Believe & Speak

My heart is broken with grief over the tragic death of George Floyd. My spirit is heavy with the weight of the pain, unrest, and anger that has boiled over in response to the injustice. I ache at the condition of the human heart—that it could harbor such hatred. In times like these, I turn to the Psalms because they help me to pray when I struggle to find the words. I need the right words right now, and not just for praying, but also for encouraging the people around me.

I always start the podcast with, “Believe & Speak, the podcast designed to empower your tongue with truth,” and I always end with, “Your tongue has power. Use it for good.”

Sometimes we don’t say anything because we’re afraid to say the wrong thing. We want to speak life and give hope, but in a world that too easily takes offense, we’re afraid of being misunderstood. I know I am. I want to use my tongue for good. I want to build up and not tear down. I want people to know that they are seen and they are valuable. That’s why I wrote my book, Longing to Belong: Discovering the Joy of Acceptance. The back cover says, “Become fully aware that you are unconditionally loved and accepted.” That is my hope and prayer for you.

This week's scripture:

Psalm 37:1 –9

This week’s episode is once again inspired by my reactions to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on life as we once knew it. I crafted the Believe & Speak Podcast to prompt and encourage us to believe and speak truth. That’s why I give a declaration each week that I repeat and encourage you to repeat until the truth sinks in. Because we can count on the Word of God to deliver truth, I pull the declarations from themes found within a passage of Scripture. Lately, the verses I’ve been reading on this podcast have come out of my own search for truth during this pandemic. Today, I’ll be reading from Proverbs 3. While I’ve recited verses 5 and 6 by memory to myself many, many times since the lockdown started back in mid-March, this episode includes a few extra verses. They not only give context, but also offer hope.

This week's scripture:

Proverbs 3:3–8

Today’s episode is the final installment in our four-week series on worry. The Scripture reading you’ll hear today is the one I go to more than any other passage in the Bible when I’m worried. Probably because one of these verses specifically addresses fixing our thoughts on God. The New International Version uses the word “steadfast” in regards to how intentionally focused we need to be in order to avoid slipping into the habit of worrying. I hope today’s episode helps you shift the focus of your thoughts from worrisome circumstances to our eternal, rock-solid God.

This week's scripture:

Isaiah 26:1–4

Worry is not healthy. Jesus cares about our mental health and well-being, and he told us not to worry. (Tune into Episode 18 for more on that.) During this season of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic, I have struggled to keep my mind from wandering into unhealthy, worrisome thoughts. Today’s episode looks at another one of God’s promises that will help us redirect our minds toward the faithfulness of God and away from being consumed with worry.

This week's scripture:

Philippians 4:4-8

Last week, my daughter suggested I read from Matthew 6 and share Jesus’s command not to worry. I’ve listened to that podcast four times over the past week, and have repeated last week’s declaration over and over. If you’re new to Believe & Speak, you need to know that I always start by reading a few verses from Scripture, and then I give you a declaration based on that scripture.

As I repeated last week’s declaration, I felt my soul rest in the assurance of the promise that God knows what I need, so I don’t have to worry. I thought of other scriptures that also address worry, and decided to do a series over the next few weeks with Bible verses and declarations about worry. This week I’ll reach into the Old Testament for a promise we can cling to and declare during these “long months of drought” caused by COVID-19.

This week's scripture:

Jeremiah 17:5-8

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of uncertainty, which is a magnet for worry. Today’s episode provides a gentle reminder of Jesus’s command not to worry. He says, “do not worry” three times in the span of nine verses. Fortunately, when Jesus gives a command, he always empowers us to obey. In today’s scripture reading from Matthew, Jesus offers a valuable perspective on worrying.

Empowering your tongue with truth starts with filling your mind with truth because we tend to verbalize what we’re thinking. My desire to intentionally direct my thoughts so that my mouth speaks truth is what motivates me to do this podcast each week. I believe that knowing and speaking the Word of God helps me know and speak truth. This week’s declaration will help us know and speak truth that directs our thoughts away from worries and toward the promises of God.

This week's scripture:

Matthew 6:25–34

At the end of every podcast, I always say, “Your tongue has power. Use it for good.” It’s not easy for me to use my tongue for good when my thoughts aren’t so good. Over the past week or so, I was having a particularly hard time with the increasing duration and escalating restrictions of the COVID-19 quarantine. I confess that I was getting bitter about being forced into isolation. I struggled to renew my mind and guard thoughts, knowing my negativity wouldn’t be of any use if those not-so-good thoughts ended up on my tongue.

In the midst of my struggle, my gracious God gave me Psalm 118:6 to wrestle with. As I turned my focus on God’s enduring love, I was able to release my negative thoughts and use my tongue for good.

This week's scripture:

Psalm 118:5–6

Today’s declaration verbalizes a promise Jesus made with an if/then condition. His promise that you will bear fruit and that your joy will be complete hangs on your decision to remain in Jesus and remain in his love through obedience. The Scripture comes from a record of Jesus’s last hours on earth with his closest friends. It was written by the disciple Jesus loved, and it is filled with encouragement for disciples like you and me.

Visit shawnamariebryant.com/mypodcast to download images with the declarations I give each week. I want you to have these reminders of the life-giving words that you can speak to drown out the lies you’ve believed. You have the power to cancel the negative effects of lies by making truth-infused, Scripture-based declarations. I designed this podcast to empower your tongue with truth, and my husband designed the graphics as a tool to help you keep these powerful phrases ever before you.

This week's scripture:

John 15:1–11

Today’s podcast is second in a two-part series on Psalm 91.

This episode not only encourages you to not be afraid of terrors and disease, but it also reminds you and I of the power and authority we have to crush fierce lions and serpents under our feet. The Bible calls Satan a lion on the prowl, looking for someone to devour. The Bible also refers to Satan as a cunning serpent. Psalm 91 reminds us that we can crush that source of evil. We can trample on the terror. We can put Satan to flight. No matter what danger lurks, we have angels around us to protect us and we can count on the promise of God to rescue us.

This week's scripture:

Psalm 91:9–16

Since the Coronavirus outbreak captured the world’s attention, I have heard Psalm 91 quoted multiple times. In a difficult season like the one we’re in right now, the specific promises in this psalm resonate deeply, bringing comfort and igniting hope.

In today’s episode, I will be echoing a psalm that has already been quoted in response to COVID-19. But even though you may have heard it more than once over the past days and weeks, I don’t think we can hear the promises in this comforting psalm enough. So, I’ll abandon the pursuit of originality and add my voice to others who have declared the hope recorded in Psalm 91.

This is part one of a two-part series on Psalm 91.

This week's scripture:

Psalm 91:1–7