God is moved only by the counsel of His will. This statement becomes more real to me with every passing day. He is a God who cannot be manipulated by men, and He will not compromise His integrity for anyone. Over the last 24 hours, I experienced a dimension of answered prayer like never before—an experience that left a profound impression on me regarding the power we have as sons of God.
Prayer is often taught in a structured pattern. For example: first, thank God for who He is; then ask for forgiveness; then make your supplications or requests known to Him. To a certain extent, I have structured my prayers this way, often placing more emphasis on thanksgiving. However, I have also found myself praying in what I would call “unstructured” ways. By “unstructured,” I mean prayers or requests that don’t begin with “In Jesus’ name,” but rather flow as an outpouring of my thoughts and desires in plain words. Words spoken sometimes without expectation—almost as if I am having a conversation with a physical person—yet directed to God.
I have these conversations often. Whether in my room, when I am alone, or most frequently while driving, I simply talk with God and unburden myself as I would with a friend. In these moments—moments I am now learning are just as sacred and special as dedicated times of prayer—I am vulnerable with Him. I say things I might not ordinarily utter in formal prayer because I consider them too trivial or not weighty enough. Yet I say them nonetheless. I allow myself to be open before Him. Not that He doesn’t already know my thoughts, but there is something powerful about speaking them aloud—even for my own ears to hear.
It was in a moment like this that I said things that would later be answered in ways that completely astonished me. I spoke without much expectation, yet God responded just as faithfully as He has to my more “structured” prayers. He is not moved by the formality of prayer as much as by the heart behind it. What is the motivation behind this cry of My child? Is it aligned with the counsel of My will? And if it is, God shows Himself faithful beyond measure.
Two things became very clear to me—two realities that produced both awe and reverent fear within me. I did not realize that these two emotions could coexist so beautifully, complementing one another.
The first is this: God hears.
I have always known this, but in this experience, I encountered a deeper revelation of it that captivated me. He hears the little things. He hears the big things. He hears the loud cries and the quiet mutterings. He even hears the deep groanings of our hearts that have not yet found expression in words. He hears it all. And as the good Father that He is, He answers.
With this revelation came joy, peace, and a profound calm—the assurance that there is nothing too difficult to bring before Him. I know that no matter what, when I cry out to God, He hears me. And in due time, I will see the manifestation of my request.
1 John 5:14
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
The second reality is this: our words carry power.
As Christians, we cannot afford to be careless with our words. We must be intentional about what we say. Whether we are speaking to ourselves, to others, or to the situations around us, our words matter. If we would not be content with the outcome of a spoken word, it is better not to speak it at all.
Christ perfectly demonstrates this in John 6:63:
“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
If we truly are Christians—if we carry the life of Christ and the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead—then we must recognize that there is power in the words we speak. That is the sobering part. Sobering in both a beautiful and serious sense, because it comes with great responsibility.
We are responsible to speak life and not death, for “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” What we continually speak, we will eventually see.
As a believer living the life of Christ, understand that your words carry weight. Therefore, renew your mind and speak with intention. Your words carry power and authority.
Use them wisely.
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