As the Body of Christ, we are endowed with the authority to speak blessing and to be a blessing. The Father strategically positions us to be agents of grace and mercy, ministers of comfort and bringers of peace and hope as we share the hope of Christ within us to the hurting.

We can be so wonderful at blessing others, but at the same time, we can say some of the cruelest, demeaning and heartless things to the Father’s child.

We are that child.

We tell ourselves that we are stupid, ugly, or lazy—that we will never amount to anything. We speak curses over ourselves saying that our plans will fail, that we have no willpower, we are useless, we were a mistake, we will always be poor or will never get well.

We wouldn’t like it if someone said those things to our child or our best friend, but somehow we think it is okay when we say those things about ourselves. We forget we are the Father’s child. He doesn’t like it when anyone bullies His beloved child, even if the bully is the child him/herself.

We forget we are the Father’s child.

~Julie Souza Bradley Lilly

He wants us to think about ourselves the way He thinks about us, and to, instead, say THOSE things to ourselves when bullying words come to mind.

Let’s speak the blessing of God’s Word aloud (rewritten in the first person) over our lives instead of curses, and see how blessings can make a dramatic change for the better.

When struggling with controlling anger:
“I am patient and wise; I am not like those who are hot-tempered and display their foolishness.” (Proverbs 14:29).

When fighting anxiety and worry:
“I am not anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, I present my requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

When tempted to compromise from God’s best:
“I am one of the blessed who keeps God’s statutes, and I seek him with all my heart— I do no wrong, but follow his ways.”
‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭119:2-3‬)

When lacking confidence:
“I am strong and courageous. I am not afraid or discouraged, for the Lord my God will be with me wherever I go.”
(Joshua‬ ‭1:9‬)

When depressed:
“The eyes of the Lord are on me, and his ears are attentive to my cry; when I cry out, the Lord hears me; he delivers me from all my troubles.” (Psalms‬ ‭34:15, 17‬)

When tempted to doubt:
“I live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:77)

When struggling against fear:
“For the Spirit God gave me does not make me timid, but gives me power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬)

When guilty & in need of forgiveness:
“The Lord my God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from me if I return to him.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭30:9‬)

When feeling unloved:
“I love Him because He loved me first.” (1 John 4:19)

Which of the above Scriptures resonates in your heart the loudest?

Father God, forgive us for speaking harshly to Your child. Teach us to be kind to ourselves, extend grace, and to speak blessings over our lives instead of curses. In the reading of Your Word, help us to realize that the precious things that You say about Your children are being said about us. Stop us short of speaking curses, so we can choose to speak the beautiful truth about the value, purpose, and future You have given us. We thank You that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. The old person we were has passed away. You have made us brand new (2 Cor 5:17)! In Jesus’ Name ❤️