This episode is about the importance of how we talk about people (and ourselves. When I was in graduate school, I was appalled to see caregivers constantly tell small children how "bad" they were--especially when the kids were not doing anything outside of normal child behavior. In the Bible, patriarchs of families took the time to speak prophecies of greatness (or disaster) over their children and each of these prophecies came true. These parents understood the power of the tongue and wielded it to lift up the children they saw potential in and tear down those they saw on a path of destruction. I see a lot of the latter in our society today, but not as much as the first. Sam and I discussed the general apathy people have for what they're saying and have come to the conclusion that we should be much more precise in how we speak about others.

Examples of Patriarchs speaking blessings and curses over their children:

People often express their disdain for a person's decisions by condemning the child and set low expectations/standards from the onset due to their experience with the parent.

Have you ever seen parents speak blessings on their children the way the patriarchs did?

I used to say I felt bad (as an exaggeration) and then I actually felt bad. There is actually evidence that you can make yourself sick with thought![1]

The verses Sam mentions about "speaking life" and "dry bones" are in Ezekiel 37

In the episode we veered off topic a bit to talk about unity and the tendency for opposition to come from the inside. I mentioned the podcast I did on Nehemiah and how he dealt with a situation where the rich Israelites were taking advantage of and abusing the poor Israelites. That episode is linked below;[3] the verse I mentioned in reference to debt being cleared after 7 years is found in Deuteronomy 15:1.

It's really hard to wrap our around this concept without veering to "the Law of Attraction" and saying things like "speak it into existence" and "name it and claim it." The danger of most New Age teachings is that they get some things, maybe even most things right—but a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Galatians 5:9)! The missing piece is God. There is power in The Word, not my word. I can only speak something into existence if I have surrendered my voice to God and it is actually the Holy Spirit speaking. We must keep this in perspective.[2]