One of the most natural things we do in life is talk. In fact, long before most of us knew what we were doing, we were learning to talk. We started forming our first words while we were still babies.

But there's also something very supernatural about our ability to talk. You and I are the only creatures God made with the right to choose our own words and then speak them.

What's so supernatural about that? Well, consider a parrot. A parrot has a tongue, as well as all the other equipment necessary to sound like a man. But a parrot's tongue is hooked only to its body, therefore, it can only mimic sounds it hears. It cannot actually choose its own words and carry on a conversation.

You and I, however, being created in the image of God, were designed with our tongues connected to our spirits and souls, as well as our bodies. That means, we have the ability to speak words that contain a creative, or supernatural, force that enables those same words to come to pass.

Consequently, each of us is the prophet of his own life. We set the course of our own future. Our health, our wealth and our place in eternity, is in our mouths. Everything about us has been, and will be, determined by the words we speak. The challenge we face, then, is, what can we do to make sure our words are carving out a good life for us on this earth, and a future for us in heaven?

To get an idea of just how powerful our words can be, let's read James 3:2-8:

There is no storm on life's sea through which we cannot safely sail by proper use of the rudder that's in our mouths. Our tongues can be a powerful tool used in our favor, they can also be an unruly and deadly force, causing our lives to be shipwrecked if we let them run out of control. Our only hope for taming them, and thereby charting a good course for our future, is the Word of God.

True success in life comes from putting God's Word in our mouths and in our hearts. Matthew 12:34-35 says, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things."

Only by getting hold of our tongues can the devil put anything on us, or take anything from us. If he can get our tongues, then he can get the rest of us. All he has to do is get us to lie against the truth, which is God's Word.

It's not so surprising, then, that when we're under pressure from our flesh - being moved by what we see, or feel, or think - we tend to open our mouths and say things like, "I'm so unworthy!" "I'm so tired!" "I'm so broke!" "I'm so ugly!" "I'm never going anywhere in life!" When the pressure is on, that's when we really find out what's on the inside of us - and it's usually not the Word of God.

What we see, what we think, and what we say, does not change the truth of God's Word. That's why James called it lying against the truth, or lying against the Word.

Today, you and I are among the descendants of Abraham. And like our father of faith, we have a promise from God. We have His Word. We have His wisdom. We have the truth...in every matter. With that truth we can set our course and change the facts. But those facts certainly won't change until our tongues change.

So tame your tongue - fill your mouth with the Word of God - and then set your course for a life full of success.

Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka:  Kenneth Copeland Ministries