mouth, but only what is good for necessary edification (Ephesians 4:29). The only way we will succeed is in the power of the Holy Spirit. Far too often we pray that God protect us from evil people, or that He take vengeance on our behalf. But what we need to concern ourselves with, first and foremost, is that we become the people God wants us to be, and not get caught up in the world and its wicked ways. We need to pray "Lord, protect me from myself."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).