The Power of Your Words, a small book, is full of scripture. Two authors, Don Gossett and E.W. Kenyon, take turns presenting chapters from the scripture on our words. Written to encourage Christians to pay attention to the words coming out of their mouths, it has been a huge blessing to me. These men have both written many other books, which I recommend you read. You may order The Power of Your Words through your local bookstore or find it on Amazon.
I had this book passed on to me by my daughter Hannah, over two years ago. I began reading it and though I have a long way to go, I am beginning to see a difference in the way we’re living. When we speak God’s heart He is free to work. When we speak satan’s heart he is free to work. (Can’t capitalize satan, just can’t!) Am I grumbling, complaining, and railing? Why, where does that come from? Where does praise, a joyful heart, and positive affirmation come from?
The book opens with Kenyon giving the introduction. “For a long time I was confused over the fact that in my own life and the lives of others there was a continual sense of defeat and failure. I prayed for the sick. I knew that the Bible was true, and I searched diligently to find the leakage. One day I saw Hebrews 4:14, that we are to hold fast to our confession.” In the third chapter of Hebrews, I discovered that Christianity is called ‘The Great Confession’. I asked myself, ‘What confession am I to hold fast?’ I am to hold fast to my confession of the absolute integrity of the Bible. I am to hold fast to the confession of the redemptive work of Christ. I am to hold fast to my confession of the New Creation, of receiving the Life and Nature of God. I am to hold fast to the confession that God is the strength of my life.” He goes onto say, “Hold fast to the confession that ‘Surely He hath borne my sicknesses and carried my diseases, and that by His stripes I am healed’ (Isaiah 53:4-5).
He says “I found it very difficult to hold fast to the confession of perfect healing when I had pain in my body.”
So this small book began my journey. Of not saying all words that crossed my mind, and of trying to listen and hear what God might have me say. I would never have believed, training myself to shut-up! could take so lonnnng… It is slow! and more often that not I am repenting, and starting over. Or, believe it or not, asking someone to please forgive me for what I’ve just said. : / Dear reader, if you are not a talker then you will not have to deal with shutting up, begin to memorize the word, and speak it out. Say what God says!!
Proverbs 18:20,21 says, “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.” “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” How powerful our tongue is. And it is powerful both ways. You will get what you say! Here is another in Proverbs 13:2 “A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” God is pretty clear on language, isn’t He?
We can only make our confession as we know what the word says. Kenyon makes an interesting observation: Faith holds fast to the confession of the Word. Sense Knowledge holds fast to the confession of physical evidences. If God, during creation, had held fast to sense knowledge creation would never have happened. He would have seen darkness and that would have been the end of it. In the New Testament Lazarus would have still been in the grave as Christ would have heard the report from Martha and thought about the stink and quit! The snake bite was fatal was Paul to lay down and die. Instead God spoke what he wanted created, Christ called Lazarus forth. Paul knew he was healed. (Isaiah 53:5) The scripture is full of people creating destiny. In Exodus 14:12, the people ask Moses if he has taken them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? They did die in the wilderness, except for Joshua and Caleb, two who knew the power of the tongue. Caleb’s report, when he looked at the promised land was: Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it. All of the Israelites had seen God’s miracles and provision. Only these two understood God. David told Saul in I Samuel 17:37 that God had delivered him out of the paw of the lion and the bear and He will deliver me out of the hand of this Phillistine. In verse 46 David says to Goliath, “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of Phillistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all may know that there is a God in Israel….. for the battle is the Lord’s.” These men of God envisioned what God wanted and spoke it. They had a heart for God, and faith in God. They knew God!
This isn’t an easy road. Changing our thinking is hard work. Ask God to help you hear what your saying. And to zip your lips. : ) It amazed me when I would start to say words and get a check. Learn to listen to the still small voice! Speak what God speaks and do what God does. And we’ll be on the road to a powerful Christian walk!