Your words have power
I remembered it today and laughed out loud.
A while ago, my husband Kenya and I sounded utterly ridiculous stumbling over our words as the Hobbs children listened and cackled.
Trying to rapidly and repeatedly say, “Willy's real rear wheel” didn’t go well. We couldn’t believe how hard that was!
Go ahead. Try it. Repeat “Willy's real rear wheel” over and over again, as fast as you can, and see what happens.
Not so easy, right?
I also attempted to quickly read, “Six sick hicks nick six slick bricks with picks and sticks,” and couldn’t even get through all the words before stumbling badly. My tongue could not keep up.
Everyone giggled, including me.
Our son Kedar came up with the idea to challenge his poor mom and dad. We were not quite equipped for the challenge, but it did end up providing plenty of amusement and entertainment. Those tongue twisters are really hard. Both Kenya and I tried our best to master the play on words, but failed miserably.
It was pretty hilarious to hear our mouths fail to communicate what our minds could clearly comprehend. Reading the words was the easy part, but saying them, felt impossible.
While tongue twisters are entertaining, when it comes to our relationship with God’s word, we can’t afford to let our tongue get all twisted up. Amen? The enemy would love for us to read words on the pages of Scripture, but get tripped up by life’s challenges and end up stumbling in what we say.
Instead of uttering promises and praises, he wants your tongue to get twisted so you’ll start saying the opposite of what God says. Satan hopes you’ll get negative and begin complaining, talking about how bad things are, instead of how good God is. He wants you to discuss all the odds stacked against you, instead of rejoicing over the fact that God is for you.
Some time ago, a young woman wrote to me. She told me, "I feel like I'm cursed, like God loves everyone else more than me because my life is in such a mess."
My heart ached for her as I read the message. I wrote back and admonished her to meditate on God's word and speak His promises over her circumstances. I empathized with her. Very recently my own life seemed to be headed in the wrong direction as my health took a turn for the worst. Feelings of security, certainty and wholeness were canceled out by life's trials. I had to ask myself, Dianna, are you going to speak your circumstances or speak His promises?
I had to pray the prayer David did in Psalm 141:3. He said, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!”
In this verse, that word “watch” is the Hebrew word, Shomrah (pronounced shom-raw'). It is only found one time in scripture—right here in this passage— and it means “guard.” It is derived from the Hebrew word Shamar (pronounced shaw-mar’) which means to have charge of, watch, protect.
So basically David asked God to be a watchman that guarded and protected what came out of his mouth. He didn’t want to be defiled by his own words.
When you will feel tempted to complain, pray David’s prayer. Ask God to be the guardian of your tongue. That way, you’ll speak life and release words of faith, thereby setting the right atmosphere for an awesome move of God. Faith creates an environment for breakthrough, healing, deliverance and blessings.
We often quote Proverbs 18:21, which says, in part, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
But simply knowing that scripture isn’t good enough. You and I must make the choice to declare that we are victorious and that God is greater than any negative reality we’re encountering today.
Don’t you know Satan can’t stand it when you start talking like you know who God is and like you know who you are in God? It upsets him when you side with God’s word against your feelings.
Friend, let God guard your tongue. You’ve come too far, been through too much, come back from too many setbacks to curse your life with what you say. Don’t give the devil that satisfaction. When things look bleak, don’t help the enemy defeat you by defeating yourself with your words. Hit back with the word of God. His word is your sword. It is your weapon of defense.
What's coming out of your mouth? What are you saying?
In this critical season, as you are on the precipice of breakthrough, let no defiling words escape your lips. Walk by faith, talk faith, live by faith. We cancel out statements like: this situation will never change; nothing works out for me; I will be stuck in this rut forever.
“Speak life over your circumstances. No matter what it looks like. There is power in your words. Use them carefully and wisely.”
The Lord is about to do some awesome things in your life. The enemy can’t stop God’s plan, but he most certainly will try to get you to sabotage your own breakthrough with your mouth. Your words have power.
If, by chance, your faith-fuel is low, I’m stirring the perfect method to get it back to where it needs to be, right into your cup of inspiration. Romans 10:17 KJV says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
As you drink down the contents of your cup, remember to stay rooted and grounded in the word of the Lord. His word builds your faith. His word drives you to keep going when you'd rather quit. His word provides direction, guidance and clarity. His word will give you the right words to say when you otherwise would speak defeat and death over your situation.
Whatever you’re taking in, is what will come out. If you’re feasting on His word and allowing it to transform you, and fuel your faith, what you say will be consistent with what God says.
Make sure you hide the word of God in your heart as David said in Psalm 119:11, because, whatever the heart is full of, that’s what the mouth speaks according to Luke 6:45.
Speak faith and not fear. Speak victory and not defeat. Speak blessings and not curses. Speak promises and not problems. Speak what He said, not what you see. Again, your words have power.
Faith-filled expectations and declarations create the right environment for miraculous manifestations.
Now let's pray.
God, I ask that You will guard my tongue. Help me speak words of faith and trust You wholeheartedly to fulfill every promise You’ve made. In times when feelings of discouragement, fear and defeat try to overtake me, help me to use the weapon of Your word to fight doubt and embrace faith. I believe You Lord and I’m anticipating my breakthrough! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
