Do you realize how much power resides in your mouth? In life it is vital that we understand the power of our words. Our words create our own inner and outer world. Everyday when we wake up, we have the power to use the Word of God to become whole. Many people in life often think that another person can make them complete, but only God can give us a peace of mind and the ultimate happiness. How do we get this gift? We can do this by speaking up! Author Kristi Watts wrote that speaking Scripture over our lives is more than a pep talk—it rekindles and fans the flame of faith.

It is God’s view of us that only matters. The Lord gives us a reason to be happy because of Christ, but we need to train our emotions to line up with that especially during hard times. Sometimes our desire is to lay down and throw in the towel, but by nothing less than the strength, courage and sheer will of walking in the “presence of the Holy Spirit can we find our hope in the midst of the battle,” Watts wrote. It is the Lord who gives us what we need to cast the mountains into the sea. You need to believe the power of His Word--then you will find happiness. A reminder is that we are not conformed to this world, but are transformed by the renewing of our minds. What we say, think or do reflects what is going on with us spiritually. Here are 6 ways to cultivate God’s Word and to find true happiness.

Trust Him.

If we are going to speak God’s truth we need trust Him. Trust can be built by studying the Bible and knowing who Jesus is. Watts wrote in her book Talk Yourself Happy that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. God will lead us to the promises as we pray. He will guide us by the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to be reminded that God is trustworthy and His Word is truth. If we don’t trust God, how can we speak His promises in our lives? When we begin to invest in Scripture and pay attention to the pain in our own lives, we recognize that God is closer and more at work than we know or realize.

Build your faith.

We need to water our faith as well. Just like a plant needs to be watered to grow and flourish so does your spiritual life. Make the effort to learn more about your Creator. Sometimes we become so focused on what we see that we neglect to embrace the greatness not seen or understood Watt’s shared. Being a believer does not make you privy to everything. There are some things we will never know while on earth. Our job is to become strong by reading and confessing the Word. You can say something like “God I believe that you have a great plan for me” and believe it! The more you exercise this, the more your faith will grow. However, just like a plant it takes a lot of time for faith to grow.

Watch your conversations.

Stop talking about the failures you have experienced and move towards what you have learned. Turn the conversation to how God is faithful and how He delivered you out of situations that seemed hopeless. By talking yourself happy here, you won’t wallow in self-pity. When we just focus on problems and chat about them, we become more depressed. It doesn’t mean we are not acknowledging these issues, but we are redirecting the conversation towards God.

Use your weapons.

Ephesians 6:17 tells us to prepare for battle “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” How do we do this? It is simply by speaking the Word of God! Understand that Christians are under spiritual assault all the time. To fight these strongholds we are aware that the battle is not people based, but spiritual based. Pastor and author Joel Osteen reminded us that battle was already won when Jesus died for humanity. Allow the revelation of His victory permeate your faith and cause you to operate from a winning stance. Confess that you are moving forward by leaps and bounds and shout that victory is yours.

Start worshiping Him.

Start worshiping God and find a Scripture. Make sure you study and confess it. By singing or using a preferred Scripture you become happier in that moment. “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name, for Your loving kindness and Your truth, for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” Doesn’t this make you feel better? Worship also transforms our thoughts to look towards Him, and this gets our minds off ourselves. When we do this we can take a breather from our own problems to embrace healthier thoughts.

Find trusted friends.

Find people who you can pray with you and who can confess the power of God over your life. Share God’s promises together when you meet or make it a point to just connect to encourage each other. We are who we hang out with. If you keep company with people who complain and gossip, the soul will be contaminated. You might find yourself always complaining and being depressed. Make it a point to find time with people who will uplift you and where you can uplift them. You will notice more happiness in your communication.

Your words really dictate whether you will be feeling good or bad. It can impact whether you grow or become stagnant as well in life. Relying on God to tame our tongue is a key in becoming happier in the Lord and during our own journey. We need to take God’s promises and stand on them through trust, praise and finding people who can affirm His presence in our lives. Remind yourself of what God has promised you. If you are struggling in any given area ask God to grant you wisdom.