“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them WITHIN YOUR HEART; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, GUARD YOUR HEART, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:20-23(NIV)
Jesus says in Luke 6:45: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure OF HIS HEART bringeth forth that which is evil: for OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART his mouth speaketh.”
Jesus also says in Mark 11:22-23
“Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt IN HIS HEART, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
Here we can see how faith (believing in our heart) and speaking are key to bringing to pass the promises of God in our lives. It’s the basic formula given in Romans 10:8-10 “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, you shalt be saved. For WITH THE HEART man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
This is the basic formula in our lives that produces. We can now see why Proverbs tells us to Guard our hearts with all diligence. You see, what we believe in our heart is extremely important because Jesus says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Therefore, we are putting into motion the kingdom principal:
1,) Believe in your heart
2.) Say with your mouth
3.) Receive it
4.) Have it
Therefore, if you are putting good treasure in your heart (the Word of God) then you get to the point you believe that Word. For as Romans 10:17 says: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Now out of the abundance of the Faith and the Word in your heart, you speak, and as a result you have whatsoever you say. You are activating the promises of God in your life.
However, if you are not guarding your heart and just allowing junk in, things that deplete faith such as gossip, evil speaking, complaining, etc. then eventually that will become abundant in your heart and you will eventually speak negatively and you have what you say.
You may ask, how do I guard my heart? Jesus says in Mathew 6:22-26 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Our eyes are gates, our ears are gates or windows into our hearts and souls. When we spend time in the light of God’s word, washing our mind (soul) with it, putting it in our heart (spirit), then our bodies are full of light, full of faith! When however, instead we are spending hours watching the latest movies, news shows, television shows filled with ungodly, negative speaking content, we can then deposit bad treasure in our hearts. When we are speaking badly of others, gossiping, thinking evil of others for whatever reason, complaining, that will get down in a person’s heart. Then they speak and they put into motion the law of sin and death, the law of the curse.
You may ask, “Does that mean I can’t watch any TV or news or movies?” Jesus says to take heed how you hear. Therefore, when you do hear or watch something, be discerning as to if it lines up with the Word of God or not. If not, then cast it down, give it no thought, give it no weight in your life. Let the strainer of your spirit keep the good, but strain out the bad. Just as 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive to obedience to Christ, and cast down every thought that is not of Him.
Phillipians 4:8 says: “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whoatseover things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
If we want greater victory in our lives then we have to shut off anything that is not feeding our faith or our love walk. If it is causing us to stumble in our love walk or faith, we must shut it down. Instead, focus on what the Lord is speaking to you. As you press into Him more and more, spending more time in His Word, your faith will grow exponentially. You will start thinking differently and as a result talking differently. Instead of talking defeat and complaining, you will begin speaking the promises of God in confidence and faith.
It’s time to move to a new level of faith in the Lord. Let’s get rid of anything that is not feeding our spirit good things and begin increasing our “Healthy Spirit Food” intake. Then watch as you begin to go from faith to faith and glory to glory!
Ephesians 4:24-30
“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 neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. 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. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
Luke 8:18
“Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
Ephesians 3:14-21
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
1 Corinthians 10:3-5
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”