The Power of First Words

The Power of First Words

August 6, 2020

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The Power of First Words

What is the first thing you say when you get bad news? It matters far more than you may realize. The power of first words can cement your defeat or catapult you to victory!

The first words that come out of your mouth.

In a crisis, these words are often emotion-driven and without forethought. They come in a moment of venting before moving into problem-solving mode. That’s natural. And it’s how most people respond to trials.

That should be your first warning sign. ⚠️

Anything that is a “natural” response is almost always a flesh response (read: wrong). But is it really that big of a deal?

Short answer: YES.

Here, we’re sharing why how the power of FIRST words in a crisis cab either cement your defeat or catapult you to victory!

1. First Words Set Spiritual Laws in Motion

“The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” –Matthew 12:37

Like it or hate it, believe it or not—your words matter.

We’re never going to stop saying it because it will never stop being true.

Words—especially FIRST words—set spiritual laws in motion. God designed it this way. Words fuel results one way or the other. That’s spiritual law. How do we know?

Proverbs 18:21: The tongue has the power of life and death.

Mark 11:22-24: You will have whatever you say.

Proverbs 13:3: He who guards his lips guards his life.

And that’s just a small sample. The Bible is full of warnings against speaking wrong words because God knows they have POWER.

The first words any human ear ever heard were, “Be fruitful. Multiply. Fill up the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth!” God’s first words to man were BLESSING and empowerment. That’s His will for us. So to be in line with His will, our words should match His in every situation.

That’s what Jesus was showing Jairus when he was facing a seeming tragedy in his life. News had just come that his daughter had died. Now, Jairus could have said a lot of things right off the bat. He could’ve allowed his first words to be filled with grief, anger, disappointment or fear.

Jesus knew he would be tempted to do this, but He also knew it would set the wrong spiritual laws in motion. So, He quickly cautioned him, saying, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36, ESV).

As a result, we don’t see Jairus saying anything. He didn’t get into agreement with the bad report by speaking words, which was critical to the outcome of the situation. And as we know, a miracle took place, and his daughter was raised from the dead.

What about you?

What would be your first words if you received a bad report from the doctor? How about receiving news that you’d been laid off from your job? Or that your teenager had gotten into serious trouble?

Matthew 12:37 says, “The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” If your first words are in opposition to what you want to see come to pass, you’re setting the wrong spiritual law in motion and setting yourself up for a negative result.

(Learn how you could be sinking your own ship with your words HERE.)

It is much easier to set the right spiritual law in motion with your FIRST WORDS than to speak wrong words fueled by emotion and then try to rein them back in later.

2. First Words Establish Your Faith Stand

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” –Mark 11:23 (NKJV)

Think about it. Your first response to a situation—anger, fear, resentment, sadness—is where you usually stay. If you start out in doubt or fear, it’s a much tougher transition to move over into faith because you’ve already told yourself (and the spirit realm) what you think about the matter.

On the other hand, FIRST WORDS that match God’s Word will establish an image of strong faith inside you—it will establish your faith stand upfront.

Faith words spoken first will keep you from being double-minded—flipping back and forth between fear and faith—and will keep you in position to receive. After all, James 1:6-7 says a double-minded man receives nothing from God, so you might as well pick a side—faith or fear—from the beginning.

That’s what the Shunammite woman was doing in 2 Kings 4 when her child died in her arms. She was facing a crisis—a tragedy—and she had to make an in-the-moment decision about how to respond. If she let natural emotion take over, she would have broken down, cried, mourned and even become angry. She likely would have accepted what had happened and begun planning a burial.

But she didn’t do any of those things.

Instead, she laid the child in a room, sent for a donkey, and headed off to see Elisha. When asked by her husband why she was rushing off to see him, instead of weeping or declaring, “Our son is dead!” she spoke these famous words of faith: “All is well.” And you know how it ended for her—she saw her son raised from the dead!

FIRST WORDS—They mean more than you may know. The next time you receive bad news, instead of so many other things you could say, prepare now to say, “All is well.” How do you prepare ahead of time for a powerful faith-filled response? By filling up on the Word of God every single day.

(Find our suggestions for The Right First Words for 3 Scenarios HERE.)

The power of first words will dramatically affect your situation, and that’s why you need to have God’s Word inside you. When a problem arises, or you’re faced with some sort of crisis, you want the first words coming out of you to be words of life—not words of panic, doubt or fear. Let the Word of God be the first thing that comes out of your mouth!

Watch as Kenneth Copeland teaches you why your first words are the most important words you speak.

3. First Words Grant Permission

“Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.” –Psalm 103:20 (NKJV)

First words grant permission to someone—either the Lord to deliver BLESSING or the devil to unleash every evil work.

You see, your words are a start button. When you push the button, it sets things in motion—either good or bad. When we speak words, all of heaven is waiting to hear what we will say so that our words can be acted upon. The devil has no rights to us except what we give him through our words. That’s why Jesus said, “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37, NKJV).

(Learn more about how your words are the start button to everything you’re believing for HERE.)

When the kingdom of darkness attacks, your first words are the keys of God’s kingdom. Your first words open the door or lock the door to that BLESSING wall that has been built around you.

That’s why Psalm 91:2 (NKJV) says, “I will say of the LORD…” Say what? “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” That is a statement of faith. The Wycliffe Bible continues in verse 3, saying, “For he shall save me.” After you say…you see deliverance because you’ve opened access to your life through your words.

Testimonies of Faith-Filled First Words

Mediate upon the power of first words! Allow these testimonies of faith-filled first words to inspire you to speak only the victory, no matter what.

Watch how KCM Partner Christa Tomlin’s FIRST WORDS saved her husband, Jim, from an untimely death.

Watch KCM Partners Don and Jill West share how FIRST WORDS changed a life-and-death situation.

Watch how KCM Partner Patrick Hardesty used FIRST WORDS to save the life of his son who had drowned.

What are the first words you speak when trouble comes? Whatever is in your heart in abundance is coming out of your mouth, and it’s determining the direction of your life. That’s the power of first words! Make sure the Word of God is going into your heart and mind so abundantly that nothing but faith can be released from your lips in a time of crisis. It will determine your outcome—and the only outcome you should ever expect is one of VICTORY!