September 17 Devotion - Be swift to hear

Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.

لقمة يابسة ومعها سلامة خير من بيت ملآن ذبائح مع خصام. الموت والحياة في يد اللسان واحباؤه ياكلون ثمره. اذا يا اخوتي الاحباء ليكن كل انسان مسرعا في الاستماع مبطئا في التكلم مبطئا في الغضب.

Proverbs 17:1

Proverbs 18

James 1:19

Through God’s word we learn that quietness and peace are much better than a house full of feasting and arguments and conflict. Peace between people requires establishing mutual trust .Trust is about listening and understanding - not necessarily agreeing (which is different) - to the other person. Listening without judging is necessary.

A useful focus to aim for when listening to another person is to try to understand him/her, how the other person feels, and to discover what the other person wants to achieve.

The late Dr. Stephen Covey (of 'The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People'® fame) is one of many modern advocates who urge us to strive deeply to understand the other person's point of view through empathic listening (also called active listening or reflective listening).

Click and view:             http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5aszu84FLM

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and love. I praise You and glorify You.

Lord help me to listen with empathy, to understand other people, not to judge them, and to be slow to wrath. Help me to control what I say and purify what I think.  

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

والقادر ان يفعل فوق كل شيء اكثر جدا مما نطلب او نفتكر بحسب القوة التي تعمل فينا

له المجد في الكنيسة في المسيح يسوع الى جميع اجيال دهر الدهور.آمين

For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth
لانك انت رجائي يا سيدي الرب متكلي منذ صباي.
Psalm 71:5

Jesus loves you

In Him,
Wagdi Henein