As you have learned, scriptures confirm that your tongue can be controlled. But you must take the initiative to control your own tongue. The following verses all indicate actions you must take:

 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. (1 Peter 3:10)

 …Speak evil of no man… (Titus 3:2)

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have… (Hebrews 13:5)

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ… (Philippians 1:27)

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor… (Ephesians 4:22-25)

 But now ye also put off…filthy communication out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)

Let all…evil speaking be put away from you… (Ephesians 4:31)

…be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16)

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. (Proverbs 4:24)

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. (Psalms 34:13)

I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. (Psalms 39:1)

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God. (Psalms 50:23)

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (Exodus 20:16) 

 Prayer

Lord, help me take responsibility for the words that come out of my mouth. Teach me to speak what is true, pure, and edifying to others. Guard me from careless, harmful, or corrupt speech. Let my words reflect holiness and bring life to those who hear them. Amen.

The ten spies gave an evil report and it resulted in Israel turning back into the wilderness. Here is how to recognize an evil report, discern the motives behind it, and stop it when you are confronted by it. 

Recognizing an evil report • It will raise questions about the motives or actions of others.

• It will discredit spiritual leadership. 

• It will cause division and strife.

• It always focuses on the negative.

• The person will create curiosity. They may say, “You won’t believe what I heard.”

• They will claim to have access to inside information.

• They may disguise it as a request for counsel. “I need your opinion on a matter.”

• An evil report can come in the form of a prayer request which shares gossip as it is given.

• An evil report is often shared as a concern. The person says, “I am deeply concerned about this.”

Discerning motives for an evil report

• Pride: To exalt themselves, a person puts down someone else.

 • Envy: A person secretly desires what others have, so they criticize them.

• Guilt: A person transfers his guilt to others by pointing out their faults.

• Bitterness: A person has been hurt, so they hurt others with their words.

• Rebellion: Read the story of rebellious Absalom in 2 Samuel 15. One way to recognize a rebellious motive is by statements similar to those made by Absalom: “If I were the leader I would…”

Stopping an evil report Ask the person giving the report the following questions:

• “Why are you telling me this?”

• “Where did you get this information?”

• “Have you gone to the person you are talking about according to the principles of Matthew 18:15-17?”

• “Have you checked the facts, or are you just repeating what you heard?”

• “Can I quote you when I check out the facts on this?”

• “Do you think this qualifies as the things upon which we are to focus according to Philippians 4:8?” Or you may simply say: “I really do not want to hear this

Prayer

 Lord, give me discernment to recognize words that carry division, gossip, or hidden motives. Guard my ears and my mouth so I do not participate in spreading what is not from You. Help me walk in wisdom, truth, and integrity in every conversation. Let my words protect unity and reflect Your heart. Amen.

We are meditating on scriptural principles to control your mouth. Here are five additional principles: 

Separate yourself from those who cannot control their tongues: Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. (Proverbs 14:7) 

You become like the people you hang out with. That is why the Bible warns: Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. (Proverbs 22:24-25) 

You learn the ways of those you associate with, including emulating their speech patterns. Learn the power of peaceful words: The Bible confirms that “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). 

Recognize your tongue is a weapon: Your tongue is a weapon you can use to overcome the enemy instead of being defeated by him: And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony… (Revelation 12:11) 

In summary, here are the points we have meditated on during the past few days. These principles will enable you to achieve victory over your tongue. As you review this list, determine that you will….

-Get your heart right with God.

-Recognize your responsibility to control your tongue.

 -Keep your words few and simple.

-Realize your words reflect on the Gospel.

-Think before you speak.

-Separate yourself from those who cannot control their tongues.

-Learn the power of peaceful words.

-Recognize your tongue is a weapon. 

 Prayer:

Lord, teach me to guard my associations and protect the words that come from my mouth. Help me respond with peace instead of anger and wisdom instead of reaction. Let my tongue become a weapon for truth, faith, and testimony against the enemy. May every word I speak strengthen what You are building in my life. Amen.

We are meditating on scriptural principles to control the words coming out of your mouth. Here are two additional principles:

Realize your words reflect on the Gospel:

As long as you believe your tongue is not important, you will not gain control of it. You must realize that your conversation reflects on the Gospel of Jesus: 

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ… (Philippians 1:27)

Because of this, you should set a good example by your conversation: Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12) 

What comes out of your mouth is heard by the heathen: Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. (Psalms 126:2) 

You can actually win others to the Lord Jesus Christ by your conversation: Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Think before you speak: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. (James 1:19) If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. (Proverbs 30:32) 

The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. (Proverbs 15:28)

Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. (Proverbs 17:28) 

 Prayer:

 Lord, help me remember that my words represent You. Teach me to be quick to listen and slow to speak, allowing wisdom to guide my mouth. Let my conversation reflect the truth, grace, and power of the Gospel. May the words I speak draw others closer to You. Amen.

The tongue is a powerful force, but through the power of the Holy Spirit and the application of principles from God’s Word it can be controlled. During the next few days we will meditate on scriptural principles to control your mouth. Here are the first three:

Get your heart right with God: The first step in gaining victory over the tongue is to get your heart right with God because… … those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; These are the things which defile a man… (Matthew 15:18-20) 

Your mouth will speak what is in your heart. If your heart is not right, your tongue will reveal it. Take the first step in using your tongue properly by getting your heart right with God: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) 

Recognize your responsibility: Recognize that you will be held responsible for the words that come out of your mouth:

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:36-37) 

And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant… (Luke 19:22)

Keep your words few and simple: In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. (Proverbs 10:19)

But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:37) 

Prayer:

 Lord, search my heart and cleanse anything that would corrupt my words. Teach me to guard my tongue and speak with wisdom, restraint, and truth. Let my mouth reflect a heart that is aligned with You. May every word I speak bring life, honor Your name, and advance Your purposes in my life. Amen.

 Israel’s words led to unbelief and fear, and unbelief and fear led to rebellion. Such is the power of the tongue that prevented God’s people from entering into their Promised Land. 

God had told Israel to take possession of their land, but instead of going forward they rebelled and turned back. Before them was the land God promised. It belonged to them. It was a rich, fertile land with green valleys. It was a land where God promised to bless and multiply them above the nations of the earth and give them health and prosperity. Yet, because of their unbelief, they turned back. 

-They refused to hear the voice of God.

-They rejected His Word.

-They refused to act in faith on what He had promised. 

-They refused to obey.

The people declared: “…Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? And they said to each other, We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt. (Numbers 14:3-4, NIV)”

In order to take possession of their inheritance, it would be necessary for Israel to face giants, to fight against evil nations, and drive out the enemy. Because of their own negative words which fostered unbelief, they feared their enemies more than they feared God. Instead of going in to do battle and take dominion over their enemies, they decided they would rather return to slavery in Egypt.

Can you imagine?

There on the verge of victory, Israel retreated. In so doing, that generation forfeited their inheritance. Just as negative words led the Israelites to rebel against God, your words have the power to do the same. 

When you are tempted to speak negative words about your circumstances, recognize this is one of Satan’s main strategies to abort your destiny. Refuse to do it! You will either go forward and claim your destiny, or you will retreat. Your words, coming out of your own mouth, will determine whether you will advance or forfeit your destiny. 

 Prayer:

Lord, set a guard over my mouth and align my words with Your truth. Remove fear, unbelief, and every thought that would cause me to retreat from what You have promised. Give me faith to advance even when giants stand in the way. Let the words of my mouth push me toward destiny—not away from it. Amen.

The Bible is specific about the words that hinder your destiny.

Lying is one of the deadliest sins of the tongue against which you must set a guard. Among the things that God especially hates is a lying tongue: 

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19, NIV)

When you speak words of truth, you speak life. When you speak lies, you speak death. When you make promises to others or to God and fail to keep them, you are lying. If you realize you have failed to be honest or if you have made a promise to someone and have not fulfilled it, acknowledge it. Repent and ask God to enable you to keep you from lying by making promises you cannot fulfill. Before you make promises, be sure that you are able and willing to fulfill them.

 Murmuring is another barrier preventing believers from entering into the promises of God. Through murmuring and complaining, you speak death into your circumstances instead of life.

Gossip is another hindrance that will abort your destiny, and it is time we recognize gossip for what it is--a sin. Those who gossip are yielding their tongues to Satan and bringing curses upon themselves. 

Backbiting is also a method through which Satan has erected a major stronghold. Backbiting is a form of gossip for the specific purpose of saying mean and spiteful things about another person. Backbiting is also referred to in the Word as “false accusation.”

Slander is finding fault with others and spreading unjust innuendos and criticism. When a Christian slanders someone, it harms three persons: The individual who is speaking, the individual spoken to, and the individual spoken about. Not only must you not speak evil about your brothers and sisters in the Lord, you are commanded not to speak evil of any man (James 4:11).

Pray about each of the following areas before you conclude your quiet time today. 

Are you using your tongue to: -Lie? -Murmur? -Gossip? -Backbite? -Slander?

Remember--these types of words will hinder your destiny!

PRAYER:

Father, set a guard over my mouth and purify my heart. Deliver me from every lie, complaint, gossip, or careless word that could hinder my destiny. Let my tongue speak truth, life, and blessing in every situation. May my words honor You and align with the purpose You have prepared for my life. Amen

The Bible records the specific words that kept Israel out of their Promised Land:

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. (Numbers 14:1-4) Did you see it? The people "murmured against Moses and Aaron". 

Murmuring is an outward expression of unbelief. When you murmur against your circumstances or against your spiritual leaders, you are actually murmuring against God. It reveals a lack of trust in God’s goodness, His love, His provision, and the leadership He has set over your life. There are many believers today who have fallen into this snare of the enemy. When they face problems in their finances, in their families, or on the job, instead of trusting God they begin to murmur. They may not speak audibly, but in their hearts they are saying, “Why has God allowed this to happen to me? I am tired of never having enough money to meet my needs. Why doesn’t God answer my prayers? Has He forgotten me?” On the job, they murmur about the immense amount of work they have. They grumble about their salaries, the working conditions, and claim they aren’t being treated fairly. The Israelites murmured because of the carnal desires and appetites of their flesh. They were not satisfied with the manna God provided for them. They were ungrateful for what God gave them and longed for the fish, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic they had enjoyed in Egypt. They would rather be slaves--go back to the old life--than to obey God. When you murmur, you are doubting God’s provision and care for you.

Moses told the Israelites, “The Lord has heard your grumblings which you murmur against Him, what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord” (Exodus 16:8, AMP). 

When you complain and grumble, you are not murmuring against people or circumstances. You are murmuring against God. And yes, He hears you. Not only does He hear you, but your words of unbelief hinder you from acting in faith upon His promises. Paul used the example of the Israelites to warn the Corinthians not to grumble. He said, "And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:10-11, NIV).

Just as murmuring kept the Israelites out of the Promised Land, grumbling and complaining will hinder you from entering into your spiritual destiny.

PRAYER:

Lord, guard my heart and my words from murmuring and unbelief. Teach me to trust Your goodness even when circumstances are difficult. Replace every complaint with gratitude and every doubt with faith. Help me walk forward in obedience so I may enter fully into the destiny You have prepared. Amen.

We are meditating on the types of speech that the Bible warns against. Here are some additional words that believers should not speak.

Backbiting words: He that backbiteth not with his tongue... (Psalms 15:3)

Words of discord:...he that soweth discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:19)

Contentious words: A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes (Proverbs 18:6)

Words of strife: Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. (Psalms 31:20)

Devouring and deceitful words: Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. (Psalms 52:4)

Froward and perverse words: Put away from thee a froward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee. (Proverbs 4:24)

Mischievous words: They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long. (Psalms 38:12)

Tale bearing words: A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. (Proverbs 11:13)

Filthy words: But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

We are meditating on the types of speech that the Bible warns against. Believers should not speak.

Vain words: They speak vanity every one with his neighbor.. (Psalms 12:2)

Proud words: ...with their mouth they speak proudly. (Psalms 17:10)

Enticing words: And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. (Colossians 2:4) (Enticing words sound wise and plausible, but are not.)

Boastful words: How long shall they utter and speak hard things? And all the workers of iniquity boast themselves. (Psalms 94:4)

Words which take God's name in vain: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

Cursing and bitter words: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.(Romans 3:14) 

Lies: Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. (Psalms 31:18)

Malicious words against others: Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deed which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words...(3 John 10)

As you talk today, analyze what you are saying. Are you guilty of any of these violations?