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Words Build Faith
“Well what if it turns out that I don’t possess much faith?” This is probably the case for most people. Their faith is weak, and their mouths reveal it. Or they have both faith and unbelief in the mix, and give more voice to the unbelief. The answer is to make the positive confession, to confess the Word of God in the midst of the circumstances. Then as you speak, your faith can grow. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom.10:17). What do you normally hear coming out of your mouth? Start speaking life and truth. Speak Bible promises. This will create a better atmosphere for faith to grow.

Remember, the words of Jesus are spirit and life. You may not see a new car appear in your driveway just because you confessed it. But your words change the spiritual realm, which eventually plays out in the natural. This doesn’t make you a god. There’s only one God and you are not Him! But His Word will not return void, and He has given us His word with the command that it shall not depart from our mouth.

Look at how the Hebrews were exhorted: “
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful”
(Heb. 10:22-23 NKJV)
They were to draw near in faith, not in the old way of ceremony. This was a group of Jewish believers who were suffering for their departure from the old religion. They were told to hold fast the confession of hope. Saying “hold fast” reveals that it needed a tight control. When we get into a bad situation, it’s like we have itchy trigger fingers and just want to go firing off at the mouth whatever comes to mind. Usually what comes to mind is not hope. We need to get a grip and speak the good confession. In doing so, we give God something to work with- our faith!

Again you might say, “But inside I’m shaking!” That’s when it’s a real exercise of faith to speak a confession of hope. Your mouth doesn’t want to, but you believe God’s Word and so speak it. In Hebrews 13:6 it says, “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Why does it say, “that we may boldly say”? When do you have to be bold? When it looks like the odds are against you! The Hebrews were being persecuted and it looked bad, yet they were encouraged to BOLDLY say the Lord is my helper. It didn’t seem like the Lord was helping! That takes boldness.

When it seems like you’re not getting the help you need, be bold and declare, “The Lord is my helper!” It’s easier to declare the doom and gloom, but that won’t help your faith. If you possess a promise, confess it. Speak life into the situation. Praise God and frustrate the devil.

What will you say?

The Psalms give good examples of positive confession.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
(Ps. 91:2)
It takes a deliberate mindset to know in advance how you will respond to a situation. Most often we simply react. Then the tongue goes flying and crying out all woes. Instead be proactive, and determine to speak yourself into the Lord’s care. Don’t “say of” the situation and magnify its threat. “I will say of the LORD…”

Have you ever felt like you were going to die? The next time that happens, make the declaration, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD” (Psalm 118:17).

All too often, it’s easy to declare the works of the devil. You have a bad day, get mistreated, or world events cause alarm, and conversations will center on all of this. In an indirect way, this glorifies the devil. It lifts up his works. Instead, let the works of God come into focus. If you can’t see them, prophesy them! Declare that it’s not over, and that the Lord is still on the throne.

Psalm 118 continues: “The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death” (vs.18). The positive confession is that things are not as bad as they could be, I have not died. And things will get better: “Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation” (vs.19-21).

Praise is the gate of the Lord! When the enemy has you down, go through the gate and declare God is your salvation.

Positive confession is made earlier in the same Psalm: “All nations compassed me about, but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them” (vs.10). The odds were stacked against him. Past tense, it’s already happened. And yet he speaks a future tense victory. “I’m not going down, but I’m going to destroy them!” “They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them” (vs.12). There’s a past, present and future tense here. The trouble has already appeared (past). But it’s as good as gone (present). I will overcome (future). You can’t change the past, but you can have a say in the present and the future. Will you stay in bondage and speak negatively, or will you speak the truth?

It’s the truth that sets us free. The truth is, the Lord has already defeated the devil, and our trials don’t have to end in defeat. With God all things are possible, and He loves us. Speak thus and prophesy a good outcome. Don’t sentence yourself with a negative confession.

If you read Psalm 71, you will find several verses pertaining to the mouth. This is what the godly person speaks: praise (vs.8), God’s righteousness (vs.15, 16, 24), God’s power (vs.18), and rejoicing (vs.23). Talk like this will effectively frustrate the enemy.

God used words to create the universe, and God sent His Son, the Word, to redeem mankind. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). The gospel means good news, and can be taken as a positive confession. God made the confession through Jesus, and it changed the entire course of history. It resulted in salvation to all who believe. It has changed lives and nations. It has brought hope of a kingdom.

In the same way, when speaking good news in your situation, your words can have a godly effect. Speaking the promises and truth will turn things around in the spirit. It will play out in the natural as well. Some things may not appear immediately. We are still waiting for the glory of Christ to be revealed to all nations. It hasn’t happened yet, but it will, because the gospel has declared it.

In the same way, “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). Oracles mean divine utterances. You are not God, but God wants you speaking to effect good in a negative world. If He has brought good to your heart, then confess it. Don’t confess what the devil is hoping for.

Your words aren’t magical, but they are spiritual. Draw near to God and possess all He has for you by faith. If you don’t possess it, confess it until you possess it! And then when you possess it, continue to confess it.

Faith without words is dead.

Copyright © 
Rick Bell
All rights reserved.

Author Biography

Rick Bell
Web site: Rick Bell
 
Rick is a writer, speaker, teacher, and minister who has lived and served overseas since 1995. In late 2013, he moved back to America, but continues to travel and work with pastors and leaders across the world. His passion is to build others up with the life-changing truths of God’s grace and love.
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