Our Verbal Power

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. – Proverbs 18:21

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. – Proverbs 12:18

From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive. - Proverbs 16:23

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. – Ephesians 4:29

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. – Proverbs 16:24

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. – Matthew 12:37

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. – Colossians 3:8

The Word of God is replete with instruction regarding the words that come from our mouths.  Our words are powerful. So powerful, in fact, that they have the power to affect life and death. Matthew Henry advises us that “A man may do a great deal of good, or a great deal of hurt, both to others and to himself, according to the use he makes of his tongue.” Our words, I will repeat, are powerful. Capable of persuasion, strengthening, healing, wisdom, persuasion, grace, blessings to the soul, health, justification, condemnation, anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscenity, and so much more – the words from our mouths are to be guarded, calculated, and wise.

The best way to do this is to only speak what the Father speaks – to align ourselves (our thinking, meditations, actions, desires, guiding principles, words) with the truth of the Word of God. And in order to do this, we need to be consumers of God’s word. We need to make it our practice to daily read, meditate upon, pray about, and put in to practice the truths found in the scriptures.

I will take it a step further and invite you to also allow this principle to inform your prayer life. A prayer of thanksgiving may look like: I thank You Father that You are my Shepherd and I want for nothing. I praise You because my future is filled with prosperity and not harm. I thank You that I am the head and not the tail, I am above and never beneath because I pay attention to Your commands. I thank You that Your peace guards my heart and mind. Thank you Father!

This is a prayer of thanksgiving but it is fully in line with the scriptures. Prayers of request may also be aligned in this manner. This is not a part of the “Name it and claim it” movement. We are rightly and simply agreeing with what the God of the universe has said. His word is true and should be our foundation…it is life to us.

But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. – Matthew 4:4AMP [see Deut. 8:3]

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16&17

So what are you saying?



Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Amen!) – Psalm 19:14