Your Mouth Matters!
The first ingredient in the blueprint of a powerful worshipper is found in understanding the very make up of God himself, for we are made in his image.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him” Genesis 1:27
Man has been created in the image of God and there is one powerful characteristic to God, that scripture clearly states he has included in our make up. It is a factor that plays a role in praise and worship and, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, can be a world shaking force. It is the power of the tongue.
In reading the account of creation, it takes very little theological training to see that God made the earth and everything in it by simply speaking. Over and over again Genesis chapter one states “And God said…and it was”. That was the power of God’s words. A quick leap over to the end of the Bible and in Revelation we discover that God has not changed. Three awesome descriptions of Jesus give us a pictorial view of how this power works:
“…out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword” Revelation 1:16
“I will…fight against them with the sword of my mouth” Revelation 2:16
“Out of his mouth comes a sharp double edged sword with which to strike down the nations” Revelation 19:15
In the mouth of Jesus we find a weapon, a force and a power. That’s how he spoke and created the world. That’s how he healed sick people with a word, commanded demons to leave and spoke to soldiers making them fall over! It is because he has a power in his mouth.
The Power of Life and Death
“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat it’s fruit” Proverbs 18:21
If we are made in the image of God then it is part of our inherent make up to contain power in the words we speak. The Bible clearly states the tongue is a powerful source of life and death. With it we can bless and we can curse. Proverbs 11:11 states “Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted”. That’s amazing! A city’s prosperity and happiness can depend on the words of blessing from the righteous. Proverbs also states:
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life” (10:11)
“With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbour” (11:9)
“The tongue of the wise brings healing” (12:18)
That is placing incredible power and influence on the words we speak. In the New Testament book of James, God goes a step further. He compares the tongue to the rudder of a ship. It’s small, but it guides the whole ship of your life. (James 3:1-12) Everywhere you go, you go because of what you have said – your tongue providing direction for your life.
Don’t Think about Problems, Speak to Them!
How often do we feel embarrassed about speaking things out? I have noticed people who feel down don’t often want to speak out. They want to “think about the problem”. Ever been there? Of course the devil wants you to think about the problem. He wants you to analyse the mountain. To measure it. To compare it to other people’s mountains. Anything but do what Jesus tells us to do with our mountainous problems:
“If anyone says to this mountain “go throw yourself in the sea” and does not doubt in his heart…it will be done for him” Mark 11:23
Don’t think about the mountain. Speak to it! Move your tongue and release that Atom Bomb God has placed in your mouth! Swing that sword, fire that machine gun, light that dynamite and level the mountain with faith in Jesus and the power he has given you.
Praise Should be in Your Mouth
What has all this to do with praise and worship? Listen to this:
“May the praise of God be in their mouth…to inflict vengeance on the nations” Psalm 149:6
Some people are obsessed about praise coming from the heart, so much so that they are afraid to let it out of their mouths. “I’m worshipping in my heart brother” they say. Well “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks!” God doesn’t want praise to be simply in your heart. He wants the “…praise of God to be in your MOUTH” as well. Notice the result according to this verse is “To inflict vengeance on the nations”. Psalm 149 goes on to say it will punish, bind and carry out God’s sentence against the enemy. Praise in the mouth of a believer releases the arsenal of heaven into the atmosphere around you, binding the enemy and bringing the Kingdom of God to your situation.
Paul and Silas were beaten up and in jail in Acts chapter 16. They did not feel like opening their mouths. They hadn’t read the end of the chapter! They didn’t know what God would do in response to their praises. But they sang out and adored God in the middle of their difficulties and God’s presence invaded the jail, shaking away chains and setting them free!
The power of God rides on the praises of his people. He somehow infects every faith filled word with his authority, bringing all his Kingdom’s resources to bear in a situation. As we open our mouths in worship, the same Kingdom and glory that is invading our hearts at God’s throne invades the spiritual heavenlies around us. As we confess his Lordship, pray under his inspiration, with singing and rejoicing, all God’s Kingdom comes to earth. As we release our tongues to declare the wonders and Lordship of Christ, the powers and principalities around us experience the same world creating, devil commanding, sickness destroying power that God has in his own mouth. The very mouth that made the universe!
The first detail in the blueprint of a worshipper then, is that he uses his mouth to praise God. It is an overwhelmingly powerful ingredient, bringing heaven’s power and authority into the very atmosphere where you live.
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