You Are What You Speak

By Joyce Meyer, Christian Post Guest Columnist Saturday, October 06, 2012

I have a grandson who is three years old. He recently got a hold of a sheet of paper that had pictures of me on it, and he decorated it with all sorts of colorful stickers. When he came over to my house to surprise me with it, I couldn't help but notice that in just about every picture, there was a sticker over my mouth. I thought: Well, God, are You trying to tell me something?

It actually made me pay attention to the way I was talking. And that's something we all should do from time to time, because there is no area that's harder to control than the mouth. It's an area in which we will always be growing.

The Bible says that no man can tame the tongue (see James 3:8). But that doesn't mean we can never improve. God is able to do the work that needs to be done in us, but we need to partner with Him to bring the change we want to see.

I want to share with you how our words impact the anointing―that is, the power and presence of God in our life. The power of God is the most precious thing we have, and it's something we need to know how to protect.

One of the ways we can do damage to God's anointing is by speaking with a mixture of faith and doubt. We'll say a few positive, faith-filled words here, and a few negative, doubtful words there. This weakens God's anointing on our life.

If we want to have God's power working in us and through us on a daily basis, then we have to be in agreement with God―not just part of the time, but all of the time.

Protecting God's Power in Your Life
Without the anointing, everything is hard. That's not what God wants for us. Jesus said, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" (see Matthew 11:30). And God has equipped us with everything we need to live a powerful, victorious life.

Acts 1:8 says, "But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth."

Here are a few ways you can use words to protect God's anointing on your life:

Don't judge other people. For example, if you want God's anointing to be on you for parenting, you need to be careful not to criticize other parents.

Don't complain. The Israelites wasted forty years murmuring and complaining in the wilderness, when they could have just obeyed God and entered into their Promised Land.

Don't ask God for someone else's anointing. Embrace the abilities He has given to YOU.

Pay Attention to What You are Saying
Think for a moment how your words could be affecting your life right now.

How do you talk about yourself, your present circumstances, and your future? When you talk with your friends, what kinds of things are you talking about?

I encourage you to form a habit of speaking positive words of faith every day. Words like, "I love my life and I have a great future. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And something good is going to happen to me today."

Even when you're struggling to believe it, say it anyway. Our words have the power to change our mind and our attitude and shape our future.

Not only that, until you learn to speak in agreement with what the Bible says, you will be missing out on the joy and peace that come through simply believing the promises of God.

Don't Let Words Block Your Blessings
In Luke 1, God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Zacharias that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son who would be anointed to be the forerunner of the Messiah.

Zacharias should have been so excited! But rather than believe the good news, he questioned the promise. So God supernaturally shut his mouth until the day his son was born.

Have you ever let your words create a barrier against God's blessings in your life? I certainly have. Thankfully, we can change that when we decide to change our words.

If you want to live in the fullness of God's anointing, fill your mouth with His Word. Don't just speak what you think or feel or what other people say. You can have the promises of God fulfilled in your life if you will learn to come into agreement with God, do what He tells you to do, and say what He says.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 90 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Do Yourself a Favor…Forgive (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org. © 2015 Printed with permission of Joyce Meyer Ministries