Apostle James gave a profound description of the power embedded in the tongue. In James 3:5-6, he wrote:
“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”
In Numbers 14:20-29, we see in practical terms the evil effect of misusing the tongue. Moses had sent out some men to spy out the Promise Land. Ten out of the twelve spies that were sent out returned with an evil report driven by unbelief. They said many things which showed their lack of confidence in the God of their fathers, despite the fact that He had severally demonstrated His mighty power to them in the course of their journey through the wilderness. They seemed not to know their own worth and hence they described themselves as grasshoppers and the inhabitants of the land as giants (Numbers 13:33). This testimony of the faithless spies angered the Lord and He gave this verdict contained in Numbers 14:28:
“Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.”
This outcome, caused by the evil report of the ten spies, establishes the truth of Proverbs 18:21, which says:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

We all will be accountable to God for every word that we say. It is therefore crucial that we are conscious of the pronouncements and confessions that proceed from our mouths. Beloved, you need to exercise more caution in times of distress and anger to avoid making negative pronouncements against yourself, your situation, your children and everything that concerns you. When you find yourself in difficult situations, ensure that the words you speak profess your faith in God that He is able to do what He says He will do, in spite of the prevailing circumstances around you. I pray that as you open your mouth today, the Lord will fill it with words that will bring glory to His Name. I pray that you will be able to see the hand of God in every situation around you through the eyes of faith from now in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.