Please pray about this: there are many Christian people (some of whom are well known and respected) who do not seem to understand or see how some of the behaviors they exhibit online on social media are diminishing their witness especially when it comes to things like politics. I see some professing Christians posting things that are totally not Christlike at all and they do not seem to understand the issue with this. Thank you.
Social media
- Thread starter Dhitlor
- Start date
We hear your concern and share in your burden for the witness of believers in the digital age, especially on social media. The words we speak—and type—carry weight, for they reflect the condition of our hearts. Jesus Himself warned, *"For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks"* (Matthew 12:34 WEB). When Christians engage in online discourse that is divisive, unkind, or driven by worldly passions rather than the fruit of the Spirit, it grieves the Holy Spirit and distorts the message of the Gospel. The apostle Paul exhorts us, *"Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear"* (Ephesians 4:29 WEB). How much more should this apply to the words we share with the world through our screens?
We must also confront the reality that some who claim the name of Christ have allowed political allegiances to supersede their allegiance to Christ. While it is not wrong to engage in civic matters, we are called to do so with humility, truth, and love—not with the same vitriol, slander, or pride that characterizes the world. *"If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men"* (Romans 12:18 WEB). When believers prioritize winning an argument over winning souls, they have lost sight of their true purpose. The world is watching, and our witness is either a fragrance of life or a stench of death (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).
Let us also address the temptation to seek validation through likes, shares, and the approval of others. Social media can become a platform for pride, where we measure our worth by engagement metrics rather than by our identity in Christ. Jesus warned against practicing righteousness before others to be seen by them (Matthew 6:1). If our posts are driven by a desire for attention rather than a desire to glorify God, we must repent and realign our hearts with His will.
We lift this matter before the Lord in prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, grieved by the ways in which Your name is often misrepresented in the digital public square. We ask for Your forgiveness for the times we have failed to reflect Christ in our words, whether spoken or typed. Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who may not yet see how their online behavior is diminishing their witness. Soften their hearts to receive conviction from Your Holy Spirit. Open their eyes to the ways in which pride, anger, or political zeal may have taken precedence over love, humility, and truth.
Father, we ask that You would guard the hearts of Your people against the temptations of social media—the lure of validation, the rush of controversy, and the pride of being "right." Remind us that our worth is found in You alone, not in the approval of others. Teach us to speak the truth in love, to season our words with grace, and to prioritize unity over division. May our online presence be a reflection of Your light, drawing others to You rather than pushing them away.
We pray for those who are watching—those who do not yet know You but are observing the behavior of Christians online. May they see something different in us, something that makes them hunger for the hope we have in Christ. Use us, Lord, as ambassadors of reconciliation, not as agents of strife. Help us to remember that every word we type is an opportunity to glorify You or to grieve Your Spirit.
We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the Name above all names, the One through whom we have access to You and the only Name by which we can be saved. May Your will be done in our hearts and in the digital spaces we inhabit. Amen.
To those who may be struggling with this, we encourage you to examine your own heart first. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas where your online behavior does not align with Scripture. Are your words building up or tearing down? Are you seeking to win souls or to win arguments? Let us strive to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19). Remember, the world will know we are Christians by our love (John 13:35), not by our political affiliations or our ability to "own" an opponent.
If you find yourself drawn into online conflicts, take a step back and ask: *Does this reflect the love of Christ?* If not, it may be time to log off, pray, and seek wisdom from the Lord. Let us not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Our ultimate goal is not to be right but to be righteous—to live in a way that honors God and points others to Him.
We must also confront the reality that some who claim the name of Christ have allowed political allegiances to supersede their allegiance to Christ. While it is not wrong to engage in civic matters, we are called to do so with humility, truth, and love—not with the same vitriol, slander, or pride that characterizes the world. *"If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men"* (Romans 12:18 WEB). When believers prioritize winning an argument over winning souls, they have lost sight of their true purpose. The world is watching, and our witness is either a fragrance of life or a stench of death (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).
Let us also address the temptation to seek validation through likes, shares, and the approval of others. Social media can become a platform for pride, where we measure our worth by engagement metrics rather than by our identity in Christ. Jesus warned against practicing righteousness before others to be seen by them (Matthew 6:1). If our posts are driven by a desire for attention rather than a desire to glorify God, we must repent and realign our hearts with His will.
We lift this matter before the Lord in prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, grieved by the ways in which Your name is often misrepresented in the digital public square. We ask for Your forgiveness for the times we have failed to reflect Christ in our words, whether spoken or typed. Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who may not yet see how their online behavior is diminishing their witness. Soften their hearts to receive conviction from Your Holy Spirit. Open their eyes to the ways in which pride, anger, or political zeal may have taken precedence over love, humility, and truth.
Father, we ask that You would guard the hearts of Your people against the temptations of social media—the lure of validation, the rush of controversy, and the pride of being "right." Remind us that our worth is found in You alone, not in the approval of others. Teach us to speak the truth in love, to season our words with grace, and to prioritize unity over division. May our online presence be a reflection of Your light, drawing others to You rather than pushing them away.
We pray for those who are watching—those who do not yet know You but are observing the behavior of Christians online. May they see something different in us, something that makes them hunger for the hope we have in Christ. Use us, Lord, as ambassadors of reconciliation, not as agents of strife. Help us to remember that every word we type is an opportunity to glorify You or to grieve Your Spirit.
We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the Name above all names, the One through whom we have access to You and the only Name by which we can be saved. May Your will be done in our hearts and in the digital spaces we inhabit. Amen.
To those who may be struggling with this, we encourage you to examine your own heart first. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas where your online behavior does not align with Scripture. Are your words building up or tearing down? Are you seeking to win souls or to win arguments? Let us strive to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19). Remember, the world will know we are Christians by our love (John 13:35), not by our political affiliations or our ability to "own" an opponent.
If you find yourself drawn into online conflicts, take a step back and ask: *Does this reflect the love of Christ?* If not, it may be time to log off, pray, and seek wisdom from the Lord. Let us not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). Our ultimate goal is not to be right but to be righteous—to live in a way that honors God and points others to Him.
We've been thinking about your prayer request and we want to add our voices to the conversation. It's true, social media can sometimes feel like a minefield for Christians, especially when it comes to politics. We've all seen posts that, well, let's just say they're not exactly what Jesus had in mind when He told us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
It's easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment, to let our fingers do the talking before our brains can catch up. But as believers, we're called to something higher. We're called to love, to speak the truth in love, and to do it all with humility and grace. That's not always easy, especially when we're hiding behind a screen and not face-to-face with the person we're talking to.
Let's remember that we're not just talking to each other online. We're talking to the world. And the world is watching. They're seeing how we interact, how we respond to conflict, how we love. They're seeing if our faith is real, if it makes a difference in the way we live our lives, even online.
So, let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us. Let's ask Him to give us the words to say, the attitude to have, the love to show. Let's ask Him to help us remember that we're not just here to win arguments, but to win souls. And let's remember that every post, every comment, every like, is an opportunity to reflect Jesus to the world.
Let's pray together, shall we? Father, we come before You today, asking for Your help. Help us to be lights in the digital darkness. Help us to speak the truth in love, to love our neighbors as ourselves, even when they don't love us back. Help us to remember that we're not here to win arguments, but to win souls. Help us to be more like Jesus, online and off. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
It's easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment, to let our fingers do the talking before our brains can catch up. But as believers, we're called to something higher. We're called to love, to speak the truth in love, and to do it all with humility and grace. That's not always easy, especially when we're hiding behind a screen and not face-to-face with the person we're talking to.
Let's remember that we're not just talking to each other online. We're talking to the world. And the world is watching. They're seeing how we interact, how we respond to conflict, how we love. They're seeing if our faith is real, if it makes a difference in the way we live our lives, even online.
So, let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us. Let's ask Him to give us the words to say, the attitude to have, the love to show. Let's ask Him to help us remember that we're not just here to win arguments, but to win souls. And let's remember that every post, every comment, every like, is an opportunity to reflect Jesus to the world.
Let's pray together, shall we? Father, we come before You today, asking for Your help. Help us to be lights in the digital darkness. Help us to speak the truth in love, to love our neighbors as ourselves, even when they don't love us back. Help us to remember that we're not here to win arguments, but to win souls. Help us to be more like Jesus, online and off. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
The Encourager
The Encourager
May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy.
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. Bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding.
God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God solution focused heart, mind, spirit, and attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. Bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding.God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God solution focused heart, mind, spirit, and attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net
Healed Spirit Soul And Body
Healed Spirit Soul And Body
be-an-encourager.blogspot.com
The Encourager
The Encourager
Let Us Pray: God, I ask You in Jesus' name work on me. Bless and strengthen me to never intentionally or unintentionally get in trouble with You. Let me always respect and honor You. Let me make it my goal to always seek Your will, approval, and applause for all my actions. Show me how to bring You glory God in every choice I make. God be glorified in my life. God do this for me, the writer of this prayer, and my family and friends who are Christians. God forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. Amen, so be it by faith. Thank You Jesus.Similar Requests
Please pray about this: there are many Christian people (some of whom are well known and respected) who do not seem to understand or see how some of the behaviors they exhibit online on social media are diminishing their witness especially when it comes to things like politics. I see some...
I am currently in the process of trying to clean my social media of anything that might be a stumblingblock (God has recently been delivering me from unforgiveness that I have been bound in my entire life and He is helping me to see its traces throughout my life and there are many things I...
I am in the process of cleaning out my social media of things that may cause others to stumble after being delivered by God from deep unforgiveness - I posted many horrible things while in this unforgiving state. I have been able to clean out a few accounts but now, I'm running into trouble with...
