Are You Speaking Words of Life?

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit”

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)

Are your words hijacking the answers to your prayers? Have you prayed over an issue for years and the prayer has not been answered? It is possible that the words you are speaking are hindering the answer.

The Bible has much to say about the power and authority of our words. For instance, Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (NIV). Mark 11:23 tells us that we can receive what we pray for if we believe for it. And James 3:6 tells us that the real source of the unruly tongue is hell itself. Other Scriptures, such as Proverbs 12:14, state, “Wise words bring many benefits” (NLT). Proverbs 31:26 says, “When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness” (NLT). Then in Proverbs 15:4 we learn that “a wholesome tongue is a tree of life” (KJV). These Scriptures describe God’s spiritual laws regarding our words that can result in positive or negative consequences.

God’s creation of the heavens and the earth in Genesis chapter one is the perfect example of the power and authority our words hold. By speaking, God called the heavens and earth into existence. All He created was good because He only spoke words of life! He made us in His image and likeness to do what He does, which is to create with our words. He created us with the ability to speak life-giving words that would bring into manifestation the future He has already built for us and bring us to a perfected end (see Jer. 29:11). God expects us to speak words with purpose as He does—words that do not return void and empty but accomplish what we send them to do.

We have forgotten­—or perhaps, never knew—that God has given us a tongue to glorify and honor Him. Psalms 45:1 declares, “My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my psalm to the King. My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer” (AMP). Where God is concerned, our tongues should be guided by the Holy Spirit and be like the pen of a scribe, ready to bless the Lord with godly confessions, always speaking words of life.

Unfortunately, we have been duped by Satan for generations. Satan is fully aware that the words we speak are not without consequences, and his plan is to get us to speak careless words that disobey God and alter the direction of our lives. He knows that God has given us the power and authority to use our words to honor God and to create the life He desires us to live so that we can bless others. However, most Christians are unaware (or don’t believe) that the words they speak are powerful enough to change and determine the direction of their lives, and that Satan is often directing their words. 

We have grown up in a world that has convinced us that the main purpose for speaking is simply to communicate our ideas, our opinions, and our feelings. Accustomed to this worldview, we are unfamiliar with the power and the spiritual impact of the words we speak. As a result, we unknowingly allow the enemy to use our mouths to say ungodly words and expressions that bring negative consequences and, at times, we say words that hurt the people we love. In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus discusses the repercussions of abusive speech. This is not at all what God had in mind for us, but since we all have free will, we can choose to say anything we desire. 

We can see how spiritual laws work by looking at the Israelites in the Old Testament. Generations of Israelites did not enter the Promised Land because of their rebellion, negative confessions, and declarations that they might die in the desert. Though they had seen God do great miracles in delivering them from Egypt, their disobedience to God and their murmuring and complaining about the lack of meat and water were persistent. And after ten spies gave an evil report about the Promised Land, the Israelites rebelled and refused to enter. Instead, they lamented, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this land, to fall by the sword” (Num. 14:2-3, KJV). Their negative confessions became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because of their rebellion and their words of death, all who declared, “We would be better off dead,” died in the wilderness and missed out on entering the Promised Land. 

We, too, are guilty of speaking words of death when we echo words and expressions crafted by the devil. For instance, some commonly used expressions are: “I feel like I’m losing my mind,” “I need a break from life,” “I am just dying to see you,” “It frightened me to death,” “Good grief,” “I’ll be better off dead,” or “My feet are killing me.” Such words and statements impact our confessions of faith. At other times, we use sarcasm and judgmental or negative words to express ourselves. We say things like, “You will never amount to anything,” or we call our children stupid and bad. Many of us have grown up using these and other expressions without giving much thought to what we are saying. However, these words are not only massive exaggerations or lies, but they are words that invite negativity, sickness, and death into our lives. 

The Bible refers to words spoken that we don’t mean as “idle words.” Unfortunately, this does not change the unintended consequences of the words we speak. Jesus said in Matthew 12:36-37 “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shall be justified, and by thy words thou shall be condemned” (KJV). These expressions we use may not keep us out of Heaven because of the love and mercies of God, but they do invite negative outcomes; they are words and expressions that allow the enemy access to our lives.

So, what can we do about the careless words that we have spoken, and how do we align our words with God’s Word? Here are some suggestions that can help:

01. We have all missed it. But, praise God, we can repent. Ask for God’s forgiveness, commit to speaking words of life, and shift toward paying attention to what comes out of your mouth. If you make a mistake, don’t condemn yourself. God is always ready to forgive.

02. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you! According to James 3, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can tame unruly tongues. With the help of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s Word, you can learn to identify and resist the subtle plans of the enemy.

03. Renew your mind (see Rom. 12:1). Work on developing your spirit and building the consciousness of a winner. For example, if you are making negative confessions like, “Every time I try to do this, I fail,” change your confession to “God says I am more than a conqueror.” 

04. Be aware that the devil is hiding behind every negative word you speak. Refuse to speak his words! They always oppose what God says. 

05. Speak gracious words that bless you and bless others. “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Prov. 16:24, NIV).

06. Think before you speak idle words or belittle others and forgive those who have belittled you with their words. Respond kindly. Remember that you can’t take back the words you speak. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov. 15:1, NIV).

07. Choose to live as Jesus lived while on the earth, by “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4, NKJV). Don’t worry about what others think about your actions. When we speak words of life, we please God and ensure that we are on a righteous path. Man’s opinion is unimportant.

Most of us would never deliberately treat God’s Word with disrespect, nor would we willfully cooperate with the devil. Nevertheless, the Bible is clear: We reap negative consequences when the words we say fight against what God has said. We can’t speak words that contradict what God says and expect miracles. Therefore, we must be alert to the subtle strategies the enemy uses to gain access to our lives and set a guard against words or expressions that undermine our prayers, our faith, and our godly confessions. Remember, our words have great power and authority! What we speak, we create. Our tongue is the rudder that directs our life.