Speak the Word

An old song contains these insightful words which still ring very true more than 200 years since they were written:

“Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life!
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life!”

A reference in the biblical Book of Proverbs proclaims: “Death and life are in the power of [our spoken words] and the person who indulges in either “life words” or “death words” eats the fruit of their own words.” (Proverbs 18 : 21) Our words really can be wonderful words of life. Or . . . horrible and cruel words of evil and death.

Jesus confirmed the reality of this basic truth about our spoken words in Matthew 12: 33 – 38): “We identify trees by their fruit. Evil people produce evil words originating from an evil heart. Good people produce good words originating from a good heart. On judgment day we will have to give an account of every word we have ever spoken. The words we speak now reflect our fate then; either we will be justified by them or we will be judged.”

The writer of the Book of James in the New Testament has this to say about the power of life or death in our spoken words:

                     “All of us who are followers of Jesus, being human, make many mistakes, but those who control their spoken words can also control themselves in every other way. We can make a large horse turn around and go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a tiny rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot wants it to go, even  though the winds are strong.

So also, the tongue is a tiny part of our bodies, but what enormous damage [or good] it can do.  A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of evil that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by Gehenna itself. People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but no one can tame the tongue [except with God’s help]. It is uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison [poisoning our lives and the lives of others].  

Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into evil speaking against other people who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. Surely, my fellow followers of Jesus, that is not right!”     –James 3: 2 – 10

Here are a few other Bible references about our spoken words:

• “Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!” (Proverbs 15: 23)
• “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” (Proverbs 16: 24)
• “A person’s words can be life-giving water . . . ;” (Proverbs 18: 4; compare Jesus’ statement about rivers of living water flowing from our mouths in John 7: 38 and 39)
• “May my spoken words and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19: 14)
• James also says in the 26th verse of his first chapter: “If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, but don’t control your tongue, you are only fooling yourself, and your ‘religion’ is worthless.”

General Warnings For Gossipers and Rumor-ers

We haven’t come to the main point of this teaching yet, but I feel God wants me to digress for a few moments and teach you a little about a very important subject when it comes to the wrong use of our spoken words. The Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament has a great deal to say about those who are tale-bearers, rumor-ers, gossipers, slanderers, back-biters, and liars:

Proverbs 12: 18 states: “Some people make cutting remarks that wound other people, but the words of the wise bring healing.” And again: “Gentle words bring life and health; deceitful, lying words [of tale-bearing, gossip, rumor, slander, and backbiting] bring trouble.” (Proverbs 15: 4)  “Scoundrels hunt for scandal; their words are a destructive blaze. A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.” (Proverbs 16: 27 and 28)

How about it? Do you want God to call you a scoundrel? Do you speak scandalous words, meaning malicious and defamatory talk? Are you a troublemaker causing strife? The word “strife” means fighting and quarreling. Do your words cause fighting and quarreling?

          “What dainty morsels rumors are—but they sink deep [into the heart of the rumor-er and the person they talk about].” Proverbs 18: 8

           “A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.” Proverb 19: 5. Tale-bearing, rumors, gossip, back-biting, and slander will catch up with that type of person; you can be certain of that! They cannot escape the awesome consequences of their spoken misdeeds!“

          “A gossip tells secrets, so don’t hang around with someone like that.” Proverbs 20: 19.

Don’t be a gossip-er. Don’t even listen to a gossiper. Walk away. Stop the lies. Don’t pass them on.

Warnings For Rumor-ers and Gossipers In Churches

The New Testament is also chock-full of warnings to rumor-ers and gossipers; there are so many references that I won’t take time to list them (other than the few mentioned above). Let me try to summarize what the New Testament teaches about rumor-ers and gossipers.  If a Bible student were to carefully scrutinize and then list all the “sins” mentioned in the entire New Testament and then “rank” them from the “worst” sin to the “least sinful,” guess which sin would appear at the top of the list as being the “worst” type of sin? Yep, you guessed it: it’s tale-bearing, back-biting, rumoring, gossiping, and slander. God considers those types of sins as being the worst sins we can commit.

The reality, of course, is that sin is sin; there really is not a “worst” sin or a “least sinful” sin; we all sin because we are all sinners. But I am listing them and ranking them to make a point—the point being that God really considers rumor-ing and gossiping as being deadly serious with dire consequences.  

It’s been my lifelong experience that just about every congregation of Jesus’ followers (no matter whether it be large or small in actual membership numbers) has at least two rumor-ers or gossipers (sometimes more) in the church or congregation. Why at least two? I don’t know; perhaps because they can better collaborate in their vicious and insidious gossiping. If you are one of those two (or more) in your church, stop it! Quit now! You can be absolutely certain your sin is going to catch up with you sooner or later. You’re killing yourself and other people about whom you gossip.

Another observation I’ve made through many years of experience . . . Most churches have a “prayer chain” or “prayer line,” whereby various members of the congregation pass on prayer requests from one to another. Prayer chains are a wonderful means of a church’s ministry to its own members and to the public.  But, sadly, sometimes (not always), those two gossipers mentioned above seem to have a knack in making themselves part of the church’s prayer chain. They use the “secret prayer requests” passed to them as an opportunity for spreading rumors and gossip under the guise of praying for others.

Mind you, I’m not condemning the use of prayer chains; I’m simply making an observation about how they are often mis-used and abused by one or two people in the congregation to spread lies, rumors, and gossip.

If you’re in charge of your church’s prayer chain, be very careful about who you ask to serve on the prayer chain: make certain they are pray-ers who can keep secrets. Often (but not always) the two gossipers in your church I’ve mentioned above are the first to volunteer to be members of the prayer chain. Be very careful about who serves on your church’s prayer chain. As wonderful a part of your church’s ministry your prayer chain may be, it could become a breeding ground for rumor and gossip.

For whatever reason, God wanted me to include those brief thoughts from the Bible about rumor-ers and gossipers. Maybe you’re having some problem with those issues. Or, perhaps you know someone in your congregation who is a gossiper and rumor-er; maybe you need to share these few thoughts with that person. I don’t know; I just know God wanted me to share those few thoughts with you.  For some even more interesting thoughts about what lies behind rumors and gossip—and how to best combat them in your church—please read our companion teaching on this website: Soldiers Training Manual.

“Speak The Word!”

Having made my observations about gossip and rumor, let’s now return to our subject at hand: “Speak The Word.”

Jesus proclaimed on one occasion: “The very words I speak to [my followers] are spirit and life.” (John 6: 63)  A Roman army officer once came to Jesus, asking Jesus to heal one of his servants who was paralyzed and racked with pain. Jesus responded, “I will come to your house and heal him.” But the officer replied, “Jesus, you don’t have to come to my house. Just SPEAK THE WORD from where you are, and my servant will be healed!” The servant was healed. (Matthew 8: 5 – 8)

Are you beginning to see a pattern here about the awesome power of spoken words—for good or evil? Are you starting to see the “big picture” about our spoken words? Is something registering in your heart and mind? If not, you may have a serious problem in your understanding (you may have what the Bible terms “darkened understanding”) and need to ask God to “speak loudly” to you about the use of your spoken words . . .

Our spoken words are serious business! They can bring death to ourselves and others. Or, they can bring life to ourselves or others. It doesn’t seem like there is much middle ground here: Death. Life. Depending on how we use our words. Pretty basic. Pretty simple. How are you using your words? Are you speaking life into yourself or others. Or, by gossip, rumor, backbiting, tale-bearing, and slander are you speaking death into yourself and others? It’s your choice, moment by moment, day by day, how you will use your words. And there are serious lifelong and eternal consequences, depending on the choices we make.

Positive Proclamations

In the remainder of this teaching, I want to share with you some basic biblical, behavioral, spiritual, biblical, and psychological principles which I hope will help you use your spoken words properly in order to bring life and health to yourself and to others. I will share with you what I term Positive Spoken Proclamations or Spoken Biblical Proclamations which will help you gain control of your spoken words so that you can strengthen, comfort, encourage, and build up yourself and others.

Positive proclamations are decidedly NOT charismatic magic formulas, psychological mind games, neurolinguistic mumbo jumbo, consciousness-raising New Age incantations, or psychobabble. They are simply one “tool” among many other tools God equips us with to help us and others grow, develop, and mature in our faith.  When we speak ALOUD positive proclamations about ourselves and others, we are merely using our own spoken words as tools to activate God’s inner power resident in each of our lives in the person of Holy Spirit. Our own words have great power in our lives—either positively or negatively, for good or for harm, for life or for death. Our words are actually creative tools God has given us to use. Words themselves are neither good nor bad, true nor false. Words are merely tools we use to predict or perpetuate performance and behavior.

I believe and practice positive proclamations and prayer. Both tools “work.” They’re a means you can use to focus upon God and cooperate with Him in working toward positive outcomes as He unfolds his purposes in you, through you, and as you. They’re a means of turning your mind and spirit toward God and “tuning in” to his work in your life and in the lives of others to whom you speak “wonderful words of life.”

Here are some “working definitions” of positive proclamations. They are statements of fact or belief designed to help you achieve predetermined, worthwhile outcomes, attitudes, or goals. They are statements describing yourself as though your desired goals, changes, or development have already been achieved.  They are intentionally using your God-given creative imagination and your own spoken words to vividly picture yourself or others experiencing a final outcome of change, growth, or development.

They are a means of cooperating with God the Holy Spirit who lives in your spirit and manifests himself to the outer world through your mind and body, specifically your speech. All meaningful and lasting change, growth, and development starts first in our inner beings and then work their way out! One “tool” to work their way out is our spoken words.

There has been much scientific research the past few years about using positive proclamations. Current research indicates that when you affirm positive statements out loud—thus hearing with your own ears what you say with your own mouth—the positive proclamations actually cause the release of certain brain biochemicals which cause your attitudes, feelings, perception, and behavior to change. Research also indicates positive proclamations should be personal, positive, and present tense; they should also be realistic and specific . . . and provoke positive images and emotions.

Finally, current research also indicates you should speak them aloud three to five times daily when you are in a relatively God-conscious mood. Research indicates it takes approximately 21 to 35 days for positive proclamations to begin to “take effect” and begin to have a lasting and meaningful impact upon your life.  When you speak aloud positive proclamations, you are literally “speaking the truth in love” (as the Bible puts it)—to yourself and others—and thus promoting and aiding your growth and service to God as a follower of Jesus. Positive proclamations directed toward yourself and others—and guarding against your own negative “self-talk”—will reap tremendous changes in your life.

God requires you to consistently change more and more clearly back into his image in you which has been marred and disfigured by sin. Positive proclamations are very practical ways you can make such changes . . . along with prayer, Bible reading, and study (with obedience to what you learn!), and by maintaining regular, positive, and open fellowship with other followers of Jesus.  As stated earlier, positive proclamations are not magic formulas. They’re not foolproof. They’re not guarantees of success. They’re not guaranteed assurances of God’s blessings. They’re simply one means among many of cooperating with God the Holy Spirit who lives in your spirit and manifests Himself to the outer world through your mind and body . . . and through your behavior and speech.

My Challenge To You

 Having said all that, I’m now presenting you with a challenge. It’s a simple challenge which will occupy only five minutes or fewer of your time each day. I am hereby challenging you to write down on 3 x 5 cards and consistently use the positive, biblically-based proclamations I will list later in this teaching. I recommend you begin with 2 or 3 cards and speak aloud 3 – 5 times each day the words you have written on the cards. Ultimately, you should end up with a stack of perhaps 100 cards or more, but you will be concentrating on speaking aloud only 2 or 3 of them each day, alternating them every 3 – 4 weeks.

As an alternative to writing them on 3 x 5 cards, if you’re a savvy user of your smart phone or tablet, write your positive proclamations or Bible references on those, and use them in the same manner I’m suggesting you use the 3 x 5 cards. The main thing is to have the proclamations handy either by cards or on your electronic device so you can refer to them often.

I challenge you to speak aloud the words on those cards as a means of participating with God in your growing and maturing in Jesus. I challenge you to carry those cards with you in your pocket or purse, affix them to your bathroom mirror, place them on the visor or dashboard of your vehicle, place them in your day planner, mount them on your desk . . . wherever you will see them the most, and speak them aloud three to five times daily. If you will faithfully do that, you should begin to see some positive inner changes within 21 to 35 days.

C’mon take my challenge . . . for at least a month. I believe you’ll discover it to be a very meaningful challenge; and you may be pleasantly surprised at what God does in you and through you by accepting this simple challenge. What have you got to lose? You can spare five minutes or fewer a day. Let’s accept this challenge together and prepare for exciting results as God responds to our positive proclamations.

For example, in your creative imagination see yourself enriching the lives of others. Let yourself feel the thrill of helping others change, grow, and develop in their relationship with Jesus. Let yourself catch the excitement of seeing yourself creatively sharing God’s good news with others. In your “mind’s eye” honestly feel how rewarding it is to participate with Jesus in building his Church. Dream a little. Be aware of Holy Spirit bringing God’s very own LIFE to others through you. You can bring those dreams to reality by your spoken words.

 Perhaps you’ve had a tendency to “spiritualize” such references I cited at the beginning of this teaching—or feel they have some ethereal religious meaning having nothing to do with the day-to-day realities of living. Think again! You spoken words have everything to do with your daily life! And they bring either life or death to yourself and others!  Be assured that positive, Bible-based, positive proclamations about yourself—along with guarding against negative self-talk—will reap tremendous, positive changes in your life. As stated earlier, God requires you to consistently change more and more into His image in you, which has been “disfigured” and marred by sin. Positive proclamations are one way you can cooperate with God in making such changes!

Positive Proclamations

Okay, here we go! On the following few pages are biblical-based, positive proclamations for you to write on 3 x 5 cards (or your electronic device) and begin speaking them aloud 3 – 5 times daily for at least 21 to 35 days, using alternating rounds of cards. I recommend you regularly carry 2 or 3 cards with you daily, speaking them aloud 3 – 5 times throughout each day. Jot down on the card the date you start using each card. I’m furnishing you a big bunch of positive proclamations from which you can pick and choose.  

Now, take the first three Positive Proclamations below and write them on three separate 3 x 5 cards and begin speaking them aloud 3 to 5 times this very day! C’mon, you can do it. It’ll seem a little weird at first and people may think you’re talking to yourself, but I guarantee that within 21 to 35 days you’ll begin to believe what you’re saying and start feeling some changes inside you. Ready. Set. Go!

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1. I am a unique, magnificent being—spirit, soul, and body—created in the image of God for lofty purposes. I live a balanced life today in unity and harmony with God’s Spirit who lives inside me. From within, He motivates, inspires, and guides me to fulfill his plans and purposes for me today.
2. God is working in my life today to make me whole and “complete in Jesus”—to fill me with Himself. I do not resist his work inside me. I harmonize my spirit with the Spirit of God within me so I am more and more conscious of his presence and activity in me today. I “release” God to live his LIFE in me, through me, and as me . . . today!
3. God intends for me to become more and more like Jesus. Today, God’s Spirit is transforming me to be just a little more like Jesus. Today, to the best of my current level of understanding and state of awareness, I cooperate with Holy Spirit from where He lives within me and reigns in regal, awesome majesty as King of my “inner kingdom”!

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Now write down on three more cards the next three Positive Proclamations below. There’s your second set of 3 cards. Write them down. Begin speaking them aloud 3 to 5 times each day (along with your first 3 cards) when you have a few moments where you can sort of “focus” on God and be alone for the few moments it takes to say the Positive Proclamations OUT LOUD. Don’t just think them. They must be said OUT LOUD! At this point, you may want to begin practicing speaking them aloud to your spouse or to a good friend so you can also share some thoughts, discuss them, and see how they’re beginning to “work” in your life.

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4. Today, in ways known and unknown to me, I am being changed into the image of Jesus. I embrace such change. It is a necessary part of my transformation. The changes are right on schedule, and are occurring according to God’s specific purposes for my life. As I plummet through the rapids of change in my life today, I do not fear the changes.
5. Like most people, I tend to fear and resist change—especially being changed into the image of Jesus because it’s sort of an “unknown.” But today I make a new commitment to myself and to God to actively participate with Him in all changes He feels need to be made in my life. Since He’s in charge of the changes, I set my will to replace fear with faith and my resistance with compliance.
6. I consistently restructure my thinking and my “self talk.” I enjoy experiencing the positive, wholesome changes occurring in my thinking and my behavior as God empowers me from within to make them. It feels good to consistently become more and more the whole (holy) person God designed me to be!

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By now, you should be getting a good feel for what you’re doing. Write down your next three Positive Proclamations on some more 3 – 5 cards and to speak aloud the three new ones each day—along with the six cards you already have, for a total of 9 cards. I recommend you speak aloud the Positive Proclamations on about 9 to 12 cards at a time for perhaps 2 or 3 months, set them aside, and begin 3 new cards.  Then, go back and review the old cards out loud about once a week from that point on. Just keep rotating them as you see fit. That way, after the first 21 to 35 days, you’ll be seeing positive, inner changes—and changes in your speech—on almost a daily basis. Remember, you’re developing a lifelong habit here, so stick with the program . . .

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7. Just between God and me, I admit to the changes necessary in my life. First, I change my mind about certain matters. Then, because God’s Spirit empowers me from within, I make the necessary changes. I can actually picture myself changed—and it feels good!
8. I am changing. In Jesus, I am a new creation altogether! Today, old things pass away and all things become new. I continue with the fantastic changes God is making in me. Whatever God wants me to change, I change. It’s great to be a growing, changing, and maturing child of God.
9. God is good, and all his works are good! (Psalms 119: 68) He is the true Source from which all my needs are met. I enjoy giving to God of my time, talents, and treasures as He directs me. I enjoy experiencing how He meets my needs and the needs of others as I maintain a steady rhythm of giving and receiving, planting and harvesting, sowing and reaping. I feel more whole (holy) and complete as I practice good stewardship of God’s resources.

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Okay, three more cards with the next three Positive Proclamations below—for a total of 12 now. That’s about all you should be speaking aloud daily at any one time. When you’ve spoken aloud the 12 cards you now have for a month or so, set them aside and speak them aloud only once a week while at the same time you’re starting on 3 new cards.

Ideally, it would be great if you could set aside an extra hour each week (in addition to your regular 3 daily proclamations) to speak aloud all the cards you have—maybe by taking a walk in the woods, sitting down in a local coffee house, visiting with a friend or your spouse, etc. If you happen to have a long commute to and from work, that would be a great time to do your weekly proclamations.

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10. I enjoy obeying God by consistently attempting to be a good steward (manager) of the time, talents, and treasures he allots to me. I feel better about myself, my relationship with God, and with other people when I consistently maintain a steady rhythm of giving and receiving, planting and harvesting, sowing and reaping. I am never diminished by giving to God!
11. I am thrilled at the changes taking place inside me as I change my mind and subsequently see life more and more from God’s point of view. It is exciting to experience God’s power changing me on the inside as I practice the process of repentance (changing my mind). I cooperate with God in all the ways He wants me to change.
12. As God gives me comprehensive insight into his purposes for me, I enjoy changing my mind (repenting) in order to bring my life into alignment with those purposes. It’s exciting and challenging to experience new growth and development as a follower of Jesus. I’m glad to be growing instead of stagnating.

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Okay, 3 more cards . . .

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13. It’s a relief to abandon useless religious acts which serve no purpose . . . for me . . . for anyone else . . . or for God. Abandoning dead religious works frees me to perform good works I enjoy performing as God directs and empowers me. I feel more useful, whole (holy), purposeful, and complete as I clean out old, dead works to make room for new, good works.
14. By means of the gift of faith God has freely given me, I perceive seemingly non-existent things as if they exist—because they really do! (Romans 4: 17) I exercise my five senses in order to live on planet earth. By exercising my faith, too, I simultaneously live in the invisible Kingdom of God which is larger than the universe, yet inside me, too. How privileged I am . . . How exciting it is . . . Today, I live and move and have my being in the best of both universes.
15. I delight in all God furnishes me in my baptism. It’s a total “package deal” which helps equip me to share the Good News about Jesus and to live victoriously in all areas of my life. Today, I accept complete responsibility for what I do with all God furnishes me.

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3 more cards. You should have 15 of them now. You’re starting to get a pretty good stack of them. Keep them together with a rubber band and keep on keeping on . . .

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16. Jesus is my Resurrection and my LIFE! Today, I choose to have Him express that LIFE in me, and through me, as me. I cooperate with Him in any way He chooses to share that LIFE with others from where He is enthroned in my life—the LIVING Lord Jesus.
17. God is! He shares with me his very own eternal LIFE by living inside me in his Spirit “form.” He is a good God who loves me deeply and always has my highest good in mind. Everything—all!—that happens to me is always filtered through his eternal love for me. I love working with God in transforming and changing my life to become wholly (holy) complete in Jesus.
18. I understand somewhat the differences between God’s love and human love. I thank God for the people I love, and appreciate their love for me. I also appreciate God’s eternal love for me, a different—higher—love than human love. I choose to cooperate with God today as He loves other people through me in ways I cannot with my human love.

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Keep going! By now, it’s become a daily habit. Write out three more cards using the Positive Proclamations just below this paragraph. You have eighteen cards now. You’ve embarked on a lifelong process of change, growth, maturity, and development. You’ve got a “feel” for what you’re doing and you’re enjoying speaking aloud your Positive Proclamations every day of your life.  You’re carrying your Positive Proclamations in your purse or day planner, you’ve taped some of them to your bathroom mirror or used a rubber band to affix them to the visor of your car or truck. You’re doing good. I know they’re working for you . . .

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19. I honestly believe the Bible is God’s true, written Word. I don’t understand all of it, but I believe it. It is God’s “love letter” about Jesus to me. I read and study it regularly and consistently—and obey it—in order to live a full, productive life of service to God and others. God speaks directly to me through the Bible.
20. Holy Spirit is a wonderful Person who lives inside of me in my own human spirit. I cultivate a daily relationship with Him as we interact in various ways. To the best of my understanding and ability I obey Him today. He comforts me in all my losses, and I, in turn, work with Him as He comforts others through me. Even in death, Holy Spirit—the Comforter—will be with me.
21. I am grateful today for Holy Spirit who is my Counselor. He encourages me when I lack courage. He enriches my life in numerous ways. He equips me to be and do what God has in mind for me. He builds me up. He gives me the ability to successfully accomplish God’s purposes for my life. He furnishes me everything I need for my earthly pilgrimage. He helps me become whole (holy) and complete in Jesus.

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Hey, believe it or not, by now you’re beginning to think and talk like God. You’re not a gossiper or rumor-er. That’s amazing. Maybe you’re also starting to think “Hmmm, I’d like to start writing down some of my own Positive Proclamations that are exactly suited to me.” Hold that thought for a couple of more months. Toward the end of this teaching I’ll show you how to do just that.

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22. Holy Spirit is a fantastic Teacher Who illuminates the Bible and gives me great insight. From within, He inspires me to change, develop, and grow as a believer in Jesus. If I’m not green and growing, I’m ripe and rotting! Holy Spirit teaches me God’s Word (the Bible), God’s ways, and God’s works. He also teaches me whatever wisdom and knowledge I need for daily living. He helps me wisely and creatively use all I learn. He helps me teach, instruct, and train others with power and authority so they, too, can change, grow, and develop in their faith-journeys.
23. Holy Spirit, You live inside me. You have fused with my spirit and we are one for time and eternity. I am a spiritual being having a human experience, not a human being having a spiritual experience. I am whole (holy) and live a balanced life, with my spirit in charge of my body and soul. God’s light radiates from within me to other people.
24. My spirit was once dark and dead because of sin. But now I am truly ALIVE with Jesus’ light in me. Holy Spirit is fused with my spirit and we are inseparable for all time and eternity. God’s main focus throughout my entire life is upon transforming me into Jesus’ image. Holy Spirit is in the process of balancing and harmonizing my spirit, soul, and body until I am once again unified and whole (holy). I willingly cooperate with Him in all He’s doing in my life.

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You’re doing great! Keep going. Write down three more. Now you’ve got 24 cards. That’s a pretty good bunch, but you can handle them. Remember, 3 to 5 times a day for 21-35 days for them to really take effect in your thoughts and in your speech.

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25. God, I really appreciate that You are in the process of helping me become completely whole (holy). In making the necessary changes, I choose to fully cooperate with You; I choose not to resist what You are doing in me. I now realize what an amazing “inner kingdom” my spirit is. Daily, as your loyal subject I enthrone You as King of my inner kingdom. Thank you for the Bible which helps me learn more about the makeup of my body, soul, and spirit.
26. I harness my creative imagination as one way to tap into God’s special goals, visions, purposes, and dreams for my life. I understand how Holy Spirit “speaks” to me from where He lives inside my spirit. I understand better how He teaches me God’s ways, God’s works, God’s Word, God’s knowledge, and God’s wisdom. I understand better how my own words create LIFE or death in myself and others.
27. God, it’s finally registering with me how power-full (for good or bad) are my own spoken words. I’m gaining a new appreciation of the importance of the Bible in my daily life. Holy Spirit, You are genuinely concerned about how I think and speak and about my daily relationship with the Bible. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for giving me Jesus’ very own LIFE and for continually working inside me to make me whole (holy) and complete.

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I’m sure that by now you’ve begun to notice that I have incorporated many of the Bible’s own words and thought patterns into most of these Positive Proclamations. Oh, they’re not word for word from the Bible, but they’re certainly solidly Bible-based. Later, I’ll show you how to take the actual words from the Bible and turn them into Positive Proclamations. You now have 27 cards. Set the first 24 aside for now to speak aloud once a week—or whenever you have time to review them.  Start working daily on these 3 new ones you’ve just written down. Remember, it’s a good idea to go over them aloud with your spouse or with a good friend so you can sort of grow and develop together. Speak them aloud, think about what you’re saying, discuss them . . .

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28. Holy Spirit, thank You for living in me and helping me be a promise keeper like You are. Thank you for giving me Jesus’ full and complete salvation. Today, I cooperate with You and live a life of truth. Thank You for creating this wonderful planet . . . and me. Thanks for letting me live my brief pilgrimage of life here. Thank You for giving me inner power which helps me consistently live a balanced, harmonious, and wholesome (holy) life. Thanks for giving me God’s own LIFE!
29. Holy Spirit, thank You for LIVING in me. Thank You for filling me with Jesus’ very own LIFE. Thank You for giving me talents, abilities, and gifts; I pledge to use them as You direct and empower me from within. Thank You for giving me a future and a hope. Jesus, thank You for being my pattern for LIVING in this life and the next.
30. Jesus, thank You for teaching me about your Holy Spirit by means of whom you live permanently inside me. Help me to worship God in spirit, and call attention to Him so people can see Him as He really is. Help me to worship God with my whole (holy) being. I’m very grateful to have God’s own LIFE inside me for all time and eternity. I resolve that the words I speak to others and my own self-talk will be creative and LIFE-giving . . . in order to build up . . . to help . . . to heal.

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You’ve got quite a stack of cards by now; I count 30 altogether, including these 3 new ones. 3 new ones at a time, 21 to 35 days each. It’s become a daily habit. However, don’t neglect your daily Bible reading and study. Don’t let the cards become a substitute for your daily devotional reading and prayer time alone with God.

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31. I really am a brand-new person in Jesus. Jesus, You have removed the guilt and penalty of my sin and will never again even remember my sin. God, you have credited Jesus’ total righteousness to my account. The Bible says so. That settles it. I believe it. It’s a finished transaction. You have breathed into me your very breath of LIFE. More and more I am becoming a visible, clearer representation of the invisible God.
32. Jesus, You breathed Holy Spirit into me and I am a new, born-again follower of You, part of the new-creation species God is forming. I consistently forgive myself and others, letting go of the past so the new me can emerge. I am God’s child; everything that happens in my life is always filtered through his unconditional love for me. Nothing can ever separate me from God’s love. God and I are together working in me, and I am regularly and consistently becoming a more visible representation of the invisible God. Today, according to God’s own promise, I am immersed in Holy Spirit.
33. I am a living part (a piece of living building material) of God’s universal and timeless Church upon which He continually pours out his Spirit as He promised. I am a child of the resurrection, one of God’s firstfruits. Jesus has defeated death for me and I no longer fear it. I am “in” Jesus and my old Adam nature is steadily, consistently being displaced and dislodged by the power of Holy Spirit who lives in me. After I die and sleep in death, when God’s trumpet awakens me I shall be raised to new LIFE in God’s Kingdom!

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3 more cards. Maybe you’re computer savvy enough that you can generate your 3 x 5 cards on your computer. You can’t believe what a stack of cards I now have after speaking aloud my Positive Proclamations for many years. I have well over 1,000 of them!

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34. Jesus is the Head of his living Body, the Church. He works in and through his Church by means of Holy Spirit. I am a vital part of Jesus’ Body; He works in and through my life today by means of Holy Spirit who lives inside me. I am ALIVE in Jesus. Today, I choose to experience the work of Holy Spirit in my life and in my Church. Today, I am keenly aware that Jesus abides in me and in the Church, his Body, for all time and eternity in the person of Holy Spirit.
35. I choose not to hide from the awesome presence of Holy Spirit who lives inside me. Rather, I choose to know Him better and more intimately, and do all that is necessary to cultivate a close relationship with Him. After all, He and I are inseparable for all time and eternity! I choose to rely upon Holy Spirit more than I rely upon the “flesh.” I choose not to be rebellious; I choose to be obedient to Holy Spirit who lives in me. I choose to change day by day into God’s image; part of my change is to become more of an intimate and vital part of Jesus’ living Body, his Church.
36. When Jesus died on the cross, in effect I hung there with Him and died with Him. When He rose from the dead, I rose with Him, and now I am a new person truly ALIVE in Him! Holy Spirit lives inside me, and by his power is helping me change more and more into God’s image. After I die, Holy Spirit will resurrect me to a totally new LIFE in Jesus’ Kingdom and beyond, where I will live and work for all time and eternity.

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3 new cards using the next three Positive Proclamations listed below. You’ve certainly noticed by now that I have included many, many references to Holy Spirit. Why? He wrote the Bible and He lives inside of us. He’s our lifelong and eternal, inner companion, Comforter, Counselor, Teacher, and Guide. We need to really develop a deep love relationship with Him. If you’re interested, I wrote a book about Holy Spirit titled Friends Forever available at amazon.com

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37. God has given me all the internal power I need to make the changes He wants me to make in my life. I am a victorious lion of God, not a victimized lamb! I choose to live a lifestyle of repentance—of changing my mind. God has filled me and baptized me in his Holy Spirit, and I release Him from within my spirit out into my mind and body . . . and to people around me. God’s fruit is steadily and consistently growing in my life in a natural, free-flowing and spontaneous manner—without my having to struggle and strain to make it grow.
38. It’s exciting that Holy Spirit is actually developing some of the nature and character of Jesus in me. That’s amazing! It’s great to have God’s joy even when I’m not happy. How wonderful to have peace in a non-peaceful world. I enjoy being more patient. I like to be useful and helpful to others. I feel better being more effective and efficient. God and others can count on me to be there when they need me. It’s great being disciplined and balanced and in control of my life under God’s authority.
39. I acknowledge Holy Spirit who lives permanently inside me—for all time and eternity. I allow Him to govern my life so his fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control grow consistently inside me and change me. Jesus has baptized me in Holy Spirit—because I asked Him to. He is flowing out of me as a living river to quench the thirst of other people, cleanse them, destroy their yokes of bondage, remove their heavy burdens, and heal them.

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Isn’t Holy Spirit a fantastic, inner Friend?! With the 3 new cards using the Positive Proclamations below, you should now have 39 cards. Take the first 36 and set them aside to go over once a week or so. Begin concentrating on your 3 new cards. Don’t give up. Don’t get weary. Think of the amazing differences these proclamations are making in your life.

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40. I am pleased and excited that Holy Spirit chooses to operate some of his super-natural, power-full, miraculous gifts through me—when needed—to help other people. As He flows through me, others are cleansed and have their thirst for God quenched. Through me, Holy Spirit sets people free, heals them, and breaks their yokes of bondage. Holy Spirit has been working through ordinary people just like me since the dawn of human history. I’m glad He’s still helping people and reaching out to them these days—sometimes through me.
41. God operates his spiritual gifts through me to meet the  needs of others. I choose to manage them well. I choose to fan the flames of his gifts operating through me. In whatever manner He chooses to operate his gifts through me, I accept his purposes as being the very best. I accept his people-gifts which are given to build up both the Church and me.
42. When I hear or read about prophecy, I check it out. In some way, shape, or form it should always be about Jesus; if it isn’t, I don’t heed it. All the gifts of Holy Spirit are about Jesus and his Body, the Church. I am a true minister, personally placed in the Church by Holy Spirit. I let Him work through me to bring Jesus’ saving, healing, delivering, burden-removing power to other people.

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Ask yourself: “Do I really believe that last sentence in the Positive Proclamation immediately above?” 42 cards now. Don’t let that rubber band break . . .

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43. The super-natural, power-full, miraculous gifts of Holy Spirit are awesome! I don’t take them lightly. As Holy Spirit chooses to operate some of them through me, I understand in a new way I am cooperating with God as He goes about fulfilling some of his purposes through me in reaching out to other people. I want always to be completely open to letting God the Holy Spirit sovereignly operate his gifts through me.
44. I now understand some of the gifts of Holy Spirit much better; I realize He operates them through ordinary people like me to meet the needs of others in my world . . . in my daily life. Holy Spirit, I am open for You to operate any of your gifts through me—any time, any place, any way You choose. You’re in charge of my life. I trust You. Do what you please in me, through me, and as me.
45. When I’m faced with a situation in which I need God’s wisdom, I ask for it. When I need his revelation knowledge, He gives it. I’m learning how to use God’s special gift of faith—not for me alone, but to help others. I understand and believe that God is the ultimate Source of all healing and that Jesus is the Great Physician. If Holy Spirit chooses to use me in the healing process, I’m ready and available.

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Again, do you really believe that last sentence you’ve just spoken out loud? Be careful what you say about yourself and your relationship to Holy Spirit. It just might be true… 45 cards now.

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46.  To the best of my understanding and ability, I will not limit anything God’s Spirit chooses to do in and through me. I make a quality decision to allow Him to operate any of his gifts through me—any time, any place, in any situation. I want my spirit, soul, and body operating in complete harmony and balance. And I want Holy Spirit to use me in any way He sees fit to help other people.
47. God, I readily admit I don’t know all there is to know about Holy Spirit; no one does. But I pray to know Him better as a person—just as I pray to know Jesus better as a person. As everyone before me has, I know I will die. I trust Jesus and Holy Spirit to resurrect me and to make me whole (holy) and complete again—but without sin, finally! I look forward with eagerness to awakening in your Kingdom from the sleep of death.
48. I am reaching for the sure and certain Kingdom dream rather than the transitory, elusive dreams of this world and its ways.

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Closing Thoughts

 Well, dear reader, there you have them—a whole bunch (a total of 48 including the last three above) of suggested Bible-based Positive Proclamations. Pick and choose. Devise some of your own. Write them on 3 x 5 cards; carry the cards with you and recite the words on the cards out loud as many as 3 to 5 times a day, each “set” of cards for about 3 weeks. Then pick a new set of cards and begin speaking them out loud.

 I guarantee that within a few weeks you will find your thoughts and your spoken words taking on entirely new meanings as God uses your own spoken words to change you more and more into the image of Jesus. Develop a life-long habit of “speaking the Word”—of using positive proclamations to change you day by day, week by week by week, year by year. Friends, that’s what it’s all about: a lifetime of change, growth, and development speaking “wonderful words of LIFE.”

Create Your Own Bible-Based Positive Proclamations

Let’s say you’re reading your Bible some morning and you run across a verse that really “speaks” to you. Here’s what you can do . . . Let’s say you’ve just read Philippians 4: 13 and it has really “spoken” to you. Grab a 3 x 5 card and write something like this: “I have to ask my boss for a raise soon. God, this verse says I can do all things through Christ who empowers and strengthens me. Okay, I’m relying on your strength and power to approach my boss.” That has just become your own Bible-based Positive Proclamation. You can do that with any Bible reference that “speaks” to you. It’s not tampering with the Word of God or adding to the Word of God. It’s simply personalizing God’s Word to your own life and situation. It becomes sort of a combined prayer-proclamation.

Or, let’s say you’ve been struggling with a lot of fear in your life lately—fear of losing your job, fear of speaking in public . . . whatever. You’re reading your Bible late some evening before going to bed and you run across 2 Timothy 1: 7, which really “speaks” to you. Take your 3 x 5 card and write something like this: “God has not given me a spirit of fear [that I’ll lose my job . . . whatever], but He gives me power, and love, and a sound mind so I think his thoughts instead of negative and fearful thoughts.”

There you have it. Just a couple of samples to help you get started on devising your own straight-from-the-words-of-the-Bible Positive Proclamations. I’ve done all I can do to get you started, to teach you “how” they work, how God uses them in your life—I don’t know what else I can do. Just get started! And see all the wonderful things God will do in your life today, tomorrow, next week, next year—all the rest of your life as you “speak the word” like Jesus did as we read earlier in Matthew 8.

I wish God’s very best for you as you learn to use Bible-based Positive Proclamations as power-full tools that you and God can use to change, develop, and mature your life so that eventually you become more and more complete in Jesus! Remember, God wants you to think his thoughts (the Bible calls it “putting on the mind of Jesus”) and speak his Words—it’s just that simple. You’re off to a good start. Keep going . . .

I invite you to read a companion teaching on this website titled Who Are You fighting?

Bill Boylan
leservices38@yahoo.com
Revised and March 2023