Man was created as a speaking spirit in the image and in the likeness of God. Man was created to look like God and to act like God. No other creation was created in His image and likeness – only man.

God is a three part being. The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:7 that "The Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, these three are one." Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9), and "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30). Man is a three part being. He is spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). So God is a three part being, man is a three part being, and man was created in the image and likeness of God as a speaking spirit.

Ephesians 5:1 says that we are to act like God. While we are not God and will never be God, God did create us in His image and likeness, so obviously, He wants us not only to look like Him, but to act like Him. Simply put, God wants us to love what He loves and to dislike what He dislikes. And we also must remember that God has not changed and does not change.

The Bible tells us in the Old Testament that God the Father does not change and in the New Testament, Hebrews 13:8 tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." So we can say with confidence that the things God liked 5,000 years ago, He liked 2,000 years ago at the time of Jesus and He still likes them today. Likewise, the things God disliked 5,000 years ago, He disliked at the time of Jesus and He still dislikes them today. God is not politically correct, nor does God's plan change with society.

Man was created in the likeness and image of God as a speaking spirit so that God could give him authority to speak His Word on the earth and take authority over all the power of the enemy.

The life you are living today was framed by the words that you spoke yesterday. And the life you will be living tomorrow is being framed by the words you speak today. Quite literally, your life and your death are in the power of your tongue.

The words of satan have no power until they are repeated by a speaking spirit that was created by God. When someone believes in their heart the truth of God's Word and they speak that truth, it comes to pass. Their faith activates the Word and brings it to pass. Likewise, if they listen to the lie of the enemy and speak the lie, it activates the opposing spiritual force of fear and enables the enemy to do his work. We could say that repeating a lie of the enemy enables him with power and gives him permission to destroy.

Faith and fear are the two spiritual forces that activate power and release angelic spirits to do their work. When faith is spoken, according to Psalm 103:20, it activates the angels of God to bring His Word to pass. We know that angelic spirits are on the earth for the purpose of ministering to the children of God. But they can only do this as they are instructed by the voice of His Word and Christians are the only ones authorized to speak His Word in faith. We have been given that authority.

However, it is a choice. As a speaking spirit, you can choose to release the Word of God into the earth or you can choose to release the words of the enemy into the earth. Either way, it's your choice. And your harvest in life will depend upon your choice. Jesus said in Mark 11:23 that if we believe in our heart that what we say will come to pass, we will have what we say.

Are your words important? Yes, they are vitally important! Not only do they bring death or life, but according to Jesus, we will be justified or condemned by the words we speak, even the words that we think have no meaning.

So as you live your life, you must never forget. You are a speaking spirit created in the likeness and image of God. You are His voice and you are to let your light shine for Him. The enemy is frantically trying to get you to say what he wants done. He wants you to prophesy his fear into the earth. He knows that without your voice, he has no power.

So as you speak, give no place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27).

Devotion 0549