In Matthew's Gospel, we go with Jesus on a miracle and healing tour (Mt 8 and 9). Matthew saves the best till last when Jesus looses the tongue of a mute by expelling a demon (Mt 9:33). Three chapters later, Matthew recounts the healing and deliverance of another mute (Mt 12:22).
The deliverance of the mute is very important to Matthew because he knows that all of us are tongue-tied by the devil in some way. We may not be able to spontaneously pray, enthusiastically praise, or boldly evangelize. We are like Zechariah during the nine months John was in the womb (Lk 1:20). The devil's got our tongues. If he controls our tongues, he controls our entire bodies (Jas 3:2).
The Holy Spirit is poured out to free our tongues so we can pray and praise both in our native language and in foreign tongues (Acts 2:4). Either the Spirit looses our tongues and the devil is tied, or our tongues are tied and the devil set free. Our sword against the evil one is the Spirit using our tongues to wield the prophetic word of God (Eph 6:17). Let's unsheath our tongues and attack the gates of hell (Mt 16:18).
| PRAYER: | Holy Spirit, use my tongue for warfare against Satan. |
| PROMISE: | "Jacob said, 'I will not let you go until you bless me.' " –Gn 32:27 |
| PRAISE: | After twenty-plus years of marriage, Marty still leads his family in song and prayer. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College