Things That Influence Your Words

The state of your heart determines the words that you speak. It has been settled that in life you have what you say. But Jesus said, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart" (Matt. 15:18). He paraphrased, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12:34). If your words ultimately determine your life, then you should check the things that influence your words because they also influence your life.

Why? "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." (Lk. 6:45). If your words are influenced by evil things, then you will speak evil reports and produce evil results! But if they are influenced by good things, then you will speak good reports and obtain good results.

To change your life is to change your words, but you can't change your words without a change of heart. So how do you know the things that influence the words from your heart? With a spiritual microscope called the Word of God, it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12). Therefore, in this issue, via God’s Word, we would be examining our hearts. King David said, "Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." (Ps. 26:2).

This should be your heart's cry! I pray that as you read, the Word of God will examine your heart and discern the things that influence your words and your life.

FEAR

God asked Moses to send out twelve spies to search out the land of Canaan—the Promised Land. They spent forty days conducting their research and returned. All of them said, "Surely it floweth with milk and honey" and they brought samples of the fruit, but 10 out of them also said, "It is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature...there we saw giants." Thus, they concluded, "We be not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." When they said these things, everyone started crying and said the same thing. But Joshua and Caleb had a different perspective, they said, "Let us go up at once and possess it for we be well able," the people almost stoned them to death for saying this.

In fact, they began making plans to go back into slavery in Egypt! Then God was angry and said, "Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers...but my servant Caleb...him will I bring into the land." It would interest you to know that over two million people left Egypt, but only two entered the Promised Land; the rest died because of fear! Their words were spoken out of fear, and God confirmed it! (Num. 13, 14). Friend, "The fear of a man bringeth a snare" (Prov. 29:25), but the Bible says "Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth" (Prov. 6:2). Words spoken out of fear bring people into a snare—captivity.

Job said, "The things that I greatly feared have come upon me" (Job 3:25). "Job said, 'It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts'" (Job 1:5). He spoke words influenced by fear, and it got him in a snare. Like the children of Israel, there are so many things God has told us that we have said "We be not able" just because of fear. God said, "Start a business," "Start that ministry," "Pray for this person," "Arise and be healed," but because of fear, many have said, "We be not able, the forces are greater," so they have entered into a snare by their fear-filled words. In danger, people shout "Jesus!" but many do it out of fear! When a storm arose, the disciples ran to Jesus and said, "Master! Carest thou not that we perish?" He rebuked the storm, but He also said, "Why are ye so fearful?" (Mk. 4:35-41).

Friend, fear-filled words will put you into a snare! Check your heart; there are things God has said, but fear has held you down! We have not received the spirit of fear. Refuse to fear today!

FAITH

Fear brings people into a snare, but faith brings people into liberty. "For this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 Jn. 5:4). Don't get it wrong! Your words are what determine whether you are justified or condemned. But this is largely determined by what influences your words. If you speak fear-filled words, it brings you into a snare; if you speak faith-filled words, it brings you into victory.

Among the 12 spies, Joshua and Caleb were reported to have another spirit. You know, the spirit is the heart of man! And that's where words come from. When others said, "We are not able," they said, "If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us," and "The people of the land...they are bread for us...the Lord is with us, fear not" (Num. 14:8-9). These are faith-filled words! You see, they nearly stoned them because people who speak fear-filled words don't like it when you speak words of faith!

See what God said concerning Caleb and Joshua: "Because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land" (Num. 14:23). God confirms the words of our mouth! But the results are determined by what influences our words—faith for victory, fear for captivity! God is no respecter of persons! The woman with the issue of blood, even though she had been in captivity for twelve years, still had to change what was in her heart by "hearing of Jesus." She heard the word and moved from fear to faith. Then faith began to speak through her, "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be made whole." Her faith-filled words brought her victory over a 12-year-long battle! (Mk. 5:26-34).

Friend, I don't know what you are fighting, but faith-filled words are up to the task. Often, when Jesus heals, He says, "Go and sin no more." The Bible says, "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin...wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" (Ecc. 5:6). So, wrong speaking can be classified as a sin! When you speak fear-filled words, it can get you back into a snare. This is why after healing, Jesus says, "Go and sin no more." I pray that you would be like David and pray, "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." (Ps. 141:3) Speak faith-filled words.

NOT KNOWING THE LOVE OF CHRIST

Paul prayed that the Church "being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend...what is the breadth, and length and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:17-19). Not knowing how much God loves you greatly influences the words you speak. The children of Israel, faced with the Red Sea and Pharaoh, said, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?...is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?'" (Ex. 14:11-12). They did not know how much God loved them.

Sarah said, "The Lord hath restrained me from bearing" (Gen. 16:2), but we know God is love, and every good and perfect gift comes from above. Sarah did not know that, and her words were spoken from a deformed knowledge of how much God loved her. So she suffered 24 years of barrenness. John said, "We have known and believed the love that God hath to us" (1 Jn. 4:16). The first person many believers blame when issues arise is God. They think the headaches came because God is punishing them. Job also had this issue; he didn't know the love of Christ. He said, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away" (Job 1:21). The statement sounds good, but it was born from a deformed knowledge of the love of Christ.

One man who really knew the love of Christ was David. He said, "Bless the LORD...Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases" (Ps. 103:2-3). He knew that his diseases came from Satan and not God! He knew that God loved him. Not knowing how much God loves you can greatly affect your life, because you begin to murmur and complain like the children of Israel, and they were destroyed. Their words killed them.

Jesus said, "That the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (Jn. 17:23). God loves us the same way He loves Jesus! With the same measure of love! But if you don't know, you'll speak negatively, and you'll be in captivity because of the words you speak from a deformed knowledge of the love of Christ. Friend, let's settle down with the Word to know how much God loves you! There is nothing you can do for God to make Him love you more or less! "God is love" and He's the same yesterday, today, and forevermore! Come on, say "God loves me as much as He loves Jesus."

JOY

Friend, what you speak makes all the difference, but what influences your words comes directly from your heart. The state of your heart determines the words you speak. The Holy Ghost through Joel the Prophet said, "The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted: the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth...The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth...all the trees of the field are withered..." and He diagnosed and said it's because "joy is withered away from the sons of men" (Joel 1:10-12). What's the relationship between lack of joy and famine? It naturally doesn't make sense! But let's look at it critically.

You see, joy is a state of the heart. It resides in the heart of men, and nature abhors a vacuum, so when joy is withered, depression steps in. But this doesn't explain why the trees died. So how come? Jesus, in Luke 6:45, said, "For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." That means a man with withered joy would speak out of depression and frustration!

Little wonder the Bible says, "...a broken spirit drieth the bones..." (Prov. 17:22). Why? When joy withers, men begin cursing instead of blessing! When joy withers, men begin to speak negative things. So it results in dried bones and things start drying around us because life and death are in the power of the tongue! (Prov. 18:21).

Jesus showed us an example of what happens to things when men curse! He said to the fig tree, "No man eat fruit of thee, hereafter forever..." And 24 hours later, it dried up! (Mk 11:10-21). Friend, withered joy results in withered words, words that destroy things are withered words.

A wise man once said, "If the devil can't steal your joy, he can't take your goods." This is why we must remain joyful so we can speak words born out of joy. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Let it find root in you. In the midst of challenges, the Bible said, "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh"; only those who maintain their joy can sustain their freedom. Words influenced by joy are powerful, and words influenced by lack of it can cause lack and want, barrenness, etc. No wonder Paul said, "Rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice."

 THE REVELATION OF THE WORD

One of the things that greatly influences your words is a revelation from the Word of God. Every time God speaks a word and you see it, it changes the way you speak. Bishop David Oyedepo once said he saw the light of God's word concerning healing and he jumped and shouted, "I can never be sick." Friend, that was born out of revelation.

One day, after studying, I began to say, "Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus." I was thanking Him because I saw from the scriptures that "I was healed." You see, the revelation was so strong that some people could not look at me in the face after my study. Friend, nothing changes your vocabulary like the illumination that comes from the Word. A man who has seen from God's Word that what he says matters does not joke with his words.

The reason you find a lot of people speaking idle words out there is that they lack revelation of the power or authority that has been delegated to their tongue. No man sees fire and jumps inside. James said, "The tongue is a fire, the world of iniquity" (James 3:6). A clear picture of your image in the scriptures changes the way you speak!

An angel appeared to Gideon and said, "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor," but Gideon said, "My family is poor in Manasseh, I am the least in my father's house" (Judges 6:12-15). Gideon lacked a clear picture of his image from the scriptures; this was why he said he was poor. Thank God light came from that angel. A man whose words are born out of revelation is a man who the gates of hell cannot resist!

He holds the sword of the Spirit in his hand, a two-edged sword proceeds from his lips, his words are like fire; they are forceful and irresistible. Oh, friend, all you need is a change of light! When God's Word hits you, light comes, and then your words create your life! After suffering oppression for so long, I finally caught the light, and the timid young boy began to roar like a lion. I told the devils responsible for my captivity that "if you come here again, I'd kill you." They ran away!

My prayer is that fear will no longer influence your words! Lack of the knowledge of the love of Christ would not find expression through your lips! I pray that you receive afresh the spirit of joy and revelation and receive grace to labour in the Word of God in Jesus' name. Your words are indeed the contents that make up your life. Speak words born out of revelation.

Jesus is Lord.

Min. Roi