Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in Matthew 12:36 when he said…”But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Jesus said you will be judged by what you have spoken.

We all know that taking the name of our Lord in vain, and cursing is wrong, but I really don’t believe that was what the Lord was talking about here. After all, these men were religious leaders. They were Pharisees. I believe the issue here is realizing the power we have in our mouths. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Are your words life or death? Is the confession from your mouth positive or negative?

I’m learning that our words produce after themselves. Proverbs 6:2 says, “You have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.” Have you ever been hung by the tongue? I know I have.
So many Christians walk around speaking fear, failure, doubt and unbelief. How can they ever expect to obtain victory or the blessings of God? In one crusade where I was ministering, a lady stood and said “I’m coming down with a terrible cold, and I know I’m going to be terribly sick.” Well… guess what? She did and she was. Listen Christians, when you speak faith it activates God.

When we speak fear and doubt, it activates the Devil. Your confession is only a readout of what is in your heart. Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” When you constantly speak fear, it means you are full of fear in your heart. This informs the Devil that you are weak in the area of fear. This is why Proverbs 21:23 says, “He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.”
Also, we need to realize that our words affect others. Proverbs 10:21 says “The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment.” Nourish means to support, maintain, or encourage. Do your words encourage others? Christians are called to speak truth and faith.

I would encourage you to begin to speak a positive confession and notice the results. When you speak faith in difficult situations it shows Satan that you believe the Lord to intervene on your behalf, and that you have no doubt He will. The enemy cannot operate when you exercise your faith. David says in Psalms 107:8 “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…”

Rob Wright is the  founder and Senior Pastor of Abundant Grace Church in Northwest Las Vegas.  He has served as a pastor, teacher and  Evangelist. He received national attention as the Protestant chaplain of the infamous Attica  Prison.  Pastor Wright is the author of two books and numerous magazine articles.  He is heard locally on KKVV 1060 AM, and Fox 1280 AM radio.