Do you know that your tongue holds the power to destroy or to give life? If you are longing for a breakthrough in your health, or in any other area, you must learn how to speak words of life and avoid declarations of self-defeat.
We live in an increasingly voice-activated universe. Phones and tablets, cars and gadgets are increasingly being programmed to recognise and respond to what we say. But voice-activation is not so original and innovative as you might think. This was the same means God used to create the physical universe and the laws that govern it, as well as inputting the same operating system into His most precious creations – human beings (Genesis 1:3,9,26-28; Hebrews 4:12 ESV). Your words have power and influence in the spiritual realm (Proverbs 18:21; Job 22:27-28 NKJV).
When it comes to the spiritual realm, the reality is that the enemy can use anything you say against you, to oppose your prayers. So we have to be so careful with our words. We were created to rule and reign with our voices. The problem is, many of us have learned how to use our tongues more from the world than the Word.
We see three core principles from a story recorded in Mark 5:22-42 that will help you to see healing miracles in your life and the lives of those around you. These lessons come from a man who knew that Jesus was the only hope for a precious member of his family, and was able to take great care in the words he spoke and the words he left unspoken.
1. Speak words of life over your circumstances (Mark 5:23 NKJV; 2 Corinthians 4:13; 1 John 5:14; Mark 9:22; Isaiah 53:5)
2. Refuse to utter a declaration of despair (Mark 5:35-40; Mark 11:24; Proverbs 18:7 NKJV)
3. Keep hope alive in your heart (Proverbs 17:22; Proverbs 18:14; Isaiah 61:3; Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV)
Apply
1. Speak words of life over your circumstances (Mark 5:23 NKJV). Speak with faith: Jairus’ daughter was in a critical condition, but he knew Jesus had power to heal her. He spoke out his faith clearly. As a synagogue leader he would have known that bowing down and declaring trust in Jesus publicly could put his job at risk, but he was more concerned about his daughter’s life than the opinions of his peers or the potential consequences, so he spoke up. Speaking aloud with faith is the first step to the miracle. You may feel intimidated but remember that you have been created in the image of God to rule with your voice in the same way He does (2 Corinthians 4:13). Whatever miracle you think you need, one important step that needs to precede declaring things with faith is to ask God what His will is (1 John 5:14). Jairus pleaded with Jesus to heal his daughter. Once Jesus had agreed, he had all the reason in the world to stand in faith. When you know Jesus is saying ‘yes’ to your miracle, then you need to pray with authority, not like the man who Jesus had to correct for saying “…if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22). You must also speak the truth. Sometimes Christians get confused about this. Having faith does not mean denying the existence of a real problem, but it does mean being careful with what you declare. Jairus was explicit about what the problem was, and Jesus didn’t have any problem with that. But Jairus was also careful not to make a negative declaration about her future. The only thing he said about her future was that Jesus’ ministry would heal her. Then you must speak in line with the Word of God. You can declare the Word of God over your situation, or you can declare in line with it – the key thing is to know the Bible promise you need and speak it out. Regarding healing, the clearest promise in the Word is written in Isaiah 53:5. Forgiveness and healing are part of the same promise.
2. Refuse to utter a declaration of despair. Jairus faced a delay in Jesus coming to heal his daughter. Then came a spiritual attack of intimidation (Mark 5:35). He was confronted not just by one messenger but several, and told his daughter was already dead. They advised him not to bother Jesus any more, even referring to Jesus as just a ‘teacher’. How do you react when faced with bad news? Jairus must have been tempted to vent his grief and frustration, to abandon or contradict his faith declaration, or just hang his head and walk away. But in the moment of temptation Jesus was right there (Mark 5:36). Jesus didn’t need Jairus to say anything more, only to hold onto his faith. Like Jairus, sometimes we’ve prayed and received a healing touch, but the problem has not disappeared. The trouble may even intensify. How do we respond? David Yonggi Cho in ‘The Holy Spirit, my Senior Partner’ explains that healings can come via two routes: “When the gift of the working of miracles works, the disease departs in a moment and the person immediately begins to recover health. When the gift of healing works, the cause of the disease is removed slowly and the effect of treatment starts to work, leading to recovery.” If it’s a ‘miracle’ you tend to notice straight away, but if it’s a ‘healing’ you receive that you are healed in your spirit by faith, but you must keep persevering in faith until the completion (Mark 11:24). Derek Prince talks about this in his book ‘Secrets of a Prayer Warrior’, explaining that if you’ve asked for and ‘received’ healing in prayer, then you stop asking for it and move to thanking God for it. He writes “Now you’re plugged into God’s supernatural power. Keep the plug in.” Any time you feel a twinge of pain or see a symptom, don’t fear, just believe, and declare “Thank you Lord. Your supernatural power is at work in my body.” It’s not just a matter of speaking words of faith in the high moments but holding your tongue from venting negative declarations in our lowest moments (Proverbs 18:7 NKJV). The final lesson from Jairus came as he reached the threshold of his home where his daughter lay dead (Mark 5:38-40). Jesus was determined to get rid of the professional mourners because He recognised the effect it was having on the family’s home. They needed an atmosphere of faith, not sadness.
3. Keep hope alive in your heart. It would be difficult for Jairus to hold onto his faith in an atmosphere of loud grieving and wailing. This is a major factor in every battle of faith. It is vital to keep hope alive in your heart through the time of testing (Proverbs 17:22). The joy of the Lord is not only your strength but like medicine for your body (Proverbs 18:14).There are some practical things you can do to nurture hope and joy through a time of trial, including: not keeping company with people who drag your spirit down; being sensitive to what music you are listening to and what you are watching and how these influence your heart and mind (Isaiah 61:3); raising your voice in praise, thanks and worship to find the presence of God (Psalm 27:13-14 NKJV). If you have been facing a battle of faith for your miracle, be it health, family, financial or ministry, just like Jairus who faced waves of opposition and intimidation, choose to speak words of life and not death. We need to develop a culture of positive speaking and declaring the promises of God in every area of life. Our words bring life or death, and that applies in relationships, emotions, and in supernatural healing. This is a moment to decide to change the way that we speak and to speak words of life and faith.