I recently looked at some notes from a sermon series that our Pastor, Gene Bebee, gave us about 3 years ago. It is worth another look! This one is specifically about the top 10 ways that we speak death, not life, over our lives.

Consider this quote from the Huffington Post from 2014

“Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” Considering the ‘powerful force’ of the words we utter, we must discipline ourselves to speak in a way that conveys respect, gentleness and humility.”

Even secular society recognizes this spiritual truth. So it is important that we take note.

Isaiah 59:1-3- “surely the arm of The Lord is not too short to save, not his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God. Your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken falsely, you tongue mutters wicked things.”

1. Lying- Proverbs. 6:16- “these six things The Lord hates…..a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil…”

Proverbs 12:22- “lying lips are an abomination to The Lord, but those who deal truthfully are his delight.”

When we lie, we go against His very nature.

2. Sowing discord- Proverbs 6:12-14- “a troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers, who plots evil with deceit in his heart- he sows discord. Therefore….he will suddenly be destroyed without remedy.”

If we sow it, we reap it.

3. Gossip-spreading intimate or private rumors or facts

Proverbs 20:19- “a gossip betrays confidence, so avoid anyone who talks too much.”

2 Corinthians 12:20- “separate yourselves from those who gossip“.

4. Slander-false or malicious statements or reports about someone.

Psalms 140:11- “May slanderers not be established in the land; May disaster hunt down the violent.”

Proverbs 10:18- “whoever hides hatred has lying lips”

5. Tale bearers -Proverbs 11:13- “a tale bearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.”

We must create an atmosphere where we can share freely without fear of hearing it again from another source. We must pick each other up when we fall, and not condemn them and spread that around. When we break confidence with another, we lose that connection sometimes for good.

6. Cursing- Romans 3:13- “their throats are open graves, their tongues practice deceit..”

Psalms 109:17- “he loved to pronounce a curse-May it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing. May it be far from him.”

If we want to walk in the blessings of God, we can’t curse.

7. Blasphemy- using Gods name in an unscarred way

Ex. 20:7- “you shall not take the name of your lord in vain, for The Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”

we use Gods name as a curse word, and we also use God’s name to get what we fleshly want. We can easily learn to insert God where we want our will to move. There is a fine line here. God is not to be used to manipulate anyone or anything.

8. Filthy Language- put off all filthy language out of our mouths.

9. Contentious speech- a hurtful, hateful, malicious, disagreeable, and argumentative speech.

Proverbs 21:9- “better to dwell in an attic than in a house shared with a contentious woman.”

Proverbs 26:21- “as charcoal is to burning coals….so is a contentious man to kindle strife.”

10. Unbelief coming out of our mouths- what’s in our hearts comes out of our mouths.

Hebrews 3:12-13- “see to it that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily.”

Faith is not denying the facts, but it is stating the truth. Faith looks at the mountain and sees the mountain mover!