Speak Life

Call to Prayer

Date: 18.06.2021

Title: Speak Life

By: Dorcas Enim Enyan

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Matthew 15:10

The word of God enables us to understand how powerful and active words are. In the beginning, before God created the heavens and the earth, the Bible reveals the state of the earth being formless, empty, and dark (Gen 1:1-2). The condition of the earth remained the same till God spoke a word which transitioned an empty earth from dead to life. Creation then fully came into manifestation through the spoken word of God, just as the bible pronounces in John 6:63,” The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words l have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life”. So, we see in the beginning how the Spirit and the spoken word of God collaborated and brought forth “Life”. The result of creation was full of life because of who God is.

In our verse for today`s for Call to prayer, Jesus explains to the crowd things that defiles a man and elaborates that what comes out of a man is that which defiles him. A biblical example l found fascinating in relation to our verse is the story of Job. A Short recap of his story: Job was described as a blameless and upright man who was married and had seven sons, three daughters and was blessed with great wealth in his time. The Bible records how Job lost all his possessions including his children and was afflicted with painful sores. All these happened suddenly and throughout the first two chapters, we do not hear from Job’s friend until he got sick and lost all his properties. From Job 3 till the chapter 37 records series of dialogues between Job and his three friends. They assumed Job’s sudden loss and affliction being a result of his sin and concluded by saying how God always rewards good and punishes evil. These words spoken by his friends is a clear revelation of their heart (defilement) which Jesus speaks about in Matthew 15:10. The Bible reveals in Job 42:7 how displeased God was with Job’s friend for not speaking the truth concerning Him and his servant Job and as a result of their folly, had to repent by sacrificing a burnt offering. We see that so far as his friends were around him and were speaking to his dead situation, their words were not able to bear fruit, neither were they able to change the situation of their friend until God intervened and spoke against his circumstances which resulted to fruitfulness and increase.

Beloved, All authority has been given to us both in the heavens and on earth through our Lord Jesus Christ to dominate and be fruitful in every aspect of our lives. This authority is in our mouth and needs to be exercised rightly. The words we speak can be effective only when it pleases the Lord just as David said in Psalm 19:14,” May these words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight”. Just as the word of God gives life so does our words have the ability to give life to others. In the book of Genesis when God assigned Adam to name the animals, the Bible helps us to understand that whatsoever name Adam gave them so was it. Our words are seeds and we are the harvesters, and God is the one who causes our seed (word) to grow. Life and Death are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruits (Proverbs 18:21).

To conclude, the word of God admonishes us in Ephesians 4:29,” Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, that it may give grace to the listeners”.

We please God not only by rendering our service to him and walking according to his will but also through our words which is a revelation of who we are. Your words have power! “Speak” and bring forth dead situations back to life!

Prayer Point

Let’s thank the precious Holy Spirit, for this word. Let’s pray that God will grant His people the grace to speak words of Life and ask Him to heal us from the defiling word/acts of our hearts in Jesus’ name.