Change the Words You Speak Change the Direction of Your Life

Change the words you speak will change the direction of your life.  Words are the rudders that steer our lives. Every year yachts are abandoned offshore after losing their rudders. Rudders can hit things hidden under the water like logs, ship containers, and other submerged debris. When that happens, the only thing to do is catch a ride on a passing freighter and abandon your yacht at sea.

Wise captains know the importance of a strong rudder. Without it, they can never reach their destination. Your tongue is like a mighty rudder on a ship. Whatever controls your tongue, controls your destiny.

Your tongue was designed by God to steer your life. The sooner you understand this, the sooner you can get your life moving in the right direction.

James wrote about the power of the tongue. “Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth” (James 3:4).

The only way you can change the course of your life is by changing the words you speak. Start taking notice of the direction your words are steering your life. Words have destinations. Change your words, change your destination.

CHANGING YOUR MIND

When you quote God, there is much power made available in your life. Have you ever considered that you can think and speak like God? With the mind of Christ, you can never fail. With the mind of Christ, you can accomplish any goal, reach any target, and achieve any dream.

It’s interesting that God wrote his thoughts, will, views, instructions, and opportunities in a book, the Bible. The Bible contains the mind of Christ. By applying the words in your Bible, you can modify the way you think. You can think like God.

Scripture says you have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). If you can have the mind of Christ, you can have the thoughts of Christ. If you can have the thoughts of Christ, you can have the words of Christ. If you can have the words of Christ, you can have the results of his words. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).

Learn to choose your words carefully. Sometimes negative thoughts get in the way. When that happens, bind them up and cast them down. Refuse to dwell on negative thoughts and imaginations. Scripture says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). As you learn to take every negative thought captive to the word of God, speaking God’s words becomes easier and easier.

DECREE IT

Mature Christians understand their God-given authority to decree a thing. A decree is a command. Historically, only a king could make a decree. Scripture, however, declares you can decree a thing. This is a tremendous promise. It gives you the authorization to make a binding declaration over your life. “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and light shall shine upon thy ways” (Job 22:28). Apostle Peter taught that you are part of a royal priesthood of kings,

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

A decree is a legally binding command.

Christ gave you authority. He said, “I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19). We could say it another way, whatsoever you forbid shall be forbidden and whatsoever you allow shall be allowed. That’s incredible delegated authority. Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

WORDS HAVE POWER

Elijah had a confrontation with King Ahab. Ahab married Jezebel whose father was the high priest of Ashtaroth, built a temple to a false God named Baal, and walked in the sins of Jeroboam who installed people in ministry that were not called. During the confrontation, Elijah made a powerful decree. He said it would not rain “but according to my word.”

“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings 17:1).

This teaches the power of words. Elijah was bold in faith declaring to Ahab that it would not rain again until he said it would rain.

NIGERIA

I have personal experience with something similar. We were leaving Warri, Nigeria after two weeks of Gospel meetings. On the way out of the city, it was a rainy day, and we needed gas. As we approached the station, there was a line of about thirty or more cars. My driver was bold and pulled in front of all the drivers up to the gas pumps. You can imagine the stir jumping the line caused. I got out of the car to see why such a long line of people were waiting for gas. And for some reason, the owner of the gas station would not pump gas because it was raining. This was as strange as it sounds. Anyway, I went inside to talk to the owner of the station describing my situation. I needed to catch a plane in Lagos and needed gas quickly. The station owner told me she would not, under any condition, allow anyone to pump gas while it was raining. Can you imagine?

I needed to catch that plane and get back home. So I asked the woman if she would pump my gas if I prayed and the rain stopped. She laughed and but agreed. I went outside and told those gathered around the pumps what the woman said. I told them I was a man of God and needed to get to the airport in Lagos. Then I asked them to agree with me to command the rain to stop. I was surprised how many quickly agree to pray with me. Scripture declares,

“That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20).

We gathered together in faith, pointed to the stormy sky and commanded the rain to stop. The owner of the station was gazing on when suddenly the rain stopped. Everyone was holding her to the commitment. She turned the pumps on, and we filled our car and departed quickly to the airport. Words have authority.

CHINA

Another time we were in China for three weeks of meetings. Afterward, I wanted to purchase some equipment for our church, Spirit of Life Ministries, Hallandale Beach, Fl. We spent three days moving from factory to factory. All the prices were way over budget. I started to get discouraged but refused to voice my feelings. We then decided to go to lunch and access our situation. On the way, I ignored my feelings, declared God’s favor, and asked the Holy Spirit to make a way. Before lunch was over, we received a call from a factory representative matching our budget. Words have power.

NICARAGUA

We were in Nicaragua working on a building that would host our Central American television station. We hired a company to build the partitions and hang the sheetrock. They were a no show three days in a row and were not answering their phone. This caused a delay in our schedule. So we all huddled together in prayer, decreeing that God would make a way. The very same moment we finished praying a woman appeared in the doorway of the building. She heard me speaking English and greeted me. To my utter amazement, she and her husband owned a drywall company. Wow. I checked their quality and hired them the next day. They did a terrific job for us. Words make a way.

MOVING MOUNTAINS

You shall have whatsoever you sayeth. Those words are taken from Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Here again, words are connected to victory. Jesus is using a mountain as a metaphor for a major problem in your life. Here he teaches his Disciples the power of faith-filled words. He was not teaching them to speak to mountains but to obstacles.

Speaking to mountains is faith in action. It’s against your carnal nature to verbally command obstacles to move, but it’s a powerful kingdom principal. We discussed before that the kingdom of God is governed by the word of God and nothing else.

Notice the action involved in moving problems: speaking and believing. This is a substantial kingdom truth; mountains are designed to obey the word of God. All you need do is speak and believe. The mountains you see are never bigger than the God you serve. This is terrific news, “You shall have whatsoever you sayeth.”

© Your partner,

Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com