Chapter One
I Speak Jesus
When we were about to have our second child, Katy, we arrived to the hospital around 10:00 pm in the evening on September 18, 1998. I was going to be induced to start labor. The nurses and doctor checked me in and hooked me up for the Pitocin. Now the waiting started. A few hours into labor, I was in a lot of pain. The doctor came in and gave me morphine. I remember the pain going away quickly and falling asleep. A couple hours went by, and now it was about 6:00 am when a nurse came to check on me. The baby was ready! I was fully dilated – we just needed the doctor. The doctor arrived, and with one push, Katy was born. When she was birthed, she gave out a huge scream and then went completely silent. When I looked at my baby, she was purple and not moving. She was not breathing. Immediately the doctor screamed for the antidote to morphine. About ten nurses surrounded my baby girl as they tried to resuscitate her. My husband stood beside a nurse and asked, “What’s wrong with my baby?” She said, “She’s not breathing, sir.” I heard what the nurse had said. He rushed to my side, took my hand, and declared, “In the name of Jesus, BREATHE!” At that instant, she cried out loud! Our baby girl was fine and alive. God had performed a miracle right before our eyes!
The next day, the pediatrician informed me that because of all the fluid that had gotten into Katy’s lungs, she would have a life of breathing complications. We were to expect her to have asthma and to use breathing treatments for, really, her whole, entire life. As a little baby, I found that Katy did get sick quite often, and when she did, she was always having to use a breathing machine to break up all the mucus in her lungs. She never complained; she kinda accepted that this was her life. Jason and I, however, knew that our God did not have this plan for her life. We knew we needed to stand in faith and believe for our daughter to be healed. We began to speak and declare healing over her body. Each time she would need a breathing treatment, we would say, “Katy, you have the strongest lungs. Your lungs will function properly and the way the Lord has designed them. You will not have a life of asthma or lung issues. Your body is healed in Jesus' name.” We spoke words of faith. We called things that were not as though they were. After five years of praying, believing and speaking, Katy was totally healed.
In the five years of believing for healing for our daughter, we could have said, “Well, where is God? Why is He doing this to us?” Or “It’s okay; we will survive this.” We could’ve complained, “Why does this always happen?” This is how the world has trained us. When life takes a turn for the worst, we are trained by the world to accept it, to complain about it, and to describe it. Here’s the truth, your world is absolutely being impacted by the words you speak. In fact, your current experience has a lot to do with what you say daily. If you are short on money, well, what have you been saying? “Things are tight this month! I don’t know how we are going to make rent. I always get overlooked at work. Where’s my raise?” Or, in regard to our health, we might say, “I always get the flu.” Or “When school starts, my kids start getting sick.” We say, “I have no energy in the afternoons.” Or “I have not been sleeping well.” “I can’t sit very long because I have a bad back.” Now let me ask you, did Jesus ever speak like this? I have a surprise for you. If we want Word-of-God results, then it’s time to start taking a hard look at what is coming out of our mouths. The truth is, Satan has worked hard to get us complaining and speaking death into our lives, but I have some good news for you! If you want to see real results in your future, then you are in the right place right now to receive. In this chapter, I want you to see how your words are creating your world, and how what you say can start or stop God from what He is trying to do. Words can build you and others up, or tear you and others down. Speaking the Word of God can give you victory over the enemy, paint your future, and get the right kind of fruit growing in your life. Have you ever been headed in one direction and then realized it was taking you away from your destination? What do you do? You make a U-turn. The U-turn is happening right now.
Now, let’s begin where it all began, creation! It began as HE SPOKE.
Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words. HE SPOKE and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen. (Hebrews 11:3, TPT)
The words we speak carry power in them. It’s exactly how God designed our words to work. You see, His words created the world. In the same way, when you speak, you are creating your world. Are you speaking things you want into existence? Are you speaking things you don’t want into existence? When God created the heavens and the earth, He spoke them into existence. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. In the ancient Hebrew it sounds like this: God said, “Be light! And, light be.” Each time God spoke, He released His faith. The Spirit was there on the surface of the deep, the power was present, and He spoke, and the invisible realm gave birth. Wow! What an awesome picture. God’s words gave birth. God’s words produce exactly what He says. He created all things by the power of His Word, and He is still upholding all things by the power of His Word (Col. 1:17). “And God said…” appears 10 times in the first chapter of Genesis! We may just skim over that fact, but the Holy Spirit had it written into the Bible to stress to us the importance words play in creation. Did you know God has given you this same power with the words you speak?
Looking back a few years ago, my son, Christian, made a huge decision to change universities after his first year in college. It was a stressful time for him. The decision involved switching schools, transferring credits, figuring out if his scholarships would transfer, and switching majors. He had a lot to figure out. Plus, just the risk factor too… “Am I making the right decision here?” He did know something though...he knew he had peace to change universities. God was leading him in a different direction. One problem that presented itself was an imposing fee for leaving his dorm. He was going to be required to pay a $1,000 fee. That’s a huge fee. And let’s face it, I WAS GOING TO BE THE ONE TO PAY IT!!
One day we were having a conversation on the phone about all this, and he just abruptly stopped and declared, “Nope, I’m not going to have to pay that fee! God, you give me favor. I call on YOU to figure this out for me.” I said, “I come into agreement with you!” What happened in that moment? We stepped into faith. I knew that God would come through. When it was all said and done, the university emailed him at the end of summer saying they were waiving the fee. Praise God!
Jesus said,
23“If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them (Mark 11:23).”
The mountain before Christian was a $1,000 fee. What is the mountain before you? Is it something with your health? Declare with your mouth, “I am healed! Jesus took all sickness and disease on the cross for me and freed me from the curse! Sickness has no part of me or my family!” (Is. 53:5, Gal. 3:13) God’s Word is full of the promises of healing for your body! Are you dealing with a situation with your teenager? Declare with your mouth,
The peace of God that transcends all understanding guards my child’s heart and mind in Christ Jesus. My child is full of peace!” "The anointing of God teaches me all things, and I have wisdom from the Holy Spirit, and I am fully equipped in Christ Jesus to raise my children. (1 John 2:27, Eph. 1:17, 2 Tim. 3:17)
What are you declaring right now? Declare with your mouth,
I have the favor of God!
Declare that when the boss sees your name on that application, he is drawn to YOU! He has to have YOU working there! Praise God! We have to open our mouths and declare the promises of God. Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours!
Christian could have just accepted the fee. He could’ve done what most people do, complain about it and wish it weren’t true. Do we do this sometimes? Maybe we get a huge medical bill in the mail, or the car breaks down, and the mechanic says, “It’s going to be an expensive fix.” The normal reaction is to simply say, “Well, where am I going to get this money? This always happens at the worst time!” Instead, like Christian, speak not what you have, but speak what you want.
Say it out loud, “Lord, I thank you that you are going to handle this for me. I don’t know how you will do it, but I trust you Lord.” God didn’t speak to the darkness, “I wish it weren’t so dark. How am I supposed to work in this darkness?” Instead He spoke NOT what He had, but He spoke what He wanted.
How did Jesus speak? When He walked this earth, and He came into a room where a little girl was lying dead, what did He say? While others said, “She is dead,” Jesus said, “She is sleeping.” They laughed. Then He said what was impossible, but he was speaking the worlds into existence as He said, “Get up!” He didn’t describe the storm, instead He declared, “Peace, be still!” He didn’t describe the blindness, instead He said, “Receive your sight!” This same Jesus lives in you. We must give Him access to our mouths.
We must learn to say what He says, or what He would say, given our situation. I call this “Speaking Jesus.” The doctor says, “Your child will have this condition her whole life.” What does Jesus say? Jesus looks at the baby and says, “No, be healed!” His words should be our words. WE SPEAK JESUS!
Now we are imitating Him. While everyone around you is getting stuck in circumstances, you are beginning to live from glory to glory, as more than an overcomer in life. Others complain about the job, or describe how awful they were hurt, betrayed, or angered. You, however, are not shipwrecked or caught in the stress, because your words are causing you to rise above the circumstances to live the life God has destined for you.
Not only do our words have the power to create our world, but (this may surprise you) they also have the power to stop what God is giving to us. Consider the story of Zechariah in Luke, chapter one. Zechariah was married to Elizabeth who was Mary’s cousin. They wanted a child their whole lives, but it just didn’t happen. Now they were older, and it seemed too late. They had prayed for a son. In fact, when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, the angel said,
13“…your prayer has been heard.”
Zechariah questioned the word the angel spoke, saying,
18“How can I be sure of this?”
Out of the abundance of his heart, the doubt spoke. The angel replied,
19“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time."
The result of his unbelief was that Zechariah was made silent and unable to speak. Why take away his ability to talk? Why not take the ability to see or the ability to smell? The angel could not have Zechariah speaking against the plans and purposes of what God was doing! He could not have the doubt-filled words that were in Zechariah’s heart being spoken against the work that God was doing. So, the angel had to silence him, because every word that proceeds from our mouth is full of power, the power of LIFE OR DEATH!!
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge it shall eat the fruit of it (Prov. 18:21 AMP).
Death and life are in the power of your tongue. Each word you speak is spiritual, not only natural. Your words carry power in them.
Each time God spoke, the words He spoke carried power and released faith. WE have been given that same power with the words we speak. That is why it is of utmost importance that we speak the right things over ourselves, our lives, and over others. Elizabeth was going to birth John. John would come into the world and pave the way for Jesus. Do your words speak life, or do your words speak death? Do you accept the circumstance that has been presented to you in your life? Or, do you declare with your mouth the promises of God?
You see, even though they had prayed for a son, and the Lord had answered, Zechariah’s words had the power to stop what God was doing in their lives. God has already blessed you with every good thing. The Lord favors you. He has provided healing, wealth, peace, and joy. Now I’m not saying there won’t be battles and tough times, but even in the desert, He provides an oasis. When we aren’t experiencing what He has given us, it may be because our words are plugging up the pipe of His goodness. Our words may be hindering the good things God is trying to do in our lives.
Now if you say, “Oh, how can I be sure of this?” That is exactly what Zachariah said. The angel shows us here that it would be better to not speak at all. When something negative wants to come out of your mouth, just be silent.
29For those that God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed into the image of His Son... (Rom. 8:29 NIV).
Father God created you, and He predestined you to be conformed into the image of Jesus. What does this mean? It means we were created in the likeness and image of His son, Jesus. Jesus came in order that we would have life and have it more abundantly. When Jesus became the Lord and Savior of your life, He came with power on the inside of you. Now, whatever you do in your life, you have the power of Jesus on the inside of you. You can speak with power and experience the same faith moving mountains in your life. This is the creative power of Jesus living on the inside of you! He is in you, therefore you carry God’s power in the words you speak!
20That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come (Eph. 1:20-21 NIV).
My son, Logan, when he was ten years old, would have conversations with us about how smart he is. He would say, “Yep Mom, I am the smartest kid in fourth grade.” Now, he wasn’t being prideful. He was speaking his truth. One after-noon he was at the kitchen bar doing his math homework and was very upset. He said, “I’m just not good at this! Math is so hard. Why do I even need to know this?” (Can anyone else relate to this scenario?) I responded, “Yes you are good at math! You are the smartest kid in fourth grade, remember?” He didn’t think that was funny. But words have power.
Sometimes we just need to remind our kids, and ourselves, the power our words contain. If we can learn to choose the words we speak more purposely, we will see things in our world change. A couple minutes after changing Logan’s words over himself, he started finding his math homework easier, and his attitude changed! Now I want you to watch this...for the rest of the fourth-grade year, we continued to speak good and positive things about his math class. When Logan would have a bad attitude about math, and he found himself speaking negative, I would remind him that he needed to change what he was speaking over himself. Two years later, when he was in sixth grade, he was placed into the advanced math class at his school. He was a sixth grader doing seventh-grade math. Look what the Lord can do with the power of our confession! Just two years earlier he was struggling and feeling inadequate in his math abilities, but just by changing what he spoke, he changed his circumstance.
The words we speak need to come into agreement with God’s words. What words do you speak over yourself? Do you speak highly of yourself? Do you speak positive about who you are? Your words have significant power. You can reach new heights simply by the words you speak.
It’s not prideful to speak positive about yourself. In this day and age, the world really condemns speaking highly of ourselves. The world exhorts the victim mentality. The world gives great honor to the weak and to the victims, but we serve a God Who has made us victorious in all situations. No matter how you have been victimized you CAN be victorious. You can be more than an overcomer in Christ Jesus! It’s all in what we speak. We are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37)! This is what we need to be speaking! We need to be speaking the WORD OF GOD! Speak the Word! Declare you are a strong and confident person. You are full of the Holy Spirit. You speak with wisdom. Wisdom is on your tongue. You have favor with God and men (Prov. 3:4). Everything your hands touch is blessed (Deut. 15:10). Health and wholeness reign in your body. Declare it! Speak it out! Call those things that are not as though they were (Rom. 4:17)! It has nothing to do with how you feel either, so don’t let feelings hinder you from speaking the truth from God’s Word. In fact, when you are feeling low, that’s especially the time for you to open your mouth and speak what God’s Word says about you. Your emotions will come into line with the words you speak.
James creates a picture for us of just how powerful the words that we speak are:
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark (Jas. 3:3-5 NIV).
The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. That small little member of your body that has so much power is your tongue. Our words can bring life or our words can destroy. With our words we can bring love and comfort. Or, with our words we can tear down and destroy. When a bit is placed into a horse’s mouth, it steers it. That tiny bit turns the entire horse one way or the other. Likewise, think of the rudder on a huge ship. That tiny rudder guides the direction of the ship even through the toughest of storms. Our tongue contains that same power. NO MATTER how fierce the storm – no matter the situation that you face, your tongue will turn it!
There is no storm so big that you cannot overcome It with God’s Word in your MOUTH!
In the world, we are taught to be experts at tearing down each other. Not only do we speak negative about ourselves, but we criticize others. Maybe we are with a friend speaking against our spouse. “My wife is being so crazy this morning...ugh!” Or maybe we say to our kids, “You’re so rebellious!” Talking to someone close to us, we say, “You are so rude, you never think about me!” Our words are tearing others down and also ripping at the seams of our relationships. Let us, instead, imitate our Father God Who draws us near with loving kindness. Negative words push people down and away. What if, instead of describing others, you spoke what you want?
“My children rise and call me blessed (Prov. 31:28).”
“My husband loves me; he is so thoughtful.” You might be thinking, “But he isn’t thoughtful.” Sure, but why not start speaking your world into existence? Use your words to pull people together and to build others up. Consistency will be key in your new-found Jesus speaking.
Know you’re not alone in this! Ask the Holy Spirit for help! He is your ever-present help in time of need, and He always leads us into all truth (John 3:16). Knowing you can’t do it on your own is a good place to be. Always be conscious of your need for the Holy Spirit, and receive His help. Make a habit of only letting the right words leave your lips.
23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised (Heb. 10:23 KJV).
Hold fast the profession (confession, declaration) of our faith – it doesn’t say hold fast to your worry. Instead, it says, hold fast to the profession – what are you continually speaking? The Bible doesn’t say hold fast to the problem. Instead, let go of the problem, and start speaking faith!
The answer is believing and declaring faith-filled words. Profession of your FAITH. If you are still talking about the problem, you are not speaking words of faith.
You may say, “This just sounds like a bunch of positive speaking.” It’s not. The circumstance or situation is the mountain in front of me. I don’t deny that there’s a mountain there. I deny its right to exist there! It doesn’t have the right to be in my life. So, I speak to that mountain, “Be removed and cast into the sea,” and by faith I see it removed.
You may have an illness in your body. That sickness is a mountain in front of you. You don’t deny that the mountain is there, right? But you deny its RIGHT to exist! It has no right to be in your life. So, by faith, you speak to that mountain, “Sickness, you must leave this body in the name of Jesus. By Jesus’ stripes I am healed! You have no right to exist in my body. By faith I receive the healing power of Jesus.” This is speaking the Word of God in your life - Speaking Jesus - learning to say what He says, or what He would say, given our situation. The Word of God spoken is the most powerful thing you can speak.
12The Word of God is living, active, and full of power. It is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12 NIV).
How do we defeat the enemy? We defeat the enemy when we possess the correct weapon. The Word is of no value to you unless you use it.
It’s powerless if you don’t put it to use. It is your main weapon in your Christian life. When I watch my kids play video games, the main objective is to kill the enemy. If they don’t use the proper weapon, they are defeated. In the same way, God has supplied you with the best weapon of all, His Word. It will help you to be victorious on all occasions and in all circumstances. The power lies in the Word of God. We must open our mouths and use it. When you begin to speak the Word of God in your life, you release the supernatural power of God to operate. What are you doing? You are speaking Jesus, handling the enemy just like He did. When the Word of God is spoken from your mouth, a double-edged sword exits your mouth. Hebrews 4:12 says it like this,
12The Word of God is living, active, and full of power. It is sharper that any two-edged sword.
Imagine it right now. Imagine a sword literally exiting your mouth. How strange would that look? Well, actually, it’s the truth. Every time you speak God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit comes right on out. It comes forth, and its main objective is to make the Word come to pass. This has changed my whole outlook on the Word of God. When I speak the Word of God, I envision a sword coming out of my mouth. Whatever problem that presents itself to me, when I speak God’s Word over it, I see that sword coming right out.
My son, Logan, comes to me and says, “Mom, my throat hurts so bad.” I say, “Come over here.” I get my hands on him and I say, “I curse you, sore throat, in the name of Jesus. By the stripes of Jesus, you are healed.” I see that sword going out from my mouth. The Word of God will not return void, but it will go out and accomplish that which it is set forth to do. By the end of that day, he has no sore throat. When you speak like Jesus, you are letting that sword come out and do the work for you!
In Matthew, chapter four, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil where He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He was hungry! The devil came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” What did Jesus say to him? Watch how the sword comes out! Jesus answered, “It is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” When Jesus answered the enemy, he answered with the Word. He said, “It is written.” And, when He spoke those words, that doubled-edged sword defeated the enemy! What is Jesus showing us here? He is showing us we can defeat the enemy in our life with His Word on our lips. Just one scripture has the power to overthrow the enemy in your life!
Every time you open your mouth and speak the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit goes out.
12For the Word of God is living and active and full of power (Heb. 4:12).
In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John has a vision of Jesus. He describes the “One Who is faithful and true.” He describes, His eyes were burning with fire...he sees him riding a white horse, and coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword (Rev. 19:15 NIV).
Do you see it now? Jesus is on the inside of you, and His sword is ready to be released when you say what He says. The sword cuts through the confusion and traps the enemy. It clears the path for the future. I sometimes like to think of that sword as a paint brush. Fear wants to paint a future for you, but God has a different painting for you. Doubt wants to paint a future for you, but God has a different painting for you. Rejection, regrets and failures want to paint a future for you, but God has a different painting for you. His painting is full of hope, victory, prosperity, fulfillment and blessing. Sounds like an amazing painting! A different future is painted when what we say comes into agreement with what Jesus says.
Not only does speaking God’s Word send the enemy running in seven directions, but what you say has the power to paint your future. My son, Logan, is taking golf lessons. His golf instructor is an older gentleman who has played much golf in his lifetime. When I go to the lesson with my son, I love to sit and listen to the instructor. He will say, “Wow, Logan, you have an amazing swing. You are a natural at this.” Logan just smiles or nods his head in agreement. I can literally watch the words that are being spoken to him have an impact. This instructor is such a positive person, and with his words, he encourages Logan about his golf game. At one lesson, I overheard him tell Logan, “Now, Logan, when you are in junior high, you are going to be on the golf team, and then, when you’re in high school, you will be on that golf team as well. Then, college, you will be given a scholarship, and you will play for a university.” I thought to myself, “Praise God! Yes! This is going to pay for college!!” I was doing a happy dance on the inside of myself! What was his golf instructor doing here? He was painting a different future with his words. This is what the Word does for us in our lives. The Word of God paints a different future for you and me.
Words that once brought death and sickness into your life are no more; God’s Word fills your mouth and brings healing and life. Words that brought poverty and lack are no more; God’s Word fills my mouth and produces prosperity and abundance. Words that used to produce fear and doubt; now God’s Word is in your mouth and produces peace. We have to learn to speak differently! We are going to take God’s Word, and speak it out of our mouths. This is what I call, Speaking Jesus.
You can paint your future in what you are speaking. Many people are stuck without vision, without an idea of what the future could hold for them. “Well, I’ve gone as far as I can go.” “My dad was poor, his dad was poor, and so I’ll probably be poor.” Logan’s golf coach shows us how you can describe the future you desire. Speaking a different future can paint a clear picture that you will begin to move toward. Make an announcement to your future right now. “I’m going to start Bible College next semester.” “I’m going to meet the man of my dreams this fall. Thank you, Lord, you are getting me ready for Mr. Right!” “My business is going to double in sales next year. Praise God, we will help our church build that new building, and we will be able to afford a vacation home in San Diego.” Do you want to have a nice vacation this summer? Start speaking it into existence. Don’t say, “We can’t go on vacation; I can’t get the time off work.” Instead say, “Lord I thank you that you give your beloved rest! Thank you we are going to the beach this summer for two weeks. Lord you are going to make this possible.”
In Mark, chapter 11, Jesus was traveling and ministering, and He was hungry. He saw a fig tree and walked over to it to get some food. When there were no figs on the tree, He cursed it. He cursed the tree because it had not produced fruit. The next morning the disciples saw that the fig tree was withering from the roots and dying. You know, Jesus didn’t return to the tree to see if what He spoke had happened. He KNEW it happened the moment He spoke it. He spoke to the situation, and it produced. The disciples were amazed by Jesus’ power. He spoke to the disciples in that moment and said,
23“Have faith in God. If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:23 NIV).
Jesus has given that same power and authority to every born-again believer. With faith in God, we can SPEAK to the mountain, and it will be removed from our life. It will happen.
What hasn’t been producing in your life? Are there areas in your life that should be fruitful but just are not producing? What has God promised that you just aren’t seeing right now? Decide today to begin to speak differently about that situation. Instead of saying, “We are broke, there’s no money in the account,” say,
22The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, to us without painful toil (Prov. 10:22 NIV).
Instead of saying, “I catch every sickness that comes through my place of work,” say, “I walk in divine health; sickness cannot come near my home.”
When Jesus first cursed that fruitless tree, nothing seemed to happen. The disciples could have said, “Well that didn’t work.” Jesus could’ve been discouraged, seeing that nothing changed. It wasn’t until the next day they noticed it was withered from the root. In the same way, as you change how you speak, (maybe you curse an addiction in your life, or anger, or some other fruitless area in your life). Be patient. Jesus wasn’t discouraged when He didn’t see it happen right away. He knew the Word was working. You see, what you say will continue to work when you mix it with faith. Believe that it is done, and let it be settled in your heart as truth. Then keep declaring that truth and praising God for it all the way to manifestation. Then hold fast to that profession. Be patient if you must. Stay in hope. Keep saying it. Oh, how you are steering the ship into a new harbor, one full of the manifestations of God’s best in your life.
Today you can choose to speak the words that will create the world you desire. Today you can come into agreement with the gifts God is trying to bring into your life. Today you can start saying what God says about you, and you can use your words to build up those around you. Today is the day! Today you can begin to have victory over the enemy by speaking the Word of God. Today you can paint a future you are excited to leap into.
Today you can curse the fruitless areas in your life and step into all that God has for you. It is so simple.
Say it with me,
Lord, I thank you for the strength to begin speaking the right words into my life. I receive that only life-giving words come out of my mouth. Help me, Lord, to say what You say, and help me hold to that profession, that I might step into the life You have destined me to live. In the name of Jesus!
Now you are speaking Jesus!
The next day, the pediatrician informed me that because of all the fluid that had gotten into Katy’s lungs, she would have a life of breathing complications. We were to expect her to have asthma and to use breathing treatments for, really, her whole, entire life. As a little baby, I found that Katy did get sick quite often, and when she did, she was always having to use a breathing machine to break up all the mucus in her lungs. She never complained; she kinda accepted that this was her life. Jason and I, however, knew that our God did not have this plan for her life. We knew we needed to stand in faith and believe for our daughter to be healed. We began to speak and declare healing over her body. Each time she would need a breathing treatment, we would say, “Katy, you have the strongest lungs. Your lungs will function properly and the way the Lord has designed them. You will not have a life of asthma or lung issues. Your body is healed in Jesus' name.” We spoke words of faith. We called things that were not as though they were. After five years of praying, believing and speaking, Katy was totally healed.
In the five years of believing for healing for our daughter, we could have said, “Well, where is God? Why is He doing this to us?” Or “It’s okay; we will survive this.” We could’ve complained, “Why does this always happen?” This is how the world has trained us. When life takes a turn for the worst, we are trained by the world to accept it, to complain about it, and to describe it. Here’s the truth, your world is absolutely being impacted by the words you speak. In fact, your current experience has a lot to do with what you say daily. If you are short on money, well, what have you been saying? “Things are tight this month! I don’t know how we are going to make rent. I always get overlooked at work. Where’s my raise?” Or, in regard to our health, we might say, “I always get the flu.” Or “When school starts, my kids start getting sick.” We say, “I have no energy in the afternoons.” Or “I have not been sleeping well.” “I can’t sit very long because I have a bad back.” Now let me ask you, did Jesus ever speak like this? I have a surprise for you. If we want Word-of-God results, then it’s time to start taking a hard look at what is coming out of our mouths. The truth is, Satan has worked hard to get us complaining and speaking death into our lives, but I have some good news for you! If you want to see real results in your future, then you are in the right place right now to receive. In this chapter, I want you to see how your words are creating your world, and how what you say can start or stop God from what He is trying to do. Words can build you and others up, or tear you and others down. Speaking the Word of God can give you victory over the enemy, paint your future, and get the right kind of fruit growing in your life. Have you ever been headed in one direction and then realized it was taking you away from your destination? What do you do? You make a U-turn. The U-turn is happening right now.
Now, let’s begin where it all began, creation! It began as HE SPOKE.
Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words. HE SPOKE and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen. (Hebrews 11:3, TPT)
The words we speak carry power in them. It’s exactly how God designed our words to work. You see, His words created the world. In the same way, when you speak, you are creating your world. Are you speaking things you want into existence? Are you speaking things you don’t want into existence? When God created the heavens and the earth, He spoke them into existence. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. In the ancient Hebrew it sounds like this: God said, “Be light! And, light be.” Each time God spoke, He released His faith. The Spirit was there on the surface of the deep, the power was present, and He spoke, and the invisible realm gave birth. Wow! What an awesome picture. God’s words gave birth. God’s words produce exactly what He says. He created all things by the power of His Word, and He is still upholding all things by the power of His Word (Col. 1:17). “And God said…” appears 10 times in the first chapter of Genesis! We may just skim over that fact, but the Holy Spirit had it written into the Bible to stress to us the importance words play in creation. Did you know God has given you this same power with the words you speak?
Looking back a few years ago, my son, Christian, made a huge decision to change universities after his first year in college. It was a stressful time for him. The decision involved switching schools, transferring credits, figuring out if his scholarships would transfer, and switching majors. He had a lot to figure out. Plus, just the risk factor too… “Am I making the right decision here?” He did know something though...he knew he had peace to change universities. God was leading him in a different direction. One problem that presented itself was an imposing fee for leaving his dorm. He was going to be required to pay a $1,000 fee. That’s a huge fee. And let’s face it, I WAS GOING TO BE THE ONE TO PAY IT!!
One day we were having a conversation on the phone about all this, and he just abruptly stopped and declared, “Nope, I’m not going to have to pay that fee! God, you give me favor. I call on YOU to figure this out for me.” I said, “I come into agreement with you!” What happened in that moment? We stepped into faith. I knew that God would come through. When it was all said and done, the university emailed him at the end of summer saying they were waiving the fee. Praise God!
Jesus said,
23“If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them (Mark 11:23).”
The mountain before Christian was a $1,000 fee. What is the mountain before you? Is it something with your health? Declare with your mouth, “I am healed! Jesus took all sickness and disease on the cross for me and freed me from the curse! Sickness has no part of me or my family!” (Is. 53:5, Gal. 3:13) God’s Word is full of the promises of healing for your body! Are you dealing with a situation with your teenager? Declare with your mouth,
The peace of God that transcends all understanding guards my child’s heart and mind in Christ Jesus. My child is full of peace!” "The anointing of God teaches me all things, and I have wisdom from the Holy Spirit, and I am fully equipped in Christ Jesus to raise my children. (1 John 2:27, Eph. 1:17, 2 Tim. 3:17)
What are you declaring right now? Declare with your mouth,
I have the favor of God!
Declare that when the boss sees your name on that application, he is drawn to YOU! He has to have YOU working there! Praise God! We have to open our mouths and declare the promises of God. Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours!
Christian could have just accepted the fee. He could’ve done what most people do, complain about it and wish it weren’t true. Do we do this sometimes? Maybe we get a huge medical bill in the mail, or the car breaks down, and the mechanic says, “It’s going to be an expensive fix.” The normal reaction is to simply say, “Well, where am I going to get this money? This always happens at the worst time!” Instead, like Christian, speak not what you have, but speak what you want.
Say it out loud, “Lord, I thank you that you are going to handle this for me. I don’t know how you will do it, but I trust you Lord.” God didn’t speak to the darkness, “I wish it weren’t so dark. How am I supposed to work in this darkness?” Instead He spoke NOT what He had, but He spoke what He wanted.
How did Jesus speak? When He walked this earth, and He came into a room where a little girl was lying dead, what did He say? While others said, “She is dead,” Jesus said, “She is sleeping.” They laughed. Then He said what was impossible, but he was speaking the worlds into existence as He said, “Get up!” He didn’t describe the storm, instead He declared, “Peace, be still!” He didn’t describe the blindness, instead He said, “Receive your sight!” This same Jesus lives in you. We must give Him access to our mouths.
We must learn to say what He says, or what He would say, given our situation. I call this “Speaking Jesus.” The doctor says, “Your child will have this condition her whole life.” What does Jesus say? Jesus looks at the baby and says, “No, be healed!” His words should be our words. WE SPEAK JESUS!
Now we are imitating Him. While everyone around you is getting stuck in circumstances, you are beginning to live from glory to glory, as more than an overcomer in life. Others complain about the job, or describe how awful they were hurt, betrayed, or angered. You, however, are not shipwrecked or caught in the stress, because your words are causing you to rise above the circumstances to live the life God has destined for you.
Not only do our words have the power to create our world, but (this may surprise you) they also have the power to stop what God is giving to us. Consider the story of Zechariah in Luke, chapter one. Zechariah was married to Elizabeth who was Mary’s cousin. They wanted a child their whole lives, but it just didn’t happen. Now they were older, and it seemed too late. They had prayed for a son. In fact, when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, the angel said,
13“…your prayer has been heard.”
Zechariah questioned the word the angel spoke, saying,
18“How can I be sure of this?”
Out of the abundance of his heart, the doubt spoke. The angel replied,
19“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time."
The result of his unbelief was that Zechariah was made silent and unable to speak. Why take away his ability to talk? Why not take the ability to see or the ability to smell? The angel could not have Zechariah speaking against the plans and purposes of what God was doing! He could not have the doubt-filled words that were in Zechariah’s heart being spoken against the work that God was doing. So, the angel had to silence him, because every word that proceeds from our mouth is full of power, the power of LIFE OR DEATH!!
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge it shall eat the fruit of it (Prov. 18:21 AMP).
Death and life are in the power of your tongue. Each word you speak is spiritual, not only natural. Your words carry power in them.
Each time God spoke, the words He spoke carried power and released faith. WE have been given that same power with the words we speak. That is why it is of utmost importance that we speak the right things over ourselves, our lives, and over others. Elizabeth was going to birth John. John would come into the world and pave the way for Jesus. Do your words speak life, or do your words speak death? Do you accept the circumstance that has been presented to you in your life? Or, do you declare with your mouth the promises of God?
You see, even though they had prayed for a son, and the Lord had answered, Zechariah’s words had the power to stop what God was doing in their lives. God has already blessed you with every good thing. The Lord favors you. He has provided healing, wealth, peace, and joy. Now I’m not saying there won’t be battles and tough times, but even in the desert, He provides an oasis. When we aren’t experiencing what He has given us, it may be because our words are plugging up the pipe of His goodness. Our words may be hindering the good things God is trying to do in our lives.
Now if you say, “Oh, how can I be sure of this?” That is exactly what Zachariah said. The angel shows us here that it would be better to not speak at all. When something negative wants to come out of your mouth, just be silent.
29For those that God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed into the image of His Son... (Rom. 8:29 NIV).
Father God created you, and He predestined you to be conformed into the image of Jesus. What does this mean? It means we were created in the likeness and image of His son, Jesus. Jesus came in order that we would have life and have it more abundantly. When Jesus became the Lord and Savior of your life, He came with power on the inside of you. Now, whatever you do in your life, you have the power of Jesus on the inside of you. You can speak with power and experience the same faith moving mountains in your life. This is the creative power of Jesus living on the inside of you! He is in you, therefore you carry God’s power in the words you speak!
20That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come (Eph. 1:20-21 NIV).
My son, Logan, when he was ten years old, would have conversations with us about how smart he is. He would say, “Yep Mom, I am the smartest kid in fourth grade.” Now, he wasn’t being prideful. He was speaking his truth. One after-noon he was at the kitchen bar doing his math homework and was very upset. He said, “I’m just not good at this! Math is so hard. Why do I even need to know this?” (Can anyone else relate to this scenario?) I responded, “Yes you are good at math! You are the smartest kid in fourth grade, remember?” He didn’t think that was funny. But words have power.
Sometimes we just need to remind our kids, and ourselves, the power our words contain. If we can learn to choose the words we speak more purposely, we will see things in our world change. A couple minutes after changing Logan’s words over himself, he started finding his math homework easier, and his attitude changed! Now I want you to watch this...for the rest of the fourth-grade year, we continued to speak good and positive things about his math class. When Logan would have a bad attitude about math, and he found himself speaking negative, I would remind him that he needed to change what he was speaking over himself. Two years later, when he was in sixth grade, he was placed into the advanced math class at his school. He was a sixth grader doing seventh-grade math. Look what the Lord can do with the power of our confession! Just two years earlier he was struggling and feeling inadequate in his math abilities, but just by changing what he spoke, he changed his circumstance.
The words we speak need to come into agreement with God’s words. What words do you speak over yourself? Do you speak highly of yourself? Do you speak positive about who you are? Your words have significant power. You can reach new heights simply by the words you speak.
It’s not prideful to speak positive about yourself. In this day and age, the world really condemns speaking highly of ourselves. The world exhorts the victim mentality. The world gives great honor to the weak and to the victims, but we serve a God Who has made us victorious in all situations. No matter how you have been victimized you CAN be victorious. You can be more than an overcomer in Christ Jesus! It’s all in what we speak. We are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37)! This is what we need to be speaking! We need to be speaking the WORD OF GOD! Speak the Word! Declare you are a strong and confident person. You are full of the Holy Spirit. You speak with wisdom. Wisdom is on your tongue. You have favor with God and men (Prov. 3:4). Everything your hands touch is blessed (Deut. 15:10). Health and wholeness reign in your body. Declare it! Speak it out! Call those things that are not as though they were (Rom. 4:17)! It has nothing to do with how you feel either, so don’t let feelings hinder you from speaking the truth from God’s Word. In fact, when you are feeling low, that’s especially the time for you to open your mouth and speak what God’s Word says about you. Your emotions will come into line with the words you speak.
James creates a picture for us of just how powerful the words that we speak are:
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark (Jas. 3:3-5 NIV).
The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. That small little member of your body that has so much power is your tongue. Our words can bring life or our words can destroy. With our words we can bring love and comfort. Or, with our words we can tear down and destroy. When a bit is placed into a horse’s mouth, it steers it. That tiny bit turns the entire horse one way or the other. Likewise, think of the rudder on a huge ship. That tiny rudder guides the direction of the ship even through the toughest of storms. Our tongue contains that same power. NO MATTER how fierce the storm – no matter the situation that you face, your tongue will turn it!
There is no storm so big that you cannot overcome It with God’s Word in your MOUTH!
In the world, we are taught to be experts at tearing down each other. Not only do we speak negative about ourselves, but we criticize others. Maybe we are with a friend speaking against our spouse. “My wife is being so crazy this morning...ugh!” Or maybe we say to our kids, “You’re so rebellious!” Talking to someone close to us, we say, “You are so rude, you never think about me!” Our words are tearing others down and also ripping at the seams of our relationships. Let us, instead, imitate our Father God Who draws us near with loving kindness. Negative words push people down and away. What if, instead of describing others, you spoke what you want?
“My children rise and call me blessed (Prov. 31:28).”
“My husband loves me; he is so thoughtful.” You might be thinking, “But he isn’t thoughtful.” Sure, but why not start speaking your world into existence? Use your words to pull people together and to build others up. Consistency will be key in your new-found Jesus speaking.
Know you’re not alone in this! Ask the Holy Spirit for help! He is your ever-present help in time of need, and He always leads us into all truth (John 3:16). Knowing you can’t do it on your own is a good place to be. Always be conscious of your need for the Holy Spirit, and receive His help. Make a habit of only letting the right words leave your lips.
23Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised (Heb. 10:23 KJV).
Hold fast the profession (confession, declaration) of our faith – it doesn’t say hold fast to your worry. Instead, it says, hold fast to the profession – what are you continually speaking? The Bible doesn’t say hold fast to the problem. Instead, let go of the problem, and start speaking faith!
The answer is believing and declaring faith-filled words. Profession of your FAITH. If you are still talking about the problem, you are not speaking words of faith.
You may say, “This just sounds like a bunch of positive speaking.” It’s not. The circumstance or situation is the mountain in front of me. I don’t deny that there’s a mountain there. I deny its right to exist there! It doesn’t have the right to be in my life. So, I speak to that mountain, “Be removed and cast into the sea,” and by faith I see it removed.
You may have an illness in your body. That sickness is a mountain in front of you. You don’t deny that the mountain is there, right? But you deny its RIGHT to exist! It has no right to be in your life. So, by faith, you speak to that mountain, “Sickness, you must leave this body in the name of Jesus. By Jesus’ stripes I am healed! You have no right to exist in my body. By faith I receive the healing power of Jesus.” This is speaking the Word of God in your life - Speaking Jesus - learning to say what He says, or what He would say, given our situation. The Word of God spoken is the most powerful thing you can speak.
12The Word of God is living, active, and full of power. It is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12 NIV).
How do we defeat the enemy? We defeat the enemy when we possess the correct weapon. The Word is of no value to you unless you use it.
It’s powerless if you don’t put it to use. It is your main weapon in your Christian life. When I watch my kids play video games, the main objective is to kill the enemy. If they don’t use the proper weapon, they are defeated. In the same way, God has supplied you with the best weapon of all, His Word. It will help you to be victorious on all occasions and in all circumstances. The power lies in the Word of God. We must open our mouths and use it. When you begin to speak the Word of God in your life, you release the supernatural power of God to operate. What are you doing? You are speaking Jesus, handling the enemy just like He did. When the Word of God is spoken from your mouth, a double-edged sword exits your mouth. Hebrews 4:12 says it like this,
12The Word of God is living, active, and full of power. It is sharper that any two-edged sword.
Imagine it right now. Imagine a sword literally exiting your mouth. How strange would that look? Well, actually, it’s the truth. Every time you speak God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit comes right on out. It comes forth, and its main objective is to make the Word come to pass. This has changed my whole outlook on the Word of God. When I speak the Word of God, I envision a sword coming out of my mouth. Whatever problem that presents itself to me, when I speak God’s Word over it, I see that sword coming right out.
My son, Logan, comes to me and says, “Mom, my throat hurts so bad.” I say, “Come over here.” I get my hands on him and I say, “I curse you, sore throat, in the name of Jesus. By the stripes of Jesus, you are healed.” I see that sword going out from my mouth. The Word of God will not return void, but it will go out and accomplish that which it is set forth to do. By the end of that day, he has no sore throat. When you speak like Jesus, you are letting that sword come out and do the work for you!
In Matthew, chapter four, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil where He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He was hungry! The devil came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” What did Jesus say to him? Watch how the sword comes out! Jesus answered, “It is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” When Jesus answered the enemy, he answered with the Word. He said, “It is written.” And, when He spoke those words, that doubled-edged sword defeated the enemy! What is Jesus showing us here? He is showing us we can defeat the enemy in our life with His Word on our lips. Just one scripture has the power to overthrow the enemy in your life!
Every time you open your mouth and speak the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit goes out.
12For the Word of God is living and active and full of power (Heb. 4:12).
In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John has a vision of Jesus. He describes the “One Who is faithful and true.” He describes, His eyes were burning with fire...he sees him riding a white horse, and coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword (Rev. 19:15 NIV).
Do you see it now? Jesus is on the inside of you, and His sword is ready to be released when you say what He says. The sword cuts through the confusion and traps the enemy. It clears the path for the future. I sometimes like to think of that sword as a paint brush. Fear wants to paint a future for you, but God has a different painting for you. Doubt wants to paint a future for you, but God has a different painting for you. Rejection, regrets and failures want to paint a future for you, but God has a different painting for you. His painting is full of hope, victory, prosperity, fulfillment and blessing. Sounds like an amazing painting! A different future is painted when what we say comes into agreement with what Jesus says.
Not only does speaking God’s Word send the enemy running in seven directions, but what you say has the power to paint your future. My son, Logan, is taking golf lessons. His golf instructor is an older gentleman who has played much golf in his lifetime. When I go to the lesson with my son, I love to sit and listen to the instructor. He will say, “Wow, Logan, you have an amazing swing. You are a natural at this.” Logan just smiles or nods his head in agreement. I can literally watch the words that are being spoken to him have an impact. This instructor is such a positive person, and with his words, he encourages Logan about his golf game. At one lesson, I overheard him tell Logan, “Now, Logan, when you are in junior high, you are going to be on the golf team, and then, when you’re in high school, you will be on that golf team as well. Then, college, you will be given a scholarship, and you will play for a university.” I thought to myself, “Praise God! Yes! This is going to pay for college!!” I was doing a happy dance on the inside of myself! What was his golf instructor doing here? He was painting a different future with his words. This is what the Word does for us in our lives. The Word of God paints a different future for you and me.
Words that once brought death and sickness into your life are no more; God’s Word fills your mouth and brings healing and life. Words that brought poverty and lack are no more; God’s Word fills my mouth and produces prosperity and abundance. Words that used to produce fear and doubt; now God’s Word is in your mouth and produces peace. We have to learn to speak differently! We are going to take God’s Word, and speak it out of our mouths. This is what I call, Speaking Jesus.
You can paint your future in what you are speaking. Many people are stuck without vision, without an idea of what the future could hold for them. “Well, I’ve gone as far as I can go.” “My dad was poor, his dad was poor, and so I’ll probably be poor.” Logan’s golf coach shows us how you can describe the future you desire. Speaking a different future can paint a clear picture that you will begin to move toward. Make an announcement to your future right now. “I’m going to start Bible College next semester.” “I’m going to meet the man of my dreams this fall. Thank you, Lord, you are getting me ready for Mr. Right!” “My business is going to double in sales next year. Praise God, we will help our church build that new building, and we will be able to afford a vacation home in San Diego.” Do you want to have a nice vacation this summer? Start speaking it into existence. Don’t say, “We can’t go on vacation; I can’t get the time off work.” Instead say, “Lord I thank you that you give your beloved rest! Thank you we are going to the beach this summer for two weeks. Lord you are going to make this possible.”
In Mark, chapter 11, Jesus was traveling and ministering, and He was hungry. He saw a fig tree and walked over to it to get some food. When there were no figs on the tree, He cursed it. He cursed the tree because it had not produced fruit. The next morning the disciples saw that the fig tree was withering from the roots and dying. You know, Jesus didn’t return to the tree to see if what He spoke had happened. He KNEW it happened the moment He spoke it. He spoke to the situation, and it produced. The disciples were amazed by Jesus’ power. He spoke to the disciples in that moment and said,
23“Have faith in God. If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:23 NIV).
Jesus has given that same power and authority to every born-again believer. With faith in God, we can SPEAK to the mountain, and it will be removed from our life. It will happen.
What hasn’t been producing in your life? Are there areas in your life that should be fruitful but just are not producing? What has God promised that you just aren’t seeing right now? Decide today to begin to speak differently about that situation. Instead of saying, “We are broke, there’s no money in the account,” say,
22The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, to us without painful toil (Prov. 10:22 NIV).
Instead of saying, “I catch every sickness that comes through my place of work,” say, “I walk in divine health; sickness cannot come near my home.”
When Jesus first cursed that fruitless tree, nothing seemed to happen. The disciples could have said, “Well that didn’t work.” Jesus could’ve been discouraged, seeing that nothing changed. It wasn’t until the next day they noticed it was withered from the root. In the same way, as you change how you speak, (maybe you curse an addiction in your life, or anger, or some other fruitless area in your life). Be patient. Jesus wasn’t discouraged when He didn’t see it happen right away. He knew the Word was working. You see, what you say will continue to work when you mix it with faith. Believe that it is done, and let it be settled in your heart as truth. Then keep declaring that truth and praising God for it all the way to manifestation. Then hold fast to that profession. Be patient if you must. Stay in hope. Keep saying it. Oh, how you are steering the ship into a new harbor, one full of the manifestations of God’s best in your life.
Today you can choose to speak the words that will create the world you desire. Today you can come into agreement with the gifts God is trying to bring into your life. Today you can start saying what God says about you, and you can use your words to build up those around you. Today is the day! Today you can begin to have victory over the enemy by speaking the Word of God. Today you can paint a future you are excited to leap into.
Today you can curse the fruitless areas in your life and step into all that God has for you. It is so simple.
Say it with me,
Lord, I thank you for the strength to begin speaking the right words into my life. I receive that only life-giving words come out of my mouth. Help me, Lord, to say what You say, and help me hold to that profession, that I might step into the life You have destined me to live. In the name of Jesus!
Now you are speaking Jesus!
