Prayer Works Bible Study: February 15, 2026

The Power In Our Tongue

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Today I want to talk about something that is really important. It sounds simple because we do it every day. But you know, until you realize the power that's contained in it.  

In fact, it is at the epicenter of all existence of mankind, and of everything that we ever do. The Bible tells us in Genesis 1 and God said, Let there be right to emphasize the power of now, when you think about that, that that simple scripture, you realize that we don't have the world as we know it if there is no speech involved.  

Everything that God did was just based on speech. It wasn't him building things and then you looked at it like, that's awesome. He just spoke, that's the power of his creative. 

So we know this scripture Proverbs 1821 right says death and life is in the power of the tongue now yesterday I was watching I was we were watching a movie from South Africa and it you know it in English and Zulu in it, in a mixture of, you know, different languages.  

And I think there was closer to some point you could hear it. And as I'm watching it, I started thinking about how do we formulate language? Like I can speak at least three, if not four languages.  

And like, how do we construct language and it all comes down really to, because when you listen to Shauna, Zulu, Xhosa, the expression of the language is centered on the ability of the tongue and how it moves and twists. 

Which is something that we don't, you know, because we just speak English, but if we start speaking French, your tongue as a language you can express it but it really you really can get the understanding of what French is. 

When something has something has to happen with your tongue, it can't just be the way I pronounce English and the way I pronounce Shona it has to be a certain way that you have to roll your r’s if you're going to be Zimbabwean yeah a certain way that you have to speak if you're French. 

If you're from South, you kind of have to drag your vowels. So there's all these things that, and then when you really kind of start and think about how did we get to this idea where our minds have to hear something and then try to emulate with the tongue in order for it to sound the way it was meant to sound.  

So when you follow that trail, you realize the power that the tongue has, that I could speak French and not pronounce it well, and it won't have any meaning. And I could speak Zulu and not roll my r’s, and somebody would totally not hear me.  

So when you think about this idea that death and life is in the power of speech. You then realize that all that is centered on this idea of hearing. Cause in order, you know, we all speak English here. We didn't go to no English school to learn to speak English.  

You were just born in a house where everybody was speaking English and your ears are simulated. And as your ears are simulated, it literally was transferred to your tongue in order to roll your tongue accordingly for those words to be understood.  

So when you think about just the constructive nature of language, you then can realize how powerful the tongue is. And this is not a lesson on the tongue, but this is a lesson on the way we speak and how we actually have to put thought into it, because it really does matter.  

When you think about the tongue, just a quick anatomy structure of the tongue, divided into an oral, front two, front two and thirds. So you have, it has, it has these two structures where you taste, then two, it produces speech.  

And it is a muscle that expands, shrinks depending on what's going on. And in it, inside the mouth, you have 10,000 taste buds that are meant to accommodate pretty much almost everything that a human being would ever test, and then define it, and then your brain stores it, and thus becomes enshrined in your head.  

Then it is motor functions, moves food, chews food, aids in swallowing, and also propels your digestion. So when you think about just from a structural standpoint, what the tongue can do. 

It's unbelievable to think that even when they talk about addiction to something or food, that it's only 6 inches. It's right here. That defines everything that happens to a person just here.  

So when you think about this scripture, Proverbs 18:21, when it says, death and life is in the power of the tongue, it means that we have to understand the power of the tongue. And I don't know if we ever stop and think how powerful the tongue is, the power it possesses.  

You know, just a quick example. The president of this country can stand up tomorrow and say, we are giving tariffs to all countries in the world 100%. And by tomorrow, there will be chaos on the streets. Just simple words.  

Not he doesn't go to the Wall Street and do some things or move some things in the computers. He just says something and all of a sudden the whole entire world reacts to it and there's chaos.  

This is at the highest level of leading people. Now, when you think about God, when he says, let there be light, if that moved everything that had to be moved in order for there to be structure for this world, then you realize the power that possessed in speech.  

The reason I'm speaking like this is because I'm realizing now that the I've always known, but this is this is really more powerful now that the enemy's goal is to get you to say something.  

How do I get you to say something, an idea that I would place in your thoughts? Everything is right here. The enemy comes and throws a thought in your head. His goal and his agenda is to just get you to say something.  

You can think it, but the ultimate goal, can you open your mouth and endorse that idea? And once that idea is endorsed, right from the abundance of the mouth. So now you then realize the only way we speak is when something has done what?  

It has really grown in our hearts to a way it is in abundance. We can't contain it anymore and then we say it. Once it's said, it activates the same power that God had at the beginning. Let there be light, because we are his creation.  

Day one, day two, day three, day four, day five, day six, he creates day seven, he rests from all his creating power. And that job was handed over to mankind, day number seven. So we're all living in day number seven, where the responsibility to speak that we shall become.  

That's why Titus 2 says to the older, you must teach the younger things, speak things that shall become sound doctrine. Your words, have the ability to become doctrine. So you then realize this statement, death and life is in the power of the tongue, that it is the epicenter of all of our existence.  

There is no marriage without speech. There is no church gathering on Sunday without speech. There's no communicating to God without speech. There's no elections without speech.  

People go to the polls not because they saw something, because somebody said something. What we all call policy is not written somewhere. It's something that somebody just stands up there and say, hey, this is what I believe in saying.  

And everybody says, wow, let's go and vote. So speech has the power to construct and also has the power to be extremely destructive. Words can heal, encourage, build up. They also can wound, they cause strife, they destroy.  

Now, when you think about this, in order for us to speak then, that means we must have what? Heard something. You must have heard something.  

So Hearing and speech becomes the center of which God does things through us and how we communicate with him. If we want to communicate God's language, we have to hear God's language.  

If you want to speak life, we have to take heed of Jesus words. I have come so that you could have life and life more abundantly. So if you want to have abundance of life, that means you must hear what? The words of Jesus.  

And I'm sure every single one of us here can testify. And this past month of just going through the gospels has been an incredible, phenomenal blessing. Hearing the words of Jesus.  

Is producing a different and shaping even the way I see things, gospel the way I think about about just ministry is being shaped by reading the gospels. It's only this month not that I didn't know it you knew Jesus traveled on foot right everybody. 

He was covering distances of 80, 70, 50 miles just to do ministry. From Jerusalem to Galilee, it's 89 miles to just go and speak life. So when you think about just the life of Jesus and his ministry and the movement that he was and the places he was going just to speak life. 

Then you realize the power of this thing that he had to travel 80 miles to just go and speak and sometimes for a few minutes and leave. Cross the ocean to go address, Legion, speech.  

All that just to speak. So when the writer of Proverbs is giving us this scripture, I know we know it, but I don't really understand. I don't know if I had understood the power of the tongue from this context.  

Because when you trace his life that we are all sitting here because of Jesus speech. From 2000 years ago. Like 2000 years ago. Of speech that still affect and affect human beings today. Still gives life today.  

His speech from 2,000 years ago. Still carry the same power. Now, I don't know if we ever think that the words that we speak has actually the same power to do the same things.  

So when Jesus says death and life, when the writer of prophecies, the death and life is in the power of the tongue, he has seen something and God has communicated something in him in order for him to write that.  

And then God has contained it in scriptures because of the severity and the meaning behind this particular verse. Whoever believes in me, out of your belly. Now, we all believe in Christ, right?  

I don't know if anybody has a belly that's flowing water every day. Just gushing water while you're walking in the street shopping center, you're just gushing water. So what is Jesus saying that out of your belly will flow rivers of water. 

Because you realize when you speak, you have to access your diaphragm. Singers, Veronica and April, you know this, that you can't sing without this. So when Jesus is saying out of your belly, he's literally saying this speech that then comes out of you from here, will contains so much water to give so many people Life.  

So the wisdom of speech demands then that we literally plant heavens. Let's look at Isaiah. We might have talked about this before. Chapter one, two, three, four of Isaiah. He gives prophetic words, correct? Accurate, accurate.  

The man is speaking accurate words. Then he says, in the year that King Uzziah died, he saw the Lord. And what he experienced in vision made him realize that, whoa, all the words I've been speaking, what has been coming out of my mouth.  

Now, if he spoke, if he gave prophetic words, that is accurate. And then he sees the Lord and he says, woe unto me, I'm a man of unclean lips. What had happened?  

He probably maybe realized that man, the way I'm speaking, even though it's true, is not coming from a deeper place than the Lord wanted to come from.  

So when he says, I'm a man of unclean lips, he's realizing that the speech, that there's something about his tongue even though he is speaking things that is not connected to the spirit.  

Because then later on when you get to 50 and 60 of Isaiah, when the Lord then says, I have put my words in your mouth so that you can plant the heavens. That's a strong statement and it's all centered on speech.  

Speech influences real outcomes. When we say things, no matter how we say it, contains power to plunder heavens. I have noticed, and I'm sure some of us have experienced this, you're casually doing something and the Lord drops something. 

Or you see something oh man if I'm to get a car I want to drive a car like that or if I ever get a shoe I want a shoe like that right, there's things that we say without paying attention and then you find yourself a few years later you are driving the same car. 

Now God says, I'll put the desires of your heart. I'll give you the desires of your heart. So in order to formulate desire, where is desire? In your heart. From the abundance of the heart, then your mouth, then does what? Speak.  

So you realize the connection between speech and God planting his desires inside of you. When you find yourself being passionate about certain things, you then realize God is instructing you to do what? To speak.  

When you find yourself writing a song, it doesn't come from here, it comes from where? The heart. We always say the mind does what? Solve problems and we think with the heart.  

So when we do finally speak, it means that a seed has been planted in our hearts and we have incubated so much that the only thing that left is to say. Now, when you think about that, you then realize that some of the things that we are trying to do and to see, it means that we have to speak. 

In order to see it, we have to speak. In order to see the healing that we desire to see, we have to speak. And hence the devil is always pushing us to do what? Be quiet. But when it comes to his agenda, he wants you to do what? God's agenda, be quiet.  

So when we say, hey, volunteer time to say something, and the devil says, no, you can't say it. You do not have the right vocal cords and you didn't learn enough. You don't have enough to say.  

And yet when you are in traffic and somebody cuts you out and he says, say this, there's a freedom that comes with it to say it until you're like, uh-oh. Because this war that we are part of it's all centered around speech. 

This war that we're all part of is centered around speech. You look at this country and the way it's going, it's all talk. Until somebody believes and to say it. Now, I want you to think about this, guys. You have heard this too. I like this president because he says what I'm thinking.  

Now, if 100 million come together, 100 million people come together saying they like what you are saying, because that's what I'm thinking. Then you realize that the devil is looking for someone.  

Who can endorse a thought that everybody else is pushing down not to do, not to say. How do we know this because God is looking for the same thing who shall Ascend to the hill of the Lord God is looking for believers who can stand in the congregation of mighty and say the words, spray the words.  

And the devil is looking for us to shut our mouths and not say the word and then speak his words. Here's another scripture. A person who is what? Double minded. He's unstable, all his work and that person shall not receive anything from the Lord right.  

Now when you look at that verse. What does double mindedness? Lead that to. It leads us to saying things. That God is not pushing for us to say. And once you say it, you can either be creating life or creating death.  

I don't think I will make that team. Unbeknownst to you, you have just created death. Because that speech is going against what you actually want to see happen. So you are in that moment double minded.  

Because your heart wants to make the team. Your speech is going against that, double minded. I want to write another book. I don't think I have the words to write another book. The heart is thinking.  

The mind is going the opposite way. So double mindedness is not trying to make decisions. Double-mindedness is going against what you desire as you logically think about things. I want definitely to be healed, but I don't think it's going to happen.  

Your heart God placing in your heart and look at this. The Lord is speaking and he has already spoken. Healing belongs to you. I want you to believe because we believe with what? Our hearts.  

Believe it, believe it, believe it until you can do what? Say it. When you say it, it either creates life or death. So in the process of belief, the enemy comes and say, nah, there is 20 people that have died from the same thing.  

And now you are wrestling between two worlds. And these two worlds, they're all desiring the same outcome for you to say something. Whatever you feed the most is going to be in abundance that it overcomes and overpowers the other.  

So your heart wants to get healed totally, but your speech is violating the same thing that you desire and that God has placed in our hearts.  

This is why the Bible says, let this mind that was in Christ be in you also because the mind of Christ was to do the will of the Father, to say what God is saying that's what made him powerful. 

He said what God said believed it and walked in it and the Holy Spirit came and empowered him. So the devil had one goal he has one goal because he can't create anything He doesn't have creative power.  

He's a fallen music angel. So the only way he gets anything created is through speech from human beings. So if I can get you to say it, that's all I want you. I want you to say it. I want you to say it's impossible.  

I want you to say that it's not going to happen. I want you to say that it's too difficult for the Lord. Because he that comes to God must come believing that he is and he's a reward of those that diligently seek him.  

When he diligently seek him, he then gives you the desires of your heart. And when the desires of our heart are in abundance in your heart, what's left for you is to speak it. When you do finally speak it, that means it's been bubbling in your heart.  

So Vee, when you say, oh, I want to write about discipleship, the first thing I think of, yeah, because the answer is always yes. If you ever pay attention when you present something to me, because I know this is not today.  

This is something that has been growing in her heart for a while. Now I finally have to speak it. Now think about when we wrestle with the idea of presenting something. Cause the enemy is saying, do not say, you better not say it.  

Even when you know the answer is going to be yes, you better not say it. And he starts throwing all kinds of things. Who do you think you are? I told you about when I was in Trinidad and Tobago.  

I get off the pulpit to preach the last day of the conference. And I sat down there and I hear the enemy say, who do you think you are to say that? What qualifies you? Now, all he's looking for is agreement.  

Because when two or more of you are gathered, it doesn't say if you are spiritual or not. says, where two of you are gathered and I am present, whatever you agree. Jesus heals the woman with the issue of blood.  

Jairus comes from his house and he says, come to my house my daughter is dying. Some people followed behind him and said, don't bother the master your daughter is dead. Before Jairus could say anything, Jesus interject.  

Because if Jairus says, oh, well, I guess it is. There's no resurrection happening. Jesus intersect and say, oh, hold on. She is not dead, she is asleep. Then he makes the statement, if you believe.  

So speech. and belief have to go together. Speech and belief have to go together. Then the third aspect of that is hearing from the Lord. Because the more you hear God's voice, Paul says like, be he then what?  

Transformed by the renewing. So where is transformation taking place? Heart and mouth, heart and mouth, heart and mouth. That's where transformation is taking place.

But when your words start changing, when your words start speaking what the Lord is saying and I'm speaking like this because this hour we find ourselves in what is the goal of the devil to silence believers because once you are silent that you can bring life. 

If you can be silent my goal is for you to say the wrong thing. So all the remaining churches and the prominent preachers, I just want you to say the wrong thing. And then you wonder why. Why every turn you hear something that you'll be like, what is this?  

And our goal for believers is to say what God is saying. That's why the Bible says, everything will pass away, but my words. Now, when you look at that verse, right, where is his words? In our mouths.  

So the idea of speech and talking and speaking about God's word is the thing that God wants us to exercise the most even when you don't believe, because the more you read the word of God the greater your thoughts in your heart the greater your thoughts in your heart. 

Eventually you will speak, it's impossible to be a Bible scholar and study the word of God and love it, and then not want to say anything about it. The two does not go together. It's impossible.  

So I want us as believers to recognize this hour, this time, we have to speak. And this goes along with what we've been pushing this since last week. Every moment, every hour, every, you are in traffic, pray.  

Because in those little moments, we are speaking something that can transform the world around us. Muslims, they go to prayer three times a day. They make chants.  

You go to any of these Muslim countries, April can tell you she has lived in Jordan, Amman, where she was doing ministry. Without fail 5:00 AM, you hear that call. Mid-afternoon, you hear the call. Evening, you hear the call.  

So when Paul is instructing us to pray without ceasing, what he is literally saying is that keep planting life every single moment that you have free time. Because what you are producing with that is the life that Jesus says, I have come.  

So you could have life and life more abundantly. The devil on the opposite end is to counter that. I'm going to give you a speech so you can have death. I want you to say it so you can have death.  

The Bible says the wages of sin is. Now, that statement means that when you are sinful, you get paid in debt, that's your remuneration. Now, but the gift of life which God has given us is everlasting.  

Now, when you think about that everlasting, what will we be doing in heaven? Praising and worshiping God. Power of speech. The ultimate destination where we are going is not building anything, driving and manufacturing stuff.  

No, it's speech, when you hear all in heaven it's speech, every day non-stop worship and speech. So then you realize if the epicenter of our existence is this this ability to say what the Lord is wants us to say in Genesis 6. 

When mankind started talking about going to the heavens, God says, let us confuse. Because if we don't, they will be unified in doing evil. He doesn't say let's separate them. No, let's confuse speech. Because if we don't confuse speech, they are going to unite in doing evil. Now think about, we still, people still unite in doing evil.  

Now imagine if there was no regulation of speech. I'm saying all this, we understand that the power that we are looking for, in order to become the light of the salt, to challenge the systems of this world, lies in our ability to speak, not to be, not to do, to speak.  

Wherever we are, prayer, whatever we are doing. That's why the Bible says, pray in all kinds of prayer. That's why Paul says in 5:15 Ephesians, be careful how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every time.  

How do we make the most of every time? Speech. And don't forget, the devil is fighting for the same space. Everything we see with our natural eyes was once an idea in somebody's head.  

From that guitar on Monica's wall, somebody thought it. And it only became when he says, you know what I want to make? I want to make a guitar that looks like, and somebody will put it on their wall and there was a guitar. You know what we need?  

We need glasses. Then now we got glasses. It's all here because once you say, then somebody is responsible for hearing and that's how we get help. That's how we get all kinds of stuff.  

A person who lives in isolation is in direct violation of what it means to be human. And once you are being, once you start exercising your humanity, you realize it centers around. We are all great friends here because we do what? We talk, speech.  

So, brothers and sisters, I want us to realize that this thing that's in the in our mouth right here is our weapon to fight what the enemy wants to push. This here think about it when we fast what are we fasting from tasting and then the Bible says that has power it activates your senses in a different way.  

Just this tongue to deny the ability to taste things, activate your spiritual senses. Think about that. That's how powerful the tongue is.  

So this is a reminder for all of us to exercise the speech that God has given us and to recognize this is where our fight is. This is how we wrestle against spiritual beings in heavenly places.  

Because none of you, none of us can get to heaven and fight some demonic spirits. It's the tongue. So let's speak and let's speak the word of God. That's why it's important to know your scriptures because you can just repeat them, which is more powerful because the devil can just leave you alone.  

So speak, speak, speak, speak, and speak the word of God. Let's tame the tongue because the devil wants you to say something. That's his agenda, to just get you to say something. And don't give him room.  

And the only way you give him room is to subtract God's word out of your heart. So the more we read scripture, the more we guard our tongue. The more we read faithful scriptures, the more we create more faith. 

And the more we speak faith, the more we pray about faith, Amen. We're gonna end here. 6:53. Every time, stop smiling, Vee. Every time, every time I think of time, I look at Vee. I don't know why. Mother Jones, can you pray for us? 

Father God, we thank you for your goodness. We thank you for your grace. We thank you for life, health, and strength. We thank you for the words that we have received tonight, Lord.  

Help us, Lord, in all areas of our lives to know the power of the tongue and that we will use it, Lord, to edify you, to be built up in our innermost being, to know who we are in you by what you have given us.  

Bless each and every one who will listen, those of us tonight who have listened, and we thank you, Lord, that you bless Pastor Zee, his family, Lord, in all areas that they need you in all things.  

And we will continue, Lord, to give you the praise, the glory, and the honor as you unify us as your body, receiving your word and understanding what we are receiving in Jesus precious name, we pray, Amen, Amen and Amen.