Personal prophecy

[B-A-C]

The other day, I was driving to the store with a Christian friend in my car. Just as I was pulling into the parking lot, I realized I forgot my wallet.
Kind of under my breath I said "Stupid! I can't believe you did that!". My friend laughed, but then he said "You shouldn't say those things about yourself, you give Satan ammunition
when you do that." He said that he believes we speak life or death over every situation. (Prov 18:21; ) He believes that "we become what we speak". In other words, if you say
you're a sinner saved by grace. That's what you'll believe. You're sinner, who's always going to sin the same as you always did before, and you'll never changed because you
don't see yourself as "already having been changed".

I told him I don't really think I'm stupid, and I don't perceive myself as being stupid, it was just something I said "in the moment". He said I am still giving Satan ammunition.
I've been thinking about this. I read Proverbs 18:21; a few more times. I have to say, I'm struggling a little to see what he is saying here.

This is a little different from Jeremiah 21:8; where we are specifically choosing a path to life or death.

There was a popular Pentecostal movement a couple of decades ago. It was called "Name it, claim it". People would come up to people in the church and make proclamations such as...
"In name of Jesus, I claim you to be healed" (of diabetes, broken bones, a sad heart, cancer, etc...) whatever the situation called for. Now I know the apostles did something similar
and it seemed to work for them. But in this case, most of these people didn't get healed.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in divine healing and miracles. But I'm not sure we can go around changing everything just because of the words we speak.

2Pet 1:20; But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
2Pet 1:21; for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

If I knew for sure, God was telling me to go lay hands on someone and pray for them to get healed, I would do it. (I have done it before, some got healed, others.... not so much)
But on the other hand, I'm pretty sure God wasn't telling me to say I'm stupid. So I'm still not convinced that everything we say is speaking a personal prophecy for or against something.

I'm interested in any other scriptures or comments about this.

 

[Brad Huber]

Matt 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

These words are specifically for someone attacking another verbally. Yet it shows the power of words. It is words that speak to our hearts and spirits and bring either life or death. Their is great power in words. God let us use words to name all the animals of this earth, God spoke the universe into creation. There is great power in words. They are double edged swords, that will ALWAYS cut the speaker and the hearer.

Your words were not meant as an announcement of your mental ability, so they were not foolish words of judgement upon yourself. Yet wisdom says, let all your words be seasoned with salt. I dont say this as one who always speaks this better way, but I know it is the truth.

 

[PloughBoy]

This might not mean much to others but to me. When I first read it in "1979"

(Ecclesiastes 7)

19Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. 20Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. 21Also, do not take seriously all words which are spoken, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

 

[Brother Paul]

I did hear an interesting study one time by Derek Prince on blessing and cursing...perhaps some of you might check this out....and then there is that passage that the Word of Faith crowd hinges everything on...Mark 11:23

 

[Hekuran]

The other day, I was driving to the store with a Christian friend in my car. Just as I was pulling into the parking lot, I realized I forgot my wallet.
Kind of under my breath I said "Stupid! I can't believe you did that!". My friend laughed, but then he said "You shouldn't say those things about yourself, you give Satan ammunition
when you do that." He said that he believes we speak life or death over every situation. (Prov 18:21; ) He believes that "we become what we speak". In other words, if you say
you're a sinner saved by grace. That's what you'll believe. You're sinner, who's always going to sin the same as you always did before, and you'll never changed because you
don't see yourself as "already having been changed".

I told him I don't really think I'm stupid, and I don't perceive myself as being stupid, it was just something I said "in the moment". He said I am still giving Satan ammunition.
I've been thinking about this. I read Proverbs 18:21; a few more times. I have to say, I'm struggling a little to see what he is saying here.

This is a little different from Jeremiah 21:8; where we are specifically choosing a path to life or death.

There was a popular Pentecostal movement a couple of decades ago. It was called "Name it, claim it". People would come up to people in the church and make proclamations such as...
"In name of Jesus, I claim you to be healed" (of diabetes, broken bones, a sad heart, cancer, etc...) whatever the situation called for. Now I know the apostles did something similar
and it seemed to work for them. But in this case, most of these people didn't get healed.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in divine healing and miracles. But I'm not sure we can go around changing everything just because of the words we speak.

2Pet 1:20; But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
2Pet 1:21; for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

If I knew for sure, God was telling me to go lay hands on someone and pray for them to get healed, I would do it. (I have done it before, some got healed, others.... not so much)
But on the other hand, I'm pretty sure God wasn't telling me to say I'm stupid. So I'm still not convinced that everything we say is speaking a personal prophecy for or against something.

I'm interested in any other scriptures or comments about this.

I once spent 15 minutes looking for a pair of glasses that I was wearing.

I can't think of anywhere in the Bible where the idea of personal prophecy in this sense comes up as an issue. If you google "affirmation to support visualisation" or something of that sort, you'll get plenty of hits, but not too much about Jesus.

I'm not sure there is any special mystical power behind it, but we should aim to speak truthfully about all things, including ourselves -- neither to exaggerate our abilities, nor to do ourselves down. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made and curiously flawed, and our speech should reflect this.

And I haven't even told you about the time that the phone rang while I was doing the ironing.