In Mark 11:23 Jesus said, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.”
When Jesus was here on the earth, the Bible tells us that He spoke to the winds and sea and they obeyed Him. He didn’t act fearful. He didn’t panic. He simply spoke to the wind and sea and said, “Be still!” He believed what He said would come to pass. He knew His authority and He spoke in faith. What He said happened.
If you read all of this story in Mark chapter 4, you will see that immediately after the sea calmed down, Jesus spoke to his disciples who were in the boat with Him. It’s very interesting what He said. He said, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
How much plainer can the scriptures be? It took faith to calm the sea – not fear, but faith! The disciples were fearful. But when Jesus came on the scene and He commanded the wind and sea, and faith was present, the miracle happened.
Now here is a spiritual law. God is a faith God and He releases His faith in words. In the beginning, God spoke and the universes were formed. In Genesis 1:3, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Throughout creation until now God has spoken and whatever He spoke came to pass.
Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God as children imitate their parents. Jesus should be our example. We are to live as He lived. He walked in faith and we are to walk in faith. He spoke words of faith and we are to speak words of faith. Words of doubt and unbelief have no place in the mouth of the Christian.
You may say, “Yes, I understand that as a Christian I should speak words of faith, but how do I know what to say?” Well, that’s a legitimate question and here’s the answer.
First of all, we must speak the Word of God. If God says that He wants His children to be healthy, prosperous, and set free, then we must speak words of health, prosperity, and freedom.
When talking about born-again believers, God’s Word says that we are set free from those things that bind us. God’s Word says that we are victorious and can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. When God says we can do all things and we say, “I can’t do it,” we are disagreeing with God. Our words must agree with God’s words in order for the mountains of our lives to be moved.
Secondly, we must be led by the Spirit and not by our flesh. Many times when people hear about the importance and the power in their words, they speak from the lusts of their hearts rather than speaking the will of God. We cannot use our words as a formula. It’s simply smart to agree with God.
Proverbs 6:2 says we are snared by the words of our mouth and we are taken by the words of our mouth.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” I would think then that what we say is very important, wouldn’t you?
With our mouth we can bless or we can curse. The choice is ours. But remember this: Jesus said that words are like seeds. And what we sow, that we will also reap.
Excerpt permission granted by Larry Ollison Ministries
Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.