Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3).
Our words contain the power of life and death! Our words set in motion the things that occur in our lives. God uses our words as a vehicle to bless, to heal, to provide, and to strengthen us.
The enemy also wants to use our words to defame, to discourage, to hinder, to impoverish, and to promote fear.
Our words are like landmarks in our lives. We rise or fall to the level of our confession. If we confess weakness, it develops weakness in us. If we confess fear, then fear rises up like a giant and binds us. If we confess sickness, it enforces sickness in us. If we confess lack, then our confession hinders God’s blessings.
We must learn to say only what we want to happen in our lives! Our words are conveyors of our faith. We say what we really believe. This is a law of the kingdom of God.
I have learned to voice what I believe in the face of contradiction. The circumstance may tell me that I’m whipped, defeated. But I say that in all things I am more than a conqueror! I voice that if God be for me, what enemy can defeat me! I may feel that I won’t make it, but I have learned to defy my feelings with a positive affirmation of the Word.
It may seem that illness is getting the upper hand in my body, but I line my words up with what the Father says about my body. I voice boldly that Jesus took my infirmities and bare my sicknesses. I never give in to the feelings and symptoms. I fill my words with God’s Word and stand my ground.
Thoughts of doubt often come creeping into our minds. I have learned not just to ignore them, but when they come, to confess boldly what God’s Word says about me. I refute the thought with God’s Word on my lips.
Sometimes circumstances, people, feelings, and our own thoughts try to gang up on us and defeat us. The enemy uses all these things to try to weigh us down and force us to abandon our faith by yielding to discouragement. When this happens, I put my mouth to work! I say with conviction what the Word says about me and I refuse to waver!
I have had seasons of life where it looked like nothing would ever work out for me. It seemed that for me, life was finished. During those times I made myself say what God says about my life. I would say:The path of the just is as a shining light, that shines more and more until that perfect day (Proverbs 4:18). I would voice: God will bring to completion what He started in me (Psalm 138:8). I would declare: God began a good work in me, and He will finish what He started (Philippians 1:6). I would say: NO, in all these things I am more than a conqueror and i gain a surpassing victory through Him who loves me! (Romans 8:37).
When sickness and pain seem to have the upper hand, thousands of times over all these years I have simply said: Father, thank you that Jesus took my infirmities and bore my sicknesses, and with His stripes I am healed! (Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24). I would say: Father I have commanded this thing to leave me, and I believe that I receive my healing. Thank you for making me well. Thank you for healing me! (Mark 11:23-24).
At times when financial challenges came, I have voiced over and over again: Father, thank you for meeting every single need according to your riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). During one long, grueling financial challenge when Susan and I were young I kept saying: Father, I thank you that I not only have enough to meet my needs, but I have enough to give away! I said it over and over again. And over and over God has proven Himself faithful. When you say out loud what God says and don’t quit, eventually your circumstance will change!
Whatever you are dealing with today, find the scriptures that promise you that God will help you through the situation, and then begin to say them out loud as a form of praise to God that He is doing for you what He said he would do! He will not fail you!
Keep a watch on your lips today. Fill your words with what you really believe. Feeling and circumstances change like the weather. The Word is constant! It forever settled in heaven! Positive affirmations of the Word will chase away doubt and fear, and will fill you with courage and strength. And, things will change. Remember, we rise or fall to the level of our confession.