Speaking Your Success into Being

Have you ever wondered why we have a tongue? Is it merely a tool to utter nonsense to those around us? Not everything that rolls off our lips is trivial—far from it. Words hold power, and what we speak can shape our lives in ways we might not expect.

Consider a night from my youth. I sat with my mother after watching the premiere of In the Heat of the Night. Inspired, I turned to her and declared, “If I’m ever on television, it’ll be on this show.” I had no plan, no connections—just a bold thought I voiced aloud. Some might have dismissed it as a childish boast, but five months later, I stood on that set. God planted the idea; I spoke it, claimed it, and He moved. That moment taught me our tongues can breathe life into dreams.

History echoes this truth. Consider the Committee of Five—Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston—who drafted the Declaration of Independence. Four of them are my kin, and while I share their blood, it was God who gifted them words that altered destinies. Scribed and proclaimed by town criers across the colonies, their syllables birthed a nation. Were they uniquely blessed? Yes, but their example reveals what’s possible when inspired speech meets divine purpose.

What have you spoken over your life lately? We may not draft nations, but we pen the founding documents of our own stories. Whether whispered in prayer, shared with loved ones, or written in quiet moments, our words carry weight. Faith tells us they can unlock extraordinary opportunities. Psalms 130:2 pleads, “Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications,” reflecting the hope that God listens—“From our lips to His ears.” If He plants the thought, He waits for us to claim it aloud.

Does every claim come to pass? If it aligns with His will and our covenant as Christians, I believe it can. Yet caution is key. Proverbs 18:21 warns, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” We can just as easily speak disaster as blessing. A modern echo, often tied to Ralph Waldo Emerson, adds, “Be careful what you set your heart upon, for it surely shall be yours.” Our speech shapes reality.

So, be mindful of what you utter. Your tongue can curse or bless, destroy or build. I urge you—set a positive future in motion. Speak life, uplift others, and create momentum for God’s purpose. Your success may well begin with the next words you say.