Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof
—Proverbs 18:21

Do you know how powerful your words can be? They can "make or break" your dreams! Your words are containers for power, and by the words you speak you frame your world.

Positive, uplifting, encouraging words will lead to joy and peace and positive results. Negative, depressing, hopeless words tear down and lead to depression and defeat. You can use words to speak life and health and blessing to yourself and to others. By your words, you can soar above the struggles and challenges of your everyday life and ride the winds of blessing and praise. By your words, you form your destiny—what you say within yourself determines the end promise of your life.

The apostle James said that just as the tiny rudder determines the course of the entire ship, your words determine the course of your life (James 3:3–5). Just as a turn of the rudder can make a ship avoid dangerous waters, your words can also grant you safe passage through life if you will use them to speak life and blessing. By the same token, careless or foolish words can be your downfall.

You are going to have to be disciplined and vigilant with your tongue. If you allow the words of the devil or negative people to penetrate your soul, you will lose your battle. There will be times when you want to open your mouth and let loose a whole stream of words that express your anger and frustration or your impressions about someone or something. Don't do it! Do not allow your condition to control your words. Determine that your words are not going to hinder or destroy your destiny.

Use your words as weapons to speak blessing, hope, and peace. Speak faith-filled words from the Word of God. Declare what you have heard from the Lord that He wants to do in your life. Declare what you believe, and it will build your faith. Begin to speak your life as a success, finding purpose and direction under the wings of God's protective hand.

But remember that the power is not in the words but in the source. If your heart is not right with God, you cannot expect to get what you desire and speak. If you are being disobedient to God or refusing to repent over sin, you have no right to sit around spitting out mighty, eloquent faith-filled words and still expect a good result. Powerful words fall to the ground if you are not rightly related to the Lord and walking in obedience.

Related Texts: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 19:14; 119:11, 105; Proverbs 16:23; Matthew 12:34; Romans 10:8–10; Hebrews 4:12