Friends, I had a completely different message planned for this week, but God had such a clear message to me… speak life, not death, allow my children to understand the power of their words. Aligning your thoughts with God’s Word is paramount! Let’s dig in.

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Speaking Life in the Face of Negativity

How do we overcome challenges, fears, and thoughts of negativity and worry? We speak life over each and every one of those lies of the enemy (John 8:44).

I am human, and not only am I human, but I’m also a woman, a female with strong emotions. There are benefits to having the ability to feel your emotions, as it is unhealthy to repress them; however, giving into every emotion impulsively can lead to unnecessary mental anguish.

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Confession: The Struggle is Real

Confession – I have consistently struggled with my inability to control my emotions! Yep, that’s me, the one who lashes out, who, in times of trouble, allows actions—including my words—to feed off of my emotions.

Remember friends, this is the platform of “Real” being so much greater than being “Perfect”!

I have been working diligently to meditate on Proverbs 18:21 because this is the key to learning the process of mind over matter—willpower, self-discipline, and perseverance in a healthy and positive manner, yes, even in times of trouble.

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The Power of Praise and Words

The night I was blessed to feel the amazing presence of God and His peace and comfort, when I thought all hope was gone, He encouraged me through His Spirit to get up and praise Him—not only to praise Him physically, but in song specifically.

This taught me something so important: the true power of the tongue and the miraculous ability we have, not within ourselves and our own strength, but in Him and in His strength. That night, I became an overcomer by the power of my words through belief in God’s guidance (Proverbs 18:21).

Choosing Gratitude in Our Words

Another powerful reminder when learning to speak life is to consider how blessed we truly are. Even in our hardest seasons, there is always someone worse off than us, facing struggles we can’t even imagine. This doesn’t minimize our pain, but it helps us shift our perspective. Gratitude fuels life-giving words. When we recognize our blessings—even in trials—we can speak with a heart of thankfulness rather than despair. Choosing to declare God’s goodness, even when circumstances feel heavy, keeps us from falling into negativity and strengthens our faith.

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Words Bring Life or Death

Not only can our words speak either life or death over a circumstance or situation, but God’s Word also tells us:

• “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18)
• “The tongue is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.” (James 3:6)
• “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

What flows from our mouths is a reflection of what is truly in our hearts. That’s why filling ourselves with Scripture, prayer, and worship is so critical. If our hearts are filled with His truth, then His truth will flow from our lips.

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Choosing Life Every Day

Every word we speak is a seed planted. Will it grow into hope, encouragement, healing, and faith—or despair, discouragement, fear, and anger?

Speaking life doesn’t mean ignoring reality but rather declaring God’s promises over every reality. When fear says, “You can’t,” faith responds, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13). When grief whispers, “You’ll never make it through,” hope declares, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” (Psalm 34:18).

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The Call to Speak Life

Precious friends, we are called to live with the awareness that our words carry weight. They can build up or tear down, heal or harm, encourage or discourage.

So today, I challenge you:

• Speak life over your family.
• Speak life over your workplace.
• Speak life over your health.
• Speak life over your future.

Cling to Proverbs 18:21 and choose life with your words, knowing that through Christ, you carry the power to shift atmospheres, uplift hearts, and glorify God in every circumstance.

Amen and Amen.

Enjoy the additional encouragement in song. Click the link to hear the song pertaining to this week’s message of hope: Speak Life by TobyMac