Don’t speak without thinking. And don’t say things that contradict God’s Word. Those aren’t easy principles to live by, but they’re life-and-death issues. The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” That means you can bless yourself by what you say. “He who invokes a blessing on himself…shall do so by saying, ‘May the God of truth…bless me…because the former troubles are forgotten’” (Isaiah 65:16 AMPC). Notice two important things in this scripture: (1) Your own words have more power to influence you than anyone else’s words. In the final analysis, it’s not what others say that matters, it’s what you tell yourself when they’re finished talking. Bottom line: you always have the last word! (2) You will never enter into what God has planned for your future while you’re still living in the past. You can’t undo your past, so don’t relive it over and over in your head. God said, “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing” (Isaiah 43:18-19). It’s time to come into agreement with God and start saying what He says about you. That’s no small matter. What you say from the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night not only influences your day, it influences the entire outlook and direction of your life. If you have been praying and asking God for specific answers, you can affect the outcome by making sure what you say lines up with what He says. So when you speak, always keep that in mind!