Most people have no idea of the power of speech. Words are spiritual containers. When we speak them, they help us access supernatural resources that benefit us in the physical world we live in. They’re the most powerful things in the universe; with that in mind, we must be careful not to use them carelessly or thoughtlessly.

Everything we see around us on the physical level began on the spiritual level. According to God’s spiritual laws, the words we speak in the natural travel to the supernatural, pick up what we spoke, bring them back, and deposit them into our lives. This happens for good as well as for evil, which is why it’s so important for believers to speak the truth. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (Psalm 107:2). We speak this in faith, even when our surrounding situation seems to contradict this.

God created the world, the universe, and everything beyond with the power of His spoken Word. Whatever He says must come to pass. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). As believers we have the same authority that He has, which means we, too, have the same ability to create whatever we say.

If we don’t understand this, we run the risk of declaring something that brings the wrong results into our lives. We can either speak life, or death. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21). Speaking words that agree with God’s Word brings us success and causes us to prosper; speaking words that contradict it blocks His blessings from manifesting.  

As free moral agents, we can choose either positive speech that encourages and builds others up, or negative speech that discourages them and tears them down. Our words have the power either to shine like a bright light in a dark world, or to cause others to stumble and fall. God holds us accountable for the words we choose. “You can be sure of this: when the day of judgment comes, everyone will be held accountable for every careless word he has spoken. Your very words will be used as evidence, and your words will declare you either innocent or guilty” (Matthew 12:36, 37, TPT).

Living in the world without being part of it means that we stand out by speaking something different than what everyone else is saying. Our faith is tested daily by everything around us, and when people disappoint us it’s easy to lash out with our words. This is where we can really shine. “And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace to help them” (Ephesians 4:29, TPT). We can either point out others’ flaws and make them feel bad, or reaffirm their value as people made in God’s image.

Our faith is crucial to the connection between what we say and what we subsequently see come to pass. Right-believing leads us to confess the truth, which is contained in the Word; wrong-believing fools us into speaking what we see in the world. Our very words can determine the future.