All in Your Mouth

I learnt a massive lesson in the last two weeks that I sincerely hope I do not forget, and I also hope it helps someone.

I had been out of a job for several months and about the end of April to Mid-May, someone had sent me a link on YouTube to confess the Word of GOD for my situation (this person has a collection of Biblical confessions for different situations on YouTube). She said to confess the Word consistently for seven days. I decided I was going to take the Word of GOD in my mouth like medicine (morning and night doses) – so I confessed the Word for employment and promotion twice daily and way past the seven days.

Lo and behold! Within a month, I got a job interview in June, then another in July and then in August.

I did apply for jobs a grade lower than what I did previously as I was desperate to get into a particular government agency and the interviews I got in June and July were for that lower grade in that agency. The interview in August was for the grade I want and also in the same agency. Out of all the interviews, I got a job, but it was for the lower grade and not the grade I want.

As soon as I was offered the job, I started telling GOD that I did not want it but would accept it as a means to getting the job I actually want. In fact, when the recruiter called to tell me I had gotten the job, after initially accepting the job, I called him back and asked him to give me a few days to think about it. Eventually the day came and I called him, informing him that I would accept the job – I reluctantly accepted the job. Afterall, I did not want that job, I wanted another job – the one I did not get.

Upon ‘accepting the lower grade job,’ the necessary checks began. Civil Service recruitment and employment checks have now become more rigorous and advanced, I could see how my checks were progressing via Trac (a recruitment website/software tool). I realised that all my checks had been completed but I did not hear anything from the recruiting team on agreeing my start date.

Meanwhile, daily, I kept speaking that I did not want the job I got but wanted the one I did not get but added that I would take it in the meantime while the one I wanted became a reality - I confessed it daily. Now, I would be a liar if I told you that I did not know that I would have whatsoever I say. I am so quick to tell my kids that the LORD has said in the Bible that as you say in my ears, so I will do unto you (Numbers 14:28). I also told them regularly that, ‘… you will have whatever you say’ (Mark 11:23). So, I know the power of my words as a believer in Christ Jesus.

Naturally, not one who is careless with my words, I try to be intentional with them, blessing people, speaking good to people and all that. I am acutely aware that the Bible says that we will give account of every idle word that we speak (Matthew 12:36). I am not perfect in speaking the Word of GOD all the time, but I try most times to speak in alignment with the Word of GOD.

Culturally, it is also not hard for me nor would it be for any Nigerian. In Nigeria, we know the power of words and very few people use words carelessly. In my language we believe that good and bad (demons) angels are always passing by and either of them could easily say 'amen' to what you have uttered depending on whether you have uttered good or bad words. In my language there is a saying, ‘enu eni la fi n pe temi dire’ (it is with one’s mouth that one says it is well with me). There is another one, ‘enu eni la fi n ko meje (it is with one’s mouth that one says one is not eating something). As a Nigerian, I know the power of words.

Now being a believer in Christ Jesus, I am doubly aware that I will have whatever I say. But I did not understand the connection of my words, my heart and how they both play out in my life so clearly (for my own life – I guess I understand it for others) until in the last two weeks.

The checks for my employment had all been completed but I did not hear back from the employer about when I could start the job, and my kids kept asking me when I would start the job. I was stuck. I was in limbo until two weeks ago when my would-be line manager called me and said, ‘hi Kemi, we’re still here!’ I heard those words like I was the one stopping the rest of the recruitment process from being completed (and indeed, I was!). It was a wake-up call for me but I still did not connect my not progressing with the employment with the words I kept speaking over and over again. I just thought what I was saying would bring the one I want, though I was rejecting the one I received.

I spoke with my brother explaining everything to him, asking him to agree with me in prayer as regards the job. Immediately he recognised that I was hindering the fulfilment of the job by my words, and he asked me to repent of my double mindedness. James 1:8 says, ‘a double minded man in unstable in all his ways and such a person should not expect to receive anything from GOD.’ Even while I was praying with my mouth with my brother, I was still rejecting the job in my heart. Hence, we prayed but nothing happened afterwards.

A few days later during a prayer meeting, one of my sisters was speaking about the difference between saying Thank you and Giving Thanks. It was then I truly realised my error. I did not even thank GOD for the job, and this is me that had been applying for jobs for about two year with no single interview, got three job interviews back-to-back and got a job out of those three but never once said Thank You, LORD. As soon as I got that job, my first response was rejection, not giving of thanks. I was daily rejecting a gift, neglecting to realise that my rejection of a gift and complaint was working against me.

On this day I got it! I got my wrong and I truly, unreservedly, repented before the LORD and thanked Him from the bottom of my heart for this job I have been offered. By the end of that day, Tuesday, 6 October, the recruiting manager called me at close of play to agree a start date.

It was truly a revelation for me as I realised again what power is on my tongue, in my mouth. The Bible says in Romans 10: 8 that ‘the word is near you, even in your mouth, …’ Every believer in Christ has power in our tongue. In fact, every human being has power in their tongue. Proverbs 18:21 says, ‘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].’ (Amplified Classic)

This simply means that as a human, we determine our world by our words. If we speak death, we will get death; if we speak life, we will get life. If we speak it to ourselves, our children, our spouses, our nation, our politicians, our schools (you name it), we will get it.

GOD is not expecting us to live a lie or live in denial, He is saying that we create our world by our words. He did create the world by His Words and as we are created in His image after His likeness, we also create with our words - meaning that not matter what we are seeing, we can make it worse, better or stagnant by what we say.

It is time for us to start being conscious of what we say, and should I say being mindful of the world we are creating. Remember, you will have whatever you say. If you do not have any good thing to say, keep quiet; but instead of keeping quiet, speak a good word. Bless someone with your words. Speak good, speak a blessing, not ill.

“The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”” Numbers 6:22-27

Who will join me in a challenge for the rest of the year to declare at least one good thing we want to see for the rest of 2026 and one for the whole of 2027. For as we say in His ears, GOD will do for us. Amen!