Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 28:21
and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 28:21
We have the power of life and death, and that power resides in the little member we call the tongue. The book of James has much to say about the tongue, and most of it is not good. It equates the tongue to a fire that cannot be tamed or quenched. So, if we can’t quench it, how in the world are we supposed to build up a wall?
To begin with, we go back to the first wall and control what we’re thinking. As we’ve already seen, the words we say come from our hearts and minds. We often use the phrase “think before you speak,” but the fact is that we always think before we speak. We just don’t usually think about the right things before we speak; therefore the wrong words come out of our mouths. We say things we don’t want to say—things we know we shouldn’t say. So, it goes without saying (no pun intended) that if we get our thinking under control, our speech will follow.
That’s certainly the approach Nehemiah used. After all of the opposition the people faced and all the detrimental comments hurled their way, Nehemiah rallied the workers with his words. Check this out: Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2:20) When the enemy tried to tear down the people, Nehemiah sought to build them up with the power of words. God will prosper us. We are His servants. We will arise and build. Positive statements. Power statements. God-centered statements. These are known today as affirmations.
An affirmation is a statement or proclamation of something that is true, and in our situation, that comes directly from God's Word. Instead of proclaiming what we want, real affirmations state what God has said. And to use these affirmations as a weapon, I have found that it works best to make it personal. Don't just mindlessly quote a verse. Claim it! Put yourself into it, knowing that if God said it (and if it's in the Bible, He did), then it's true and can be believed.
In short, affirmations do work, and there's nothing wrong with them as long as they are founded in and based on Scripture. I encourage you to give it a try. When the attacks come, instead of complaining or allowing yourself to be swayed by your circumstances or emotions, try speaking aloud some affirming statements from the Word of God. Make it personal. Apply it to your life right now. Claim God's promises. Hold fast to His truth. And, of course, make sure that you're doing the things you're affirming so that you can believe with all your heart. Something amazing happens when we turn our eyes off what we want and instead focus on the truth that God has given us.
I encourage you to study God's Word and come up with your own affirmations based on some of your favorite promises in the Bible. But, if you need help getting started, here's a list of some of my favorites. Obviously, I don't read all of them every day, but I do read a few at a time--usually several times each day. The difference in my thoughts and attitude is astounding! I've also included an audio version of the affirmations so you can listen and repeat these powerful truths anytime during the day. You'll find the download link below.
To begin with, we go back to the first wall and control what we’re thinking. As we’ve already seen, the words we say come from our hearts and minds. We often use the phrase “think before you speak,” but the fact is that we always think before we speak. We just don’t usually think about the right things before we speak; therefore the wrong words come out of our mouths. We say things we don’t want to say—things we know we shouldn’t say. So, it goes without saying (no pun intended) that if we get our thinking under control, our speech will follow.
That’s certainly the approach Nehemiah used. After all of the opposition the people faced and all the detrimental comments hurled their way, Nehemiah rallied the workers with his words. Check this out: Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 2:20) When the enemy tried to tear down the people, Nehemiah sought to build them up with the power of words. God will prosper us. We are His servants. We will arise and build. Positive statements. Power statements. God-centered statements. These are known today as affirmations.
An affirmation is a statement or proclamation of something that is true, and in our situation, that comes directly from God's Word. Instead of proclaiming what we want, real affirmations state what God has said. And to use these affirmations as a weapon, I have found that it works best to make it personal. Don't just mindlessly quote a verse. Claim it! Put yourself into it, knowing that if God said it (and if it's in the Bible, He did), then it's true and can be believed.
In short, affirmations do work, and there's nothing wrong with them as long as they are founded in and based on Scripture. I encourage you to give it a try. When the attacks come, instead of complaining or allowing yourself to be swayed by your circumstances or emotions, try speaking aloud some affirming statements from the Word of God. Make it personal. Apply it to your life right now. Claim God's promises. Hold fast to His truth. And, of course, make sure that you're doing the things you're affirming so that you can believe with all your heart. Something amazing happens when we turn our eyes off what we want and instead focus on the truth that God has given us.
I encourage you to study God's Word and come up with your own affirmations based on some of your favorite promises in the Bible. But, if you need help getting started, here's a list of some of my favorites. Obviously, I don't read all of them every day, but I do read a few at a time--usually several times each day. The difference in my thoughts and attitude is astounding! I've also included an audio version of the affirmations so you can listen and repeat these powerful truths anytime during the day. You'll find the download link below.
