Today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin goes right along with today's Bible Plan reading in Mark 5.
Power of Life
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Prov. 18:21)."No, I won't pray for your son," I told the startled widowed mother of a fifteen-year-old boy. "It won't do any good. As long as you keep telling your son he'll never amount to anything, you'll undo the praying."
"Did the Lord reveal that to you?" she asked.
"No," I said, "I just know that the condition in life that we or our children are in was created by words."
"What shall I do?" she asked.
"There are some things you should have done when your son was younger, but he's fifteen now. So first, quit nagging him about being saved. Second, instead of lying in bed at night worrying about him, say, 'Lord, I don't know where he is, but wherever he is, I surround him with faith and love.'
"You've been surrounding him with doubt, fear, and condemnation. Say, 'Lord, I'm going to tell You what I believe. I don't believe he'll end up in the penitentiary. I'll never tell him again he won't amount to anything. I believe he will amount to something.'"
I was back in this woman's city fifteen months later. To make a long story short, she came to me and shared, "It was hard, but I did just what you told me. Before, my son was all out for the devil But now he's all out for God!"
Confession: Life is in the power of my tongue, and I will minister life with it. I speak words of life!
What WE say is of utmost importance in our lives! Look at Mark 11:23:
23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. AMP
Now look at Proverbs 18:20-21:
20 A man's self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil]. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. AMP
Now let's look at Mark 5:25-34:
25 And there was a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 And who had endured much suffering under [the hands of] many physicians and had spent all that she had, and was no better but instead grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports concerning Jesus, and she came up behind Him in the throng and touched His garment, 28 For she kept saying, If I only touch His garments, I shall be restored to health. 29 And immediately her flow of blood was dried up at the source, and [suddenly] she felt in her body that she was healed of her [distressing] ailment. 30 And Jesus, recognizing in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around immediately in the crowd and said, Who touched My clothes? 31 And the disciples kept saying to Him, You see the crowd pressing hard around Youfrom all sides, and You ask, Who touched Me? 32 Still He kept looking around to see her who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had been done for her, though alarmed and frightened and trembling, fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, Daughter, your faith (your trust and confidence in Me, springing from faith in God) has restored you to health. Go in (into) peace and be continually healed and freed from your [distressing bodily] disease.
This woman KNEW what Jesus had been both saying and doing. Her faith began to grow until she BELIEVED that if she just got close enough to Jesus to just touch His clothes that the power in Him would heal her! She then began to speak what she believed! This form of this particular Greek word means: she kept on saying! She didn't just make an emotional faith statement, but she kept confessing over herself what she believed, and she received exactly what she needed, desired and believed! What YOU say will greatly impact your own personal life! Stop speaking about your needs and problems, but begin to speak what God says (His Word) TO your needs and problems! They WILL obey the Word of God when spoken in faith by a born again believer! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Say The Word":
Shalom in Him!
