One of the things that is easy to forget as we go through our physical-focused three-dimensional lives is that we are sons and daughters of Heaven who have been given authority to transform all creation in the cosmos. I had a simple situation at work the other night that reminded me of this, and just how important it is that we come into a greater understanding of our true identity in Christ. I had just started the night shift (I’m temporarily working nights after being on days for a while) with my coworker Eddie and as I bid the offgoing shift farewell I said “Have a great night!” Eddie turned to me and said “I felt that. It felt like you were talking to me.” That’s because when we release power, creation responds.
Curious, isn’t it? At face value all I did was say “goodbye,” but in truth what I did was decree well-being upon the night for those I was speaking to. It was a simple statement too, but my coworker felt the power that was released when I said those words, and he felt that power enter him as well. I hadn’t done some super-spiritual proclamation over the day shift to let them know that I was being spiritual and releasing virtue upon them to shift their night. And I didn’t have to. All I had to do was say the words and the universe around me shifted in accordance with what I spoke—enough so that someone else felt the change.
Is there something super-amazing about Michael that makes this different for him than everyone else? No—I’m the same as you—a guy who is gradually deepening his understand of who God designed me to be long before the universe was even spoken into existence. And yet, one thing that becomes increasingly clear to me as I go on this journey of growth and transformation is that we get to choose what kind of reality we will experience. Not only that, but we also get to decree that reality and life to others and when we do we release power to perform our words as the sons and daughters of God. Creation responds to our words. Why? Because we have become the divine offspring of the Word of God who spoke creation into both being and function. Remember what Jesus said to the disciples before He ascended to heaven?
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. . .” Matthew 28:18-20a
Did you catch that? Jesus acknowledged that all authority in both heaven and earth had been delegated to Him, and he subsequently delegated it to the disciples. But he didn’t stop there. Jesus instructed them to go make more disciples and then to teach all of them to do the same things Jesus had taught the original disciples. You and I are meant to do the same things Jesus both did and taught the early Church to do, and we have been given the same authority that Jesus gave them.
One of the biggest barriers to living in this truth is actually our thought-habits. We get into patterns of saying and doing things that are not consistent with what Jesus taught us, and we don’t realize or remember that it all begins with what we think about—because what we think has an impact on what we speak, and what we speak has an impact on the world around us.
The more we understand and recognize that *every* word we say influences creation, the more we will choose our words carefully and wisely, and intentionally build speech habits that release life and transform creation in healthy ways. Jesus addressed this point when speaking to the Pharisees and said some very interesting things that we’re going to take a look at:
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:34-38
Jesus castigated the group for the things they spoke, and explained something fascinating—that we will have to give an explanation for every empty word we have spoken, and that our words will either acquit or condemn us. The phrase every “empty word” literally says every argos rhēma, which can be translated a variety of ways. Some translations say “every idle word” but the underlying concept is that every word that is lazy, idle, or accomplishes nothing will have to be explained. Think about that. It isn’t just that we have to pay attention to whether we are speaking life or death with our words (which we do need to do) but that we need to make sure our words accomplish something. That sets the bar of expectation to a whole new level.
Jesus understood that the words He spoke had power to transform reality—and He regularly performed miracles and healed the sick from that position of a son of the Most High God who walked in that revelation and authority. He taught the disciples to do the same, and has given us this same charge—to transform all creation through the intentional (and not idle) use of our words because He has given us the authority in both heaven and earth to do so. The encouragement in all of this though, is that when we release power, creation responds! As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, all of this came out of a simple encounter at work where I decreed over coworkers how their night would go, and in fact I do that at work regularly. I intentionally tell people when I am coming on and going off shift how their shift is going to become, and I have developed this habit precisely because I know that when I speak, I get to influence my workplace. And the only difference between my workplace and my home, or my workplace and yours, or anywhere else, is simply who is transforming creation through their powerful words. So let’s remember to be intentional with our words to manifest heaven on earth!
