Now I have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God that I may know the things that are freely given to me of God (1 Corinthians 2:12). I can be strong because the Word of God lives in me, and in You, my Lord Jesus, I have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:14).
You are never alone, for God’s light always shines.
God, Your Word tells me that if we confess our sin, You are faithful and just and will forgive us our sin as well as cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). So when I sin, I can immediately turn to You and say “I am sorry, please forgive me.” And You will do so — that is so liberating! But then when the evil one comes and tries to convince me that You will not accept me because of that sin, You will simply smile and tell him You have no memory of that sin — that is worth celebrating! Thank You, Gracious and Loving Lord!
Lord Jesus, in Your name and authority I say to the devil: “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. I have sinned, but Christ Jesus bore my wrath for that sin on the Cross. He argues my case and establishes my right standing. He will bring me into the light, and I will see His salvation. Then you, my enemy, will see it all and be covered with shame.” (Micah 7:8-10)
The Lord says to me: “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace, You will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.” For my Maker is my husband — the Lord Almighty is His name — the Holy One of Israel is my Kinsman Redeemer. He is called “The God of All the Earth.” (Isaiah 54:4-5)
For the Lord my God is He who goes with me to fight for me against my enemies, to save me (Deuteronomy 20:4). He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow (Deuteronomy 10:8).
No one can separate me from the love of Christ Jesus. Not troubles or hardships or persecutions or famines or nakedness or danger or sword… In all things I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loves me (Romans 8:35-37).
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vine; though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food; though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls — yet I will rejoice in You, my Lord God. I will be joyful in God my Savior. You, Sovereign Lord, are my strength, You make my feet like the feet of a deer. You enable me to go on the heights (Habakkuk 3:17-19). Father, how inconceivable but true that You can take me to heights far exceeding the depths which I have known.
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek You, Lord God (Psalm 9:9-10).
God is always there beside us.
Awesome God, You are my hiding place. You have promised that You will protect me from trouble [too much for me to handle], and surround me with songs of deliverance. You said You will instruct me and teach me in the way I should go. You said You will counsel me and watch over me (Psalm 32:7). Lord God Almighty One, I place my total trust in You. Please, do as You have said.
Lord, an important part of my victory will be admitting that without Your complete intervention, my oppressor is too strong for me. I am unable to be victorious without You. Come and rescue me by Your mighty hand (Psalm 142:6). See, O Lord, how distressed I am; I am in torment within and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious (Lamentations 1:20). God Father, please help me to admit the part of my torment that has come from rebellion and show me my rebellious ways, not so that I will feel condemned and judged, but that I can confess, begin to walk in Your paths, and be free.
Direct my steps by Your Word, O my Lord, and let no iniquity have dominion over me (Psalm 119:133).
Make Your ways known to me, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; and I wait for You all day long. Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion. Instead, in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me because of Your goodness (Psalm 25:4-7).
Father God, please help me understand that the loving discipline and chastisement that comes after rebellion against Your ways is only in the purest Father’s love and is never to be confused with condemnation (Hebrews 12:6).
The Lord will cover me with His feathers. He will shelter me with His wings. His faithful promises are my armor and protection. His truth and faithfulness are my shield and buckler (Psalm 91:4). Blessed am I, Lord God, because You are faithful to correct me. I will not despise the discipline of the Almighty! (Job 5:17)
Though You have made me see troubles many and bitter, You will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth You will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again (Psalm 71:21), because it is Your nature to be a loving Father. Why are you cast down, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? I choose to put my hope in my God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God (Psalm 42:5-6). Therefore when my soul is downcast within me, I will remember Your kindnesses, O gracious Lord.
Father God, You made my Savior’s life a guilt offering for me (Isaiah 53:10). His death was enough to handle every one of my sins, and all my guilt as well. I thank You exceedingly! Sin need never again be my master for now I am no longer tied to the law where sin enslaves me, but I am free under God’s favor and mercy (Romans 6:14). So now I am free from the power of sin and am a slave unto God [which is actually a blessing], and His benefits to me include holiness and everlasting life (Romans 6:27).
No matter what others see or say, you are special.
For God has rescued me from the dominion of darkness and brought me into the kingdom of His dearly beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Jesus gave Himself for my sins to rescue me from the present evil age, according to the will of my God and loving Father, to whom be glory forever and ever (Galatians 1:4-5). I am delivered from the evils of this present world, for it is the will of God. Now I can say with a full heart that all of us together are Christ’s body, and I am a separate and necessary part of it (1 Corinthians 12:27). Satan has no power over me.
Lord God, You created me, and formed me. You told me: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are Mine!” — I am Yours, When I pass through the waters [of depression], You will be with me. And when I pass through the rivers [of sorrow], they will not sweep over me [to drown me]. When I walk through the fires [of adversity], I will not be burned; for You are the Lord, my God, the Holy One of Israel, my Savior. I am precious and honored in Your sight! (Isaiah 43:1-4).
Lord God, Your divine power has given me everything I need for life and godliness through my knowledge of You, for You called me by Your own glory and goodness! Through these You give me Your very great and precious promises. Because of this I am a partaker of Your divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Victorious Lord, I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face. I will cry out to You and I will rebuke the enemy that seeks to devour me (Job 23:17). Lord, teach me how not to give the devil any opportunity to control me. (Ephesians 4:27).
God, You will give me the treasures of the darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that I may know that You are the Lord, the God of Israel, my God, who summons me by name (Isaiah 45:3). Lord, even in this difficult place, You have treasures for me here. You want me to discover the riches of a relationship with You that will set me free from this place.
For You, Lord God, are good and ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to all who call upon You (Psalm 86:5). It pleased You, Lord, to make me one of Your people! (1 Samuel 12:22) Thank You, and because of that, I will indeed obey Your voice and keep Your covenant, so I will be a special treasure to You above all peoples (Exodus 19:5).
With You, O loving Lord, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted. Every trial You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power both to me and to others looking on. Thank You that I can move into the future non-defensively, with hands outstretched, to whatever lies ahead. For You control the future, You hold my life-breath in Your hands (Daniel 5:23), and You will always be with me (Hebrews 13:5). Give me grace, Lord, to trust You in each of my trials, large or small — to accept each one and cooperate with You so I will grow through it.
I have despised my life; I have wanted people to leave me alone because I’ve felt my days had no meaning (Job 7:16). Lord, You would not leave me here on this earth a single day that was not meant to have meaning. My life does have meaning! Please help me not to despise it or isolate others from it.
No matter your darkness, God is there.
God, the righteousness that comes from You comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference in us humans, for all have sinned and fall short of Your glory, God; and yet we are justified freely by Your grace through the redemption that came by Your Son, Jesus (Romans 3:22-23). Help me to accept that Your gift of grace has never and will never be relegated by my ability to be good and righteous. O Jesus, how I praise You that everyone who believes in You receives forgiveness of sins through Your name (Acts 10:43). There is no exception. Blessed am I, because my transgressions have been forgiven. My sins are covered (Romans 4:7-8). Blessed am I because You, Lord God, will never count my sins against me.
Unto the righteous there arises light in the darkness (Psalm 112:4). Lord, according to Your Word, if my eyes are bad, my whole body will be full of darkness (Matthew 6:23). Heavenly Guide, this verse tells me that the focus of my gaze — where my eyes are fixed — has a monumental impact on whether light or darkness will be prevalent in my life. Please, Lord God, Almighty One, heal my eyes and my sight that I might look to Jesus, my Hope and my Redeemer, and look away from my troubles.
“Let him who walks in darkness, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (Isaiah 50:10). I desire to trust in Your name, O my Lord, and rely fully on You, my God, especially as I walk through this dark time.
Lord, in Your Word I read that the Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it (John 1:5). Please help me to understand that, because I am Yours, Light is shining in my darkness whether or not I can behold it or understand it. Send forth Your light and Your truth, O Lord. Let them guide me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell (Psalm 43:3).
Lord Jesus, You have come into the world as a Light, so that no one who believes in You should stay in darkness (John 12:46). I believe in You and I am abandoning the darkness that surrounds me — with Your guiding hand and Your strength.
Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned to me by the Lord Jesus — the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love (Acts 20:24 Phillips). But I must love myself before God’s love can shine past me to others…
God alone can show us our worth.
Lord, You lift up those who are bowed down (Psalm 146:8). So I will be of good courage because You strengthen my heart (Psalm 31:24). You have thoughts and plans for my welfare and peace (Jeremiah 29:11). My mind is stayed on You (Isaiah 26:3), then I can stop allowing myself to be agitated and disturbed and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled (John 14:27 Amplified). Satan, I resist you and every oppressive spirit in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus. I resist fear, discouragement, self-pity, and depression (James 4:7). I speak the Word of truth and I give you no place, devil; I give no opportunity to you (Ephesians 4:27). I am delivered from oppression and depression by the blood of the Lamb (Luke 4:18).
Father God, I thank You that I have been given a spirit of power and of love and of a calm and well-balanced mind (2 Timothy 1:7). I have a fresh mental and spiritual attitude, for I am being constantly renewed in the spirit of my mind by Your Word, O my God. Because Jesus is in me, I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and hold the thoughts and purposes of His heart (Philippians 2:5). I arise from the prostration and depression in which circumstances have kept me. I have been raise to new life. Thanks to Jesus, I can shine and be radiant with the glory of the Lord (Isaiah 60:1).
Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name, that I am set free from every evil work (Galatians 1:4). I praise You that the joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). God, my Father, has given me all things that pertain to life and godliness; I am a partaker of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). The peace that surpasses all understanding keeps my heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). And things which are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, if they be of good report or have good virtue or are praiseworthy, I will think on these things (Philippians 4:8).
Heavenly Father You saw me and approved of me even while I was in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:23-26). You gave me survival tools that would bring me to this place where I am today. You have been waiting for me to come home to truth — the truth that will set me free if I but listen (John 8:32). Lord God, Your Word says You love the just and will not forsake Your faithful ones (Psalm 37:28); they will be protected forever. My justification is found in Your son, my Savior, Christ Jesus (Romans 8:30). He is faithful even when I am not (2 Timothy 2:13). Thus I thank You, Father, that I can be absolutely sure You will never leave me nor forsake me because I am in Jesus (Hebrews 13:5).
God Promises to never forsake you. Look for His presence.
God says: “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My instruction: Do not fear disgrace by men and do not be shattered by their taunts. For the moth will devour them like a garment and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, and My salvation for all generations” (Isaiah 51:7-8).
Lord Almighty One, according to Your Word, what a man desires or craves deeply is unfailing love (Proverbs 19:22). Every other use of those words ‘unfailing love’ in Scripture is attributed to You alone. You are the only one capable of perpetual unfailing love. Help me understand that my deep cravings for someone to love me with that kind of love were meant to be satisfied by You alone. And thank You deeply, my God and my Father.
Father, according to Your Word, You give the Son whatever He asks (John 17:24-26). Therefore I thank You for making Yourself known to me, and for welcoming me to be in Your family. No matter how I may encounter rejection in the world around me, I am welcomed to abide in the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and in the perfect Son of the Most High God! Even if my father and mother forsake me, You, O Lord will receive me with open arms (Psalm 27:10).
Glorious God, You said, “I have chosen You and have not rejected you.” So I will not fear, for God is with me. I will not be dismayed for Adonai is my El Shaddai. The mighty Jehovah will strengthen me and help me. El Elohim will uphold me with His righteous right hand. One day because of You, Lord God Almighty, I will search for my enemies and will not find them. For You are the Lord, my God who takes hold of my right hand and says to me, “Do not fear; I will help you”(Isaiah 41:9-13).
O God, though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet Your unfailing love for me will not be shaken nor Your covenant of peace be removed. You are the Lord God who has compassion on me (Isaiah 54:10). My God, You say to me in Your Word, “I, even I am He who comforts you” (Isaiah 51:12). Thank You, Loving Lord! Help me to sense and respond to Your comfort, and share it with others that may need it, too.
O God, help me always to be thankful that I am loved by You, because from the beginning You chose me to be saved, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth and in Your Son (2 Thessalonians 2:13). May Your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant (Psalm 119:76).
Lord, according to Your Word, a hope deferred makes the heart sick. But a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs 13:12). Lord, You are keenly aware of all hopes that have been deferred in my life. Help me to put my hopes in You, for You will fulfill my longings. You, Lord God, delight in those who fear You, who put their hope in Your unfailing love (Psalm 147:11).
O blessed and merciful Lord God, Your Word promises that those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. If I go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, I will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves/souls with me (Psalm 126:5-6). Help me see that the promise is not made to those who simply have tears, but to those who are willing to sow seed in the midst of their tears. If I’m willing to keep believing and sowing Your Word even when I am desperately hurting, You will bring me forth from this difficult season with songs of joy.
Lord God, I am hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). You protect me. I always carry around in my body the death of Your son, Jesus, so that the life of Your Son may also be revealed in my body. Lord Jesus, help me to always remember that if I am truly crucified with You, I am also raised to resurrection life with You! And it’s Your resurrection life in me that keeps me going. I have been crucified with Christ Jesus. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). Help me, dearest Lord, to never forget that the purpose of the crucified life is to allow me to walk in the power of Your resurrected life.
You, Lord Jesus, were despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering (Isaiah 53:3). You were like one from whom men hide their faces. You were despised — You know exactly how I feel, Lord. Therefore I will put my trust in You. I have a great High Priest who has gone into Heaven, Jesus, the Son of God (Hebrews 4:14). He suffered everything just as I suffer, and now He intercedes for me in His heavenly realm. So I cling to Him and will never stop trusting Him.
My Savior Jesus, as unimaginable as this may seem, when I am obedient to You, You call me friend? You desire to make known to me everything You learned from Your father. I did not choose You, but You chose me and appointed me to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give me whatever I ask in Your Name (John 15:13-16). Develop Your heart within me, dearest Lord Jesus, so I will know how to ask of the Father in Your great name. Help me also to be always aware that You chose me, so I never need to feel left out.
Sovereign Lord, because You help me, I will not be disgraced. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? It is the sovereign Lord who helps me (Isaiah 50:7-9). I can say with confidence, “The Lord is my Helper, so I will have no fear” (Hebrews 13:6). I will not fear or dread or be hurtful back to others, because many people just don’t understand; their eyes do not see.
Your eyes, Lord, are on those who fear You; on those whose hope is in Your unfailing love to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine [even in social famine]. I wait in hope for You, O Lord; You are my help and my shield. In You my heart rejoices for I trust in Your Holy Name (Psalm 33:18-22). May Your unfailing love rest upon me; O Lord even as I put my hope in You. O Lord, because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me (Psalm 63:7-8).
Faithful God, help me to call this to mind and therefore to always have hope: Because of Your great love, I am not consumed, for Your compassions never fail. They are new toward me every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. I will gladly say, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him” (Lamentations 3:22-24). Father God, I will be strong and courageous. I will not be afraid or terrified because of anyone else; for You, O Lord my God, go with me. You promised You will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Lord God, according to Your Word, Your Spirit Himself testifies with my spirit that I am Your child. Now if I am Your child, then I am an heir — heir of Yours and co-heir with Christ Jesus, if indeed I share in His sufferings that I may also share in His glory (Romans 8:16-18). Help me to sincerely embrace the truth that any present sufferings I encounter are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in me. Father, continue to bring me along the path You have laid for me, so that I can learn to rejoice in my sufferings because sufferings produce perseverance (Romans 5:3).
Father, I want You to be able to have great confidence in me and take pride in me and my faith in You. In all my troubles, let my joy know no bounds (2 Corinthians 7:4). You, O God, turn my wailing into dancing. You remove my sackcloth and clothe me with joy that my heart may sing to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks and praise forever (Psalm 30:11-12).
We stand at the beginning of another new year. We hear a lot about resolutions around this time. I think I will resolve to be open to the good I can find. I don’t always know exactly what is good for me, but if I look hard enough, I can usually find some good in whatever comes. Why not? Who am I hurting by doing that?
Let God’s light shine
It is easy to confuse joy or happiness with laughter, excitement or complacency. A simple statement greatly enhances a condition I find to be joyful: “This is nice.” I find I can make this statement at almost any time and in any place, and it reminds me to look at the good things around me. Joy is rooted in finding goodness and beauty in whatever is happening. As an emotion, I find it closely related to gratitude — a feeling that comes with looking at how good I’ve got it.
I am called to remember the presence of God. I also need to remember that you and I won’t always see this as being the same thing. It’s easy to begin thinking that because God loves me everything is going to be all sweetness and light. It won’t. In the end everything will be okay, but in the meantime all sorts of things can happen.
In Luke 2:22-35, Simeon looks at the little baby and can see God’s saving hand, He doesn’t demand to see exactly how Jesus is going to be the salvation for the world. He doesn’t question whether or not God is doing things right. He sees beyond appearances and just accepts. Dare to believe the possibility that God is with us and the details will be taken care of.
We are in exile, in a wilderness of the enemy’s domain. We are not yet what we will be. We are just meant to try to do what we can with what we have at the time. I have to accept that I will make a lot of mistakes. So will everyone. Can I forgive them? Can I forgive myself?
Each day I get twenty-four hours. How I handle that time is up to me, but I can only live in the time allotted. Worrying about tomorrow or the day after tomorrow can only serve to mess up (and waste) the time I have for today. We can dream about tomorrow, and we can remember yesterday. But God isn’t in those times. God is only with us now — He is a now God.
It doesn’t matter that I grew up in poverty; God has made me rich with His blessings. It doesn’t matter what I inherited from my family or what I encountered growing up; God’s best is for me to walk in my birthright — the believer’s birthright! I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, and now I will act like it!
God’s Word will change you
O Father God, You told me “whatsoever I say will come to pass” (Mark 11:23-24), that I can have whatever I say. I don’t know if these promises are to be ‘prayed’ or ‘spoken with conviction’, but I know I want to trust in You and Your Word. So I speak Your words with conviction and determination because I want them to be true in me. I claim Your promises as I believe You said I could. I confess Your Word to change my situation, and claim my heritage as one of Your children. Please allow these promises to come true in me that I may bring glory to You. And, dearest Lord God, please bless my efforts to control my tongue this day. In Jesus’ mighty name I ask You, Father, bless the words of my mouth.
The Word of God is truth and it shows forth righteousness. There are people who cut themselves spiritually by saying “I am unworthy.” I will no longer say this because I don’t want to destroy my faith. God Himself chose me! It is He who makes me worthy.
God gave me the ability to use my tongue to create a better life by speaking His Word to change my circumstances. The choice is mine, and I choose life. Tears of self-pity are a form of unbelief in myself. Therefore I will lean heavily on God’s Word, and I will learn to release faith with laughter instead of tears.
Father God Almighty, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus, my Savior, without fear of condemnation because I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. I have a right, thanks to Jesus, to stand in the very throne room of God and speak to the Creator of the Cosmos! And so I plead:
Establish Your Word to Your servant, O Lord, who is devoted to fearing You (Psalm 119:38). Help me hide Your Word in my heart, dearest Father, so that I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11). Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105). I study Your commandments and reflect on Your ways; I delight in Your principles and will not forget Your Word (Psalm 119:15-16). You are my lamp, O Lord; You turn my darkness into light (2 Samuel 22:29). Lord, You have brought light to my life. My God, You light up my darkness (Psalm 18:28).
I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1). May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). May my meditations be pleasing to You as I rejoice in You, O my loving Lord (Psalm 104:38).
Be warned! Once you delve into speaking God’s Words, you MUST commit to ordering all other conversations aright (Proverbs 4:24). You cannot pray effectively for yourself or someone else, and then talk negatively about the matter (Matthew 12:34-37). For instance, you tell the universe that by Jesus’ stripes you are healed, then an inkling comes on you and the first thing you, as all humans tend to do, is to go and tell a spouse or neighbor (or even ourselves in a mirror) that you think you’re catching a cold. You just negated your confession! Be warned: this is the devil’s main line of attack.Proverbs 6:2 says we are trapped by our own words.
Understand this: Words work. They are working FOR you or AGAINST you, whether you realize it or not. We have programmed our vocabulary with the devil’s language. We have brought sickness and disease into our vocabulary, and even death. “I’m just dying to do that” and “That just tickles me to death” or “That’s going to be the death of you!” Hebrews 2:14 tells us death is of the devil. Proverbs 10:11, 21, and 24 warn you that the thing you fear will come upon you, all you have to do is voice it out loud. Fear will activate the devil.
Put a stop to idle and foolish talk (Ephesians 4:27, 5:4). You are to be a blessing to others (Galatians 6:10). Your desire should be to please and to bless the Father:
Let no foul or polluted language, nor any evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it. (Ephesians 4:29 Amplified).
Meditate hard and store up God’s Word in your heart. This is your job This is God’s plan for you. This is all you need to survive and thrive and live in victory on this earth.
So speak God’s Word out loud with confidence in Him rather than in your own ability to believe. Yet watch carefully the words you use, for being in His image, our tongues have a creative force! Speak aloud, but speak truth!
I will keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking lies (Psalm 34:13). I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin. I will put a muzzle over my mouth as long as the wicked are before me (Psalm 39:1). Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble (Proverbs 21:23). He who guards his lips guards his life (Proverbs 13:3). Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent; and discerning if he holds his tongue (Proverbs 17:28).
Do not be quick with your mouth. Do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God [especially against a neighbor]. God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2). Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord. Keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil (Psalm 141:3-4).
If I speak, I shall speak the very words of God (1 Peter 4:11). The plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the wise answer of the tongue (Proverbs 16:1 Amplified). Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18). Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit [for death or life] (Proverbs 18:21). I love speaking God’s Word and I will bear much fruit.
These statements are a matter of the heart. But are meant to be spoken out loud, by you to you. You will get them into your spirit faster if you do this. It is a proven fact that your mind and soul listen more intently to what you say more than what others say. So deliberately feed them into your spirit. Allow the Holy Spirit to make the Word of God a reality in your heart. Your spirit will become quickened to God’s Word, and you will begin to think like God thinks and talk like God talks. You will find yourself pouring over His Word — hungering for more and more. Remember, the Father rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Speak these words aloud for you, all the world, and especially the angels (good and fallen) to hear. Do not be shy in speaking aloud God’s promises, for God’s Word is able to build you up. The great Charles Capps was told to practice this and he did so daily. After a short while he told the Lord, “Lord, I feel so terrible spouting these words since they feel like such lies!” But God told him to continue speaking them out loud day after day until they grew to be a part of his own spirit, and just to believe that what he spoke would come to pass, that God was trustworthy enough to make what was said a reality. So I speak God’s words, praying they will fill my spirit and soul as well, and make me a true believer in the mighty Word of my God.
God’s Word is more powerful than anything on earth. Trust that!
Behold the handmaid of the Lord; may it be done unto me according to what You have said (Luke 1:38). According to my faith let it be done unto me (Matthew 9:29), because to a great extent in spiritual things, we get what we expect of the Lord! Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord (Luke 1:45).
The Word of God is living and active; sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). They are not just idle words for me. They are my life! By them I will live in the land (Deuteronomy 32:47). Blessed are they who do not doubt the Lord (Matthew 11:6).
You, my Lord, are faithful to all Your promises. Although You are sovereign and You do what You please, You are righteous in all Your ways and loving toward all You have made (Psalm 145:13, 17). These things He has spoken unto me that His joy might remain in me and that my joy might be full (John 15:11). For God has promised: “I am with you and will protect you wherever you go. I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken unto you” (Genesis 28:15).
God's Word on That 