Speak Life: Declaring Freedom Over Yourself & Your Family

Words are powerful. They can build up or tear down, bless or curse, bring life or death. A lot of us learn this the hard way, me included.

Proverbs 18:21 (AMP) reminds us: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.”

Many people struggle to speak life because of cultural influences, personal experiences, or a lack of faith. It’s easy to echo negativity when surrounded by doubt, hardship, or fear. But God calls us to be intentional with our words, declaring freedom and blessings over ourselves and our families.

Family, when we know better we must do better. Many of us grew up hearing negative words being thrown about our homes and at us specifically. And many of us did that to our own families. Today may not be the first time you’re hearing that this is not good, but today might be the day we get deliverance from the consequences of negative words.

Throughout Scripture, we see how negative words lead to destruction. In Numbers 13-14 (NLT), when the Israelites sent twelve spies into the Promised Land, ten came back with a bad report, saying they could never conquer it. Their words of doubt spread fear among the people, leading to an entire generation wandering and dying in the wilderness.

Contrast that with Caleb and Joshua, who spoke faith-filled words: “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” (Numbers 13:30, NLT). Because they believed in God’s promise, they were the only two from that generation who entered the Promised Land.

Another example is Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. When the angel told him he would have a son, he doubted and questioned, and as a result, he was made mute until the promise was fulfilled (Luke 1:18-20, MSG). His doubt silenced him, but when he finally spoke in agreement with God’s word, his mouth was opened, and he declared blessings over his son.

In terms of generational curses and blessings, we must understand that words don’t just affect our present—they shape our future and impact generations to come. 

Exodus 20:5-6 (NLT) states: “I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.”

We see this in the lineage of Israel. When the Israelites spoke doubt and disobedience, their descendants suffered for it. But when families chose faith and obedience, blessings followed. Abraham’s faith-filled words and trust in God’s promises led to blessings that extended to Isaac, Jacob, and beyond.

Generational curses of negativity, failure, and fear can be broken when we choose to speak God’s truth. Instead of repeating the patterns of doubt and defeat, we must declare life over our families: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15, AMP).

I have emphasized it throughout this series and it bears repeating every day just in case someone misses it: No curse is greater than God’s blessings. So as we discuss this topic today, we declare that there are blessings when we speak life. 

In contrast to the curses and negativity we mentioned earlier, we should look at the power of speaking life in Jesus’ ministry. 

In Mark 5:35-42 (MSG), when Jairus’ daughter was declared dead, people around him spoke words of despair. But Jesus said, “Don’t listen to them; just trust me.” He then spoke directly to the girl: “Little girl, get up!” and she was brought back to life.

Similarly, in Ezekiel 37:4-6 (NLT), God commands Ezekiel to prophesy over dry bones, saying: “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again!’”

This was not just about physical resurrection but about speaking hope into hopeless situations.

I struggled for a while, and still have some residue of it, where my words would not always be positive. So I am glad for this study where I can learn more about how to overcome the struggle of speaking negative words and speaking life instead.

For some of us, speaking life isn’t always easy. Culture often reinforces negativity, circumstances can shake our faith, and past disappointments can make it hard to believe in change. 

However, we can take practical steps to shift our words:

1.Renew Your Mind with God’s Word – Romans 12:2 (AMP) says: “Be transformed and progressively changed [by the renewing of your mind] so that you may prove what the will of God is.” Fill your heart with His truth, so it overflows in your speech.

2.Pause Before You Speak – James 1:19 (NLT) advises: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” Before reacting negatively, take a moment to align your words with God’s promises.

3.Declare Truth Daily – Speak blessings over yourself and your family. Say things like: “I am strong in the Lord. My family is blessed. God’s plans for me are good.”

4.Break Generational Cycles – If negative words have been a pattern in your family, choose to break it. Speak blessings over your children and future generations.

5.Surround Yourself with Faith-Filled People – Just as negative voices led Israel astray, positive voices can build you up. Be intentional about who influences your speech.

So what are we going to do from today on…if we haven’t already made that decision? We are going to choose to speak life. Amen?!

Note I said choose. Because speaking life is a decision we make every day. Though culture, circumstances, and personal struggles may tempt us to speak negatively, we must remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:37 (ERV): “Your words will be used to judge you. What you have said will show whether you are right or whether you are guilty.”

Today, Family, let’s choose to declare freedom, healing, and blessings over our lives and our families. Even in difficult situations, our words can align with faith, just as Jesus spoke life into the dead and Ezekiel prophesied over dry bones. When we speak life, we invite God’s power to work in and through us.

What words will you choose today? What are some of the phrases that jump out of your mouth that you know don’t bring healing or comfort or joy to the hearers? 

Let us think on these things and consider our ways and be wise. 

aub - 27Mar25 

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