Ooh, What the Word Can Do!

Did you know that God’s Word is powerful? Hebrews 4:12 calls it “alive and active” because it has the power to transform your mind and emotions and make you free.

As you study the Bible, I encourage you to take each thing you read personally as if it were written just for you—and then begin to speak it out loud and watch God move in your life.

Learning to confess God’s Word out loud has been life-changing for me. [Confession(ital)]means “to say the same thing as.” And God’s Word is [truth.(ital)] So, when we meditate on His Word—when we speak out what He says about us—we are releasing our faith and cooperating with Him to see His good plans come to pass in our lives!

God’s Word Changes Things

When I began to study these principles, I was a terribly negative person. But God began to show me how harmful negativity can be. And as I took action to stop thinking and speaking negatively, I actually became happier. After a while, however, I felt like my circumstances really weren’t that different. I asked the Lord about it, and He spoke to my heart and said, “You have stopped talking negatively, but you are not saying anything positive.”

So I decided to make a list of the things that were rightfully mine according to the Word of God. And twice a day for approximately six months, I spoke those truths out loud. I did it in my house by myself. I wasn’t talking to anyone else—I was declaring the Word of God over my own life.

I began saying things like:

“I am a new creature in Christ: old things have passed away, behold, all things are new!” (See 2 Corinthians 5:17.)

“I don’t have a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” (See 2 Timothy 1:7.)

“I take good care of my body. I eat right, I look good, I feel good, and I weigh what God wants me to weigh.” (See 1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Timothy 4:8.)

“I cast all my care on the Lord for He cares for me.” (See 1 Peter 5:7.)

“I am a believer, not a doubter.” (See Mark 5:36.)

God's Word will renew your mind, so love the Word, live the Word, speak the Word, meditate on the Word—and things will begin to change.

Truths to Speak Out About Your Thoughts

Remember, God’s Word is “alive and active” and has the power to change your mind and heart (see Hebrews 4:12). This list of scriptures will help change your thoughts:

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Truths to Speak Out About Your Words

Proverbs 18:21 says, The tongue has the power of life and death. And so God wants us to choose our words very carefully.

This list of scriptures will help you change your words:

From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:20-21

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Set a guard over my mouth,Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NKJV

Continue to Speak the Truth

The changes I saw in my life did not come overnight. But gradually I did see changes, and to this day I continue to see good results when I verbalize my faith and speak in agreement with God.

You can use these lists of scriptures as a starting point for making a list of your own confessions—promises from the Word of God that you can speak out loud over your life, your family and your future. 

I encourage you to speak God’s Word out loud daily. Get in agreement with Him and start declaring the good things He has in store for you. As you do, I believe you will be strengthened in faith...and have the joy of seeing God’s goodness and power in every area of your life.

Speak God’s Word Over Your Family

You can put God’s love in action every day by speaking His Word over others, especially your family! Here are a few verses to help you get started:

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:13-14

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1

“…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5

7 Easy Ways to Speak God’s Word with Kids

You can help young children apply God’s Word and wisdom each day [and(ital)] develop a close, personal relationship with Jesus, simply by speaking the Word out loud!

1. Make up your own rhymes based on memory verses and speak them out loud while you’re having fun with hand claps or jumping rope.
2. Create a hopscotch game with a unique memory verse in each square.
3. Choose a memory verse for each day of the week and speak it out when you’re together.
4. Make Bible verse bracelets to wear as a reminder to speak in agreement with God’s Word.
5. Write memory verses on windows, mirrors or other wipeable surfaces to encourage your child to speak them out every day.
6. “Go fishing” for scriptures using a homemade pole and some “fish” outfitted with key memory verses.
7. Hide some Bible verses inside your home. Then turn off the lights and give your child a flashlight to search for hidden verses in the dark!