Speaking Life . . .

Good morning, friends! 

I've been thinking about our spoken words and their consequential impact on our lives. I read a book 10 years ago called Blessings and Curses by Derek Prince, and it opened my eyes to the power of our words. Through the years, I have come to see the effects of words on my family, my own life and friends' lives. Another huge influence on this awareness I've experienced has been from our friends in Kenya, specifically the stories of witchcraft and then the more powerful breaking off of that witchcraft through the power of Jesus. Lives are transformed in story after story after story. It is a choice though. Sometimes people choose to live in the witchcraft. Tragically, some choose the curse. 

This is one Scripture that address the urgency of our words:

Proverbs 18:21 NIV

"Life and death are in the power of the tongue, 

and those who love it will eat its fruit."   

Or a new version that I love so much states it this way (as also seen above):

Proverbs 18:21 TPT

"Your words are so weighty that they have 

power to bring life or release death, 

and the talkative person will reap the consequences." 

There are negative words everywhere. Curses are being spoken - sometimes flippantly, sometimes out of tradition, sometimes purposefully. Sometimes we are just repeating what we have heard spoken over us  -- I'm fat; I'm stupid; I'm too skinny; I'm no good at ___; I can't ever get things right; I'm so clumsy. I'll never make it. I'll never be healthy. I'll never get out of debt. Sometimes we speak curses out of pure jealousy of a friend, relative, neighbour or even a complete stranger. 

Sometimes we have just simply listened to the enemy whisper his wretched lies and have come into agreement with him. 

Whatever avenue has brought about the curses, our response has to be to fall down before the Throne of Grace in repentance. The Father is kind. He is ever faithful to forgive. Our sins have already been paid for on the cross of Jesus. If we have given our lives to Him, we do not have to been known by them any more. We are His sons and daughters, no longer slaves.

The next step is to change our thoughts, which in turn brings about a revolution in our mouths. As Cindy Trimm says, 'Our miracle is in our mouth"! One of the most potent ways to purposefully put blessings and life in our mouths is to speak the Word of God over our lives and our circumstances. 

I'm going to be sharing verses and promises from time to time in this series. These are verses and truths I have been declaring into the atmosphere and have seen breakthrough and freedom and hope in my life, as a result.

This time around, I'll start with some of my favourite Scriptures from Deuteronomy. I think of them as the foundation for speaking life.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

I'd love to know what verses or truths you speak into your circumstances, too, so please share in the comments! We're in this life together. And if you need some life-giving words spoken over you, please say so!

Have a great weekend! 

Blessings and love. xo