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The Power of Our Words

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A Guest Post by Dr. Joey Krol

A young man in his 20s was interviewing for a job. The company owner was in his 60s, and he asked the young man, “So where are you from?”

“I’m from Saginaw, Michigan,” said the young man. The owner asked, “What are they known for?” The young man replied, “Great hockey teams and ugly women.”

The owner said, “Well, son, my wife is from Saginaw, Michigan.”

“Oh,” he said, “what team does she play for?”

Our words can get us into trouble. There have been times I’ve said the wrong thing at the wrong time. I’ve had my share of putting my foot into my mouth!

In the book of James, we see how important the tongue is. It says in James 3:5, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.” We see here that the tongue is like a fire in dry grass.

Most of us know the story of Mrs. O’Leary, who was milking her cow in a barn in Chicago. The cow kicked over Mrs. O’Leary’s lantern, and that lantern caught the hay in the barn on fire. By the time that fire was finally under control, it had destroyed more than 17,000 buildings in the city of Chicago. One cow kicked over one lantern—and 17,000 buildings were destroyed!

In a matter of moments, a small fire can become a big fire. And, a few words wrongly used can bring such devastation, and such destruction. They can change the course of a friendship, a marriage, or a relationship in an instant.

The late evangelist and teacher, Oswald Chambers, once said, “The greatest test of a man’s character is his tongue.”

Dr. Joey Krol is a pastor, radio host, and author of the book At the King’s Feet, available on Amazon.

A Resurrection Sunday Greeting From FaithPrayers

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Dear Friend,

There is one human, only one person, whom death could not hold. Its grip fell off, its chains lay on the ground.

On the day Jesus, Yeshua, walked out of the grave, our lives and our world changed forever.

When two of the eyewitnesses to this magnificent event, Peter and John, were confronted by the religious and political leaders who wanted to continue their control over the general public, they simply said:

“For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”  (Acts 4:20 KJV)

Later, after seeing the Messiah in risen form, shining in light, on a roadway into the Syrian city of Damascus, the apostle Paul wrote to followers of Messiah living in Rome:

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8:11 NIV).

Have a wonderful Resurrection Sunday!

Mary Ann Simkins

Founder and Director of Operations
FaithPrayers National Prayer Line

The Secret of Being Content

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“I have learned the secret of being content…”
(Philippians 4:12)

Woman with arms raised in sunlight

At times I hear individuals attempting to encourage others, urging them to be content in whatever their circumstances. But Paul, who wrote the above sentence, doesn’t exactly say that.

Nowhere are we told to admonish or encourage others to be content in their circumstances. Or to make an attempt to presumably comfort others who are in difficult circumstances by saying they should aim to be content. (To the contrary, we are generally strongly admonished to help them, not tell them to be content.)

What Paul actually said, which is far more powerful, is this: “I have learned the secret of being content.” That’s very different. It’s not a command; it’s a powerful example. Let’s take a look at this glimpse into the personal life of Paul, and what he really said:

“I have learned…”

After discussing the fact that the Philippians gave him significant resources to help him out, and after thanking them for their generosity, he concludes by talking about something very personal. He says “I have learned…”. Here, Paul gives us insight to his own process by saying he had to learn. Personally, I find this hopeful. I also want to continue to learn this way of living.

“I have learned the secret….”. Now we hear the word that is generally left out when individuals preach at each other about accepting their lot and being content. Paul did not just learn to be content. He learned the secret of it. The Greek word indicates instruction, or the secret to being instructed, and the King James actually uses the word “instructed.” I want to know that secret. I want to learn.

“I have learned the secret of being content…”. There are a number of Greek words, with various nuances of meaning, which are all translated to the single English word—content. None of the Greek words carry with them the notion of bland acceptance. While a couple of the Greek words indicate the emotion of consolation (the feeling that the word comfort generally carries in English), most are, instead, energy words, and action words. The one Paul used here is that type as well—an energy word regarding sufficiency, of being instructed regarding sufficiency in “any and every situation.” That alone, in my opinion, would be a supernatural act.

So, what is a part of that instruction, part of the secret?

It must be in the final sentence of Paul’s thought: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (italics mine).

I’ve been thinking about using Paul’s description of what has happened for him as a weekly prayer. Asking God for his powerful strength to flow into me, and for his amazing instruction of actions to take to be able to say the following:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.
I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Apostle Paul, Letter to the Philippians

Mary Ann Simkins
Founder, FaithPrayers National Prayer Line

Correct the Wise

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Child dressed in graduation gown standing in front of a blackboard while holding chalk

“Correct the wise, and they will love you.”

Proverbs 9:8 (CEB)

As far as I can discern from research, there is no word in either the Hebrew or Greek Scripture texts that could be correctly translated to mean the English word criticism. It simply does not appear anywhere in the Scriptures.

The word rebuke or correct does appear. Its various meanings, as in Proverbs 9:8—Correct the wise, and they will love you—carries the meaning of: to reason together, to decide, to argue, to reprove, to plead with, to rebuke, to convince. I think that most wise and reasonable people would indeed appreciate a true friend or knowledgeable person helping them by correcting them when they are heading toward danger or going down an unwise road. I know I have appreciated this, in my own life.

But criticism? I used to follow the advice, often given, that when criticism is aimed at us, we can try to self-examine or learn from it. And perhaps we might, here or there. But not always. Not even usually. Because criticism is, with only a few exceptions as to meaning, an inherently fault-finding word in English. 

The English dictionary defines criticism as: tending to find fault, fault-finding, often denoting emphasis on shortcomings… criticism is the general term for finding fault with or disapproving of a person… ”. And so forth. The rest of the definitions don’t improve the standing of this fault-finding, comparison-oriented negative word. I’m thinking it’s something we should not be engaging in.

Miriam Adahan, a wonderful Jewish writer, says that all the millions of criticisms can be reduced to five major categories and they are as follows: “You are… evil, stupid, uncaring, crazy, or a failure.” Not a pretty five words to hurl at another person.

So I’m thinking we should forego criticism altogether. Both the giving of it and the receiving of it. We should stick with reasoning, correcting and convincing. And sometimes, yes, rebuking. A wise person, if that correction is given well, will forever thank you and even love your effort. They will hear you. An unwise person? The rest of the verse addresses that, too: 

“Don’t correct a scoffer, lest he hate you. Correct the wise, and they will love you.”

Welcome to the New Year

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And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

Minnie Haskins, 1875-1957

The above words were written by a grocer’s daughter in Bristol, England, as she stood on an upstairs balcony one evening, looking down the lighted path to the end of the drive.

Her poem was made famous by King George VI in his Christmas Day broadcast in 1939, as the Second World War was beginning. The world around him was in crisis and longing for hope. The poem had been brought to his attention by his wife, Queen Elizabeth (mother of the current Queen Elizabeth), and it was recited at her funeral some 63 years later.

The words are now carved above the chapel at Windsor Castle, and strewn across an assortment of papers and books around the world. Minnie’s poem has the rare honor of residing among the most often-quoted works of the entire twentieth century. It has been recited in many languages and has been set to music.

Four lines of a poem—that resonated with a world of people.

Minnie ended her famous poem with these words:

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still!

May we indeed see daybreak this year. Blessings to you at the Gate of the Year.

Mary Ann Simkins
Founder & Director
FaithPrayers National Prayer Line

Strongholds: A Guest Post by Anastasia Barracks Montador

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Image of castle stronghold against cloudy sky

From Anastasia Barracks Montador…

Do you ever feel the Holy Spirit has touched you to speak to people to share life-changing wisdom that could impact and/or help save another?

I feel honored and blessed to share what I have received. I believe it will bring greater clarity to one’s mind, body and soul.

Most people in life don’t realize what they are bound by—they think it is the everyday world that holds them. Not that it doesn’t contribute, but in working with others I find strongholds of the mind to be one of the most powerful things that keeps people down (2 Cor 10:4).

It puts a lock on everything till fear is the ultimate driver, and reliving the past hurts and mistakes are often an everyday occurrence.

The simplest things become overwhelming burdens. The mental replay that strongholds create in one’s mind is quite powerful and puts one on a never-ending rollercoaster.

It is almost like one is being held under water and never let up for a breath. I find declaring your identity in Christ through declaratory statements, praying according to the Spirit, and reading healing books related to standing on the Word are just a few of the things that can start to unlock the holds.

A breath of light is allowed to seep in to break the stronghold chains, and finally asking for God’s love to cover your wounds with his precious blood is the ultimate balm.

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