“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3
One year a Bible conference was coming up and many preparations were under way. This particular year, I was concerned about my tongue. I was anxious that in whatever I was involved in, I would not displease the Lord with my mouth. Therefore, I prayed Psalm 141:3: “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Little did I realize how literally the Lord was going to answer that prayer.
Our company arrived Thursday evening, rooms were assigned, luggage was brought in and all were made comfortable for the evening. The next morning as I was busy getting ready for breakfast, all was fine until I tried to open the door of my lips. All that would come out was a whisper! I cleared my throat several times ... but, no, this was a clear case of laryngitis. Breakfast was served with lots of smiles but very few words from me. During the conference, because I could only talk at a whisper, it made me really think before I spoke. It was different and a bit tiring (try whispering for 30 minutes when you are supposed to be able to talk!) When it is difficult to talk, a person tends to do a lot more listening than talking! The Lord was answering my prayer in His own unique way. Lord’s Day evening after the last meeting, my voice returned to normal. What a lesson I received that year! In a startling way, He reminded me that He hears our prayers and sometimes answers them in unexpected ways.