Words Matter

By Mildred Rainey

I didn't think I'd ever do it!    

Surely it was worrying!    

Eeeeek it's what my Granny did,  and then I'd noticed my Mum doing the same thing!

Could it be a generational thing that I needed some serious prayer ministry for??

How could it have happened???    When did I start???

The younger folk who lived in Granny's generation used to shake their heads, smile and whisper to each other 'Ach! Bless her,  she's talking to herself again!!!!'

BUT!!!  I have now, with maturity and wisdom (I hope) come to realise that I don't have to apologise for it,  or pretend I wasn't talking to myself.  I don't have to explain that it's really an essential part of my creative personality!   I now know - IT'S BIBLICAL!  I'm in famous company - for instance King David did it all the time 

Phew!!!!   It's OK!!!   Breathe again  :-)

What I've also come to realise though is - it's even more important WHAT I talk to myself about!

MY WORDS MATTER!  They are so important that God talks about what we say all through the Bible.

It's a bit scary but our words really do create - either good or bad,  and it's been proved that we will believe much quicker what we hear our own voice say about ourselves than what others say.

If, for example, you say often enough, even without thinking,  'Oh I'm stupid'  (a word incidentally that I personally and passionately believe should be banned from the English language!) but, if you do this, you will believe it,  AND IT'S NOT TRUE!

Bill Johnson says - 'words planted in the heart attract opportunities for fulfilment.  You change the course of your destiny by what you meditate on,  by what you embrace.'

Meditating is a Biblical exercise we are told to practise,  and we all do it and are quite expert at it actually (although it's usually the wrong sort of meditating which is called 'worrying'!)

Part of meditating includes muttering to ourselves - I like it!  

Earlier this year I was feeling very overwhelmed by the 'too muchness' of my life.  Too much piled up all around me and all of it important,  and for once it wasn't my fault!  I really hadn't over-packed my days,  but it seemed to be never ending.  As soon as I got one thing sorted and started to breathe again, suddenly the next was hurtling towards me at an alarming rate and I didn't feel I had any more energy left. Do you know the feeling? 

My best prayer seemed to constantly be 'Lord HELP!!!  I can't do this!!'

 

I did not feel like a strong, faith-filled,  mature woman of God.

Isaiah is one of my favourite Old Testament books and one morning after my 'Help Lord' prayer I was reading in chapter 41, and suddenly verse 13 just 'jumped out' at me - 

'Because I, your God have a firm grip on you and I'M NOT LETTING GO,  I'm telling you DON'T PANIC!!  I'M RIGHT HERE TO HELP YOU'.  

Wow!!  It honestly was exactly what I needed to hear and I personalised the words and started to say them out loud to myself - realising it was God, the Creator of the universe, my Father who was speaking them to me - I would say,

'Today, I have a firm grip on you Mildred and I'm not letting go!!   I'm telling you DON'T PANIC!!  I'm right here to help you'

At the start of a busy new season The Lord has again reminded me of this verse and I'm again 'muttering it' to myself. 

Why not experiment for a week - ask Holy Spirit to help you and remind you not to say anything that contradicts what God says about you? 

Maybe you would like to take the verse I'm using - just take the week and 'meditate' on it.

 

Say the words out loud to yourself and say your name where the dots are........

Today, I have a firm grip on you...........and I'm not letting go!  I'm telling you DON'T PANIC!  I'm right here to help you

Or maybe these verses are the 'food' your heart needs  

..............I am your Shepherd.  I have made provision for everything you will ever need.  I never ever stop thinking about you - you are so precious to me

Don't forget - you must say it OUT LOUD to yourself.

It's from your Father who is crazy about you.