Faith Speaks (Releasing the Force of Faith)

2 Corinthians 4:13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak...

As we've already seen, you will always speak what you believe. That's exactly what this verse here claims...we believe and therefore we speak.
If you've filled your heart with God's word, and believe what it says, it will inevitably come up out of your mouth
If you've filled your heart with worldly ideas, news, and entertainment, it will inevitably come up out of your mouth.

Unfortunately, it takes absolutely no effort at all to take the world in. It's all around us - always infiltrating our ears, our minds, and our hearts. If you don't intentionally consume the Word of God, you will automatically fill yourself with the garbage of the world.

This is especially important because whatever is in your heart will come out your mouth...and whatever comes from your heart and out of your mouth can change your entire world around you.

The True Purpose of Words

Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue..."

Most people assume that the primary purpose of words is to carry information - to carry ideas and knowledge. But if you look at the first use of words...that was not what they did! The first time words were used in Scripture, they didn't inform, they created! It was the words that God spoke that created everything in the natural world. Why? Because the primary purpose of words isn't to carry information, but to carry power. 

When God made man, He made them in His image - to be just like Him. What does this mean? One of the ways we are like God is in our speech. No other creature on earth can speak from their heart like we can. We are literally speaking spirits. 

But just like God's words, our words weren't intended to be merely informative - they still carry power! This is why God warned us about the power of life and death in our tongues! James chapter two takes this doctrine into even more detail, comparing our tongues to a ship's rudder. The words we speak literally steer the entire course of our life!

Releasing the Force of Faith

Luke 17:6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

According to this passage, spoken by Jesus Himself, faith-filled words carry power! It is your words that release the force of faith!

Notice, though, the faith must there first. This confession that He is teaching about here isn't trying to convince yourself of something. No, this is what we first read in 2 Corinthians 4:13 - "I believed, and therefore I spoke." When you're heart is full of faith, it puts power in the words that you say.

Let me emphasize this: a confession of faith is not about saying something until you believe it. Faith doesn't come that way - it comes by hearing. No, the confession of faith is about saying something because  you believe it! Faith doesn't come by speaking, but it is released by speaking!

As you learn about the promises in the Bible - promises that ALL rightfully belong to you - let His Word build faith in your heart. Then, as that faith increases and grows stronger, it will begin to bubble up on the inside of you. When you release this faith, empowered by the Word of God, out of your mouth, it will change your entire world!

How do I know this? Because this is exactly what Jesus taught us!
Mark 11:22:23 Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 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 be done, he will have whatever he says."

Notice, Jesus begins by saying "Have faith in God" and concludes by telling to believe that what we say will be done. We need to understand this: Doubting this principle of "confessing by faith" is doubting God Himself! Our faith in God demands we believe in the power of our words...after all God was the one Who told us about them!

You see, Jesus wasn't just a teacher of the confession of faith, He was also the result of it!

The Word Made Flesh

Luke 1:35-38 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible"

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."

Notice what the angel told Mary; "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest will overshadow you." As the angel was speaking, this promise had not happened yet! When was the moment Mary conceived? When she released her faith in the Word! Mary said "Let it be to be according to your word." That was the moment. That was when, according to John 1:14, "the Word became flesh." Her response of faith brought a manifestation of the promise!

(Incidentally, this is exactly what the word "amen" means - "So be it!" Saying amen isn't simply saying "that's a good point". It is a response of faith to God's word. You should be deliberate in your "amen"  - using it by faith, claiming a promise for yourself.)

Jesus earthly body was a manifestation of faith in the Word of God. What about you? What promise in scripture do you want manifested in your life? Let your response be the same as Mary's - speak out in faith. "Let it be to me according to your Word!"

Whether faith in God's Word...or agreement with the ideas of the world:
Your eyes and ears will fill your heart.
Your heart will feed words to your mouth.
Your words will release power and direct the course of your life.

Use this process to speak faith, and God's "great and precious" promises will be yours!