Audio Option
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Scripture
“I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!”
(Psalm 91:2, AMP)
Reflection
Our words have power. We speak our existence. We also speak of our confidence in God’s ability to make right the wrong. When we speak fearfully, negatively, arrogantly, and cynically, we then declare through our words our perception of the limited ability of our Father. When we speak with faith and humility, we declare His limitless abilities in our lives and the lives of others, and our commitment to His plan. We can speak words that heal, uplift, and empower, or we can speak words that poison, harm, emasculate, or suppress others.
Whatever we say after the words “I,” “Me,” and “My,” we fuel, empower, and deploy into action. If you say, “I am depressed,” then it becomes your reality, albeit a pseudo-one. Have you ever struggled with your body weight and wondered why none of the diets, fads, and workout programs seem to work long-term? It’s because your lifestyle is dictated by the thoughts you convert into words that you empower to rule over you. You speak your defeat and then self-sabotage. You may not even notice the self-deprecating statements you make, like “I’m fat,” “Uugh look at my flabby _____”(fill-in-the-blank), “Oh nobody’s interested in me and my big ole’ _____” (fill-in-the-blank), or “Let me sit down with my big _____ (fill-in-the-blank) as though I’m skinny or something.” You thought it, so you spoke it, and unbeknownst to you, you have used your power to declare those words as your reality. So year after year, the weight stays and possibly packs on even more for added insecurity and companionship for the misery.
We do the same thing in our relationships, whether platonic, romantic, work-based or within our family units. What we say about ourselves and the people in those relationships and our predictions of the success or failure of engaging with them will help to dictate the actions thereafter.
Many of us struggle academically, professionally, or personally because we can’t let go of the disappointment from a past failure. One failure does not make you and all that makes up your world a failure, not unless you give it the power to enslave you to the past. Even if you failed 100 times, that doesn’t make you a failure. But giving up does. Imagine if David had given in to the idea that his past failings meant he was a failure. He learned to turn to God and pour out his heart so that he could discern truth from lies, fact from fiction, and God’s ways versus satan’s. It wasn’t fast or easy, but it was necessary. He used music and writing to express what was going on in his mind and heart. He began to learn how God’s grace and mercy helped, healed, molded, and realigned him. He went from feeling lack to being overwhelmed with abundance, from feeling alone to always feeling God’s presence. He began to nurture and appreciate his relationship with God and his relationship with himself. David freed himself from his self-bondage, and so can you and I.
Free yourself by freeing your mind, your heart, and your mouth. We do this by not dwelling on our thoughts. Let that energy process, store, and discard information without you obsessing over the details. It’s not about you trying to control your mind, but rather, it’s about learning to control your reactions to the ideas and images your mind provides as snapshots. Your heart can be freed by not allowing the energy of thoughts to marinate into destructive feelings that you allow to trigger reckless action. Acknowledge the thought and the feeling, and when there is concern or question, turn it over to God, or at least learn to set it aside in the “To Be Determined” folder. By doing so, we can learn to be more responsible and mature with our mouths and the words that flow from them. We can also work on our mouths by quickly correcting false or harmful words that we speak and acknowledging our wrongs rather than trying to hide behind a lie. When you say something mean to or about someone, it’s quickly intervening and saying, “I shouldn’t have said that. It was mean. I’m wrong for that.”
It takes humility, wisdom, and practice to master anything; it is never easy, but it’s always worthwhile.
Questions to Consider
1. What examples can you share of how when you declared God’s Word, you were blessed?
2. Share a time when you spoke negatively and were then impacted negatively, and you immediately felt a connection between the two experiences?
3. After reading (or listening to) today’s message, do you take note of how powerful your words are in and to your life?
Feel free to share your answers, prayers, comments, and reflections in the comment section below. You can also send me an email at: breakingbreadwithnatasha@gmail.com
Please also feel free to share this message with others. We’re never quite sure who needs to hear and see what and when! It would be awesome if whenever you run across a prayer, message, or scripture that moves you, you would kindly share it with the rest of us. You can post it on this blog or send me an email.
Prayer
Father, I thank You for this day, for Your loving care, the words You speak over Your children, and our daily provisions. I am grateful for the relationship I have with You. I’m learning more and more about our connection, my identity, and what it truly means to be of You. What You speak manifests. And what I’m learning is that the same is true for me when I speak the words that come to my mind. There is great power in my words. I can heal or harm with my words and often, quicker than I could physically.
When I speak of You, I don’t want to be nonchalant or casual. Words have meaning and application, and I want to ensure that I thoughtfully apply those words when I speak of You. I need to do the same when I speak of myself and others. Father, I come to You to ask that You help me responsibly master the selection and application of words with the intent of always glorifying You. I want to represent You and our relationship well. I love You, Father.
And with that family, I pray that you are blessed, that you see and embrace your blessings, and that you are a blessing to others.
I love you!
Natasha
Copyright 2013-2023. Natasha L. Foreman. Some Rights Reserved. All Prayers and Reflections are Copyright Protected by Natasha L. Foreman. BreakingBreadWithNatasha.com
Music: Climb by Shane Ivers; Quiescent In Time by Shane Ivers – https://www.silvermansound.com
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