I remember when my grandson, who was 3 years old at the time, got hold of a sheet of paper that had pictures of me on it, and he decorated it with all sorts of colorful stickers. When he came over to my house to surprise me with it, I couldn’t help but notice that in just about every picture, there was a sticker over my mouth.
I thought: Well, God, are You trying to tell me something?
It actually made me pay attention to the way I was talking. And that’s something we all should do, because there is no part of us harder to control than the mouth.
The Bible says that no man can tame the tongue (James 3:8). But that doesn’t mean we can never improve the way we speak. We just need to partner with God to bring about the change we want to see.
The words we say are so important because they impact the anointing of the Holy Spirit―that is, the power and presence of God—in our lives. The power of God is the most precious thing we have, and it’s something we need to know how to protect.
One of the ways we can hinder God’s anointing is by speaking with a mixture of faith and doubt. When we say a few positive, faith-filled words here and a few negative, doubtful words there, it weakens God’s anointing on our lives.
If we want to have God’s power working in us and through us each day, then we have to be in agreement with God not just part of the time, but all of the time.
Protecting God’s Power in Your Life
Without the anointing, everything is hard. And that’s not what God wants for us. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt.11:30, NIV).
God will never ask us to do anything without giving us the ability to do it, and He has equipped us with everything we need to live a powerful, victorious life. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.”
Let’s make this practical. Here are a few ways you can use words to protect God’s anointing on your life:
—Don’t judge other people. For example, if you want God’s anointing to be on you for parenting, you need to be careful not to criticize other parents.
—Don’t complain. The Israelites wasted 40 years murmuring and complaining in the wilderness when they could have just obeyed God and entered into their promised land a lot sooner.
—Don’t ask God for someone else’s anointing, or to be like them. Embrace the abilities He has given to you.
Pay Attention to What You’re Saying
Think for a moment how your words could be affecting your life right now. How do you talk about yourself, your present circumstances and your future? When you talk with your friends, what kinds of things are you talking about?
Ask God to help you form a habit of speaking positive words of faith every day. Words like, “I love my life, and I have a great future. I can do whatever I need to do through Christ who strengthens me. And something good is going to happen to me today!”
Even when you’re struggling to believe it, say it anyway. Because your words have the power to change your mind and your attitude when they agree with the truth in God’s Word.
You’ll also find that you have the joy and peace that come through simply believing the promises of God.
Agree With God; Change Your Life!
In Luke 1, God sent the angel Gabriel to tell Zacharias that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son who would be anointed to be the forerunner of the Messiah.
Zacharias should have been so excited! But rather than believe the good news, he questioned the promise. So God supernaturally shut his mouth until the day his son was born.
If you want to live in the fullness of God’s anointing, fill your mouth with His Word. Don’t just carelessly speak what you think or feel or what other people say. You can have the promises of God fulfilled in your life if you will learn to come into agreement with Him, do what He tells you to do and say what He says. {eoa}
For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-teaching CD series Change Your Words, Change Your Life. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling 800-727-9673 or visiting joycemeyer.org.
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Your Battles Belong to the Lord (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.
