“Say what you want to see”
A few years ago, the Holy Spirit whispered a simple yet powerful instruction to me: “Say what you want to see.”
It wasn’t unfamiliar language. Growing up, my dad would often remind my siblings and I about the power of the tongue. He’d warn us against speaking negatively over ourselves and our lives, because words carry weight. Over the past three or four years, I have made it a personal practice to write down what I desire to see in my life, and then to speak it aloud - whether I was walking, cooking, driving, shopping, or lying awake at night. The moment a thought crossed my mind about the outcomes I longed for, I spoke it - deliberately, intentionally.
Yesterday, the Spirit impressed that same instruction on my heart again, but this time in the middle of a very specific situation. I obeyed, and as I did, fresh revelation flooded in.
Now let me pause and say this: when the Holy Spirit told me “say what you want to see”, it wasn’t about manifestation in the way the world packages it. The popular, secular version of manifestation often centres on self. Self-spirituality, self-reliance, self-desire, self-power. But anything rooted in self, cut off from the acknowledgement of God as source, will never align with the Spirit of truth.
As children of God, the key to seeing the power of God manifest in our lives is the consciousness we carry. Without that awareness - without the deep knowing of who we are in Him - much of what we declare in “Jesus’ name” will remain ineffective.
Last night, as I spoke out what I desired to see in my life this time next year, the Spirit clarified it for me:
“Say what you want to see, with the consciousness that you were created in the perfect image of the Holy Trinity. Say what you want to see with the consciousness that life and death are in the power of your tongue.”
And then He brought the Word to confirm it:
Genesis 2:19 - 20
Mark 11:12 - 14, 20 - 1
Proverbs 18:21
So let’s break these down.
“Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals…” Genesis 2:19 - 20
I’ve heard this scripture preached countless times. Many have said that Adam must have travelled into the realm of the spirit to “discover” the names of the animals, as though he had to search for something already hidden. But that’s not what happened at all. Adam - pre-fall, pre-sin, untouched by corruption - was created in the perfect image and likeness of the One who spoke and it became. So likewise, Adam could speak, and it became. He didn’t search for the names - he created them. He looked at an animal and declared, “This is a cow,” and so it was a cow. Scripture is clear:“He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.”
Adam carried within him the same creative power of speech as the God who formed him. And here’s the revelation the Holy Spirit reminded me of: as one born of God, I carry that same power - and so do you.
To reiterate what I mentioned before - without the awareness of who you are in Christ, the words you speak remain casual, even careless. But with the consciousness that you are a child of God, created in His image, your words carry the same divine authority to establish, to frame, and to create.
2. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21
This scripture reinforces what I touched on earlier: our words carry divine authority to establish, to frame, and to create - because of who we are, and more importantly, whose we are.
If you consistently speak death over your children, your finances, your relationships, your friendships, or your opportunities, then death is exactly what you’ll see. And let’s be clear: this “death” isn’t limited to the end of physical life. It shows up as failure, misery, hopelessness, discouragement, and negativity - all of which are fruits born from the seeds of destructive speech. But the reverse is equally true. When you speak life - words of comfort, grace, encouragement, love, prosperity, and peace - those words are seeds too. And over time, they must bear fruit. Just as cucumber seeds cannot produce oranges, neither can the seeds of death yield the fruits of life. The fruit you’ll be eating tomorrow is already being planted with the words you’re speaking today.
As I meditated on this scripture, I was reminded of Ezekiel 37, where the prophet was commanded to speak to a valley of dry, lifeless bones. At God’s instruction, Ezekiel prophesied life into what was completely dead, and those bones rose to become a vast army. The connection is clear: whether death or life, our words breathe reality into existence. What we declare shapes what we see.
3. “The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit… Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it… In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!’” Mark 11:12 -14, 20 - 21
This scriptures gives us a perfect demonstration of the power of life and death that Jesus held in His tongue. Now, let me be clear - I am not suggesting that we should go around cursing people or situations at will. Rather, this scripture illustrates the authority embedded in the spoken word, and it is one the Holy Spirit used to paint a vivid picture of the kind of power we carry as those created in His image.
When Jesus declared that the fig tree would never bear fruit again, His words did not hang idly in the air - they produced an outcome. By the next morning, the tree had withered from the roots, confirming that what He spoke had come to fruition. The same principle applies to us. As children of God, we have been entrusted with the authority to speak both life and death. What we declare with intention and spiritual awareness will manifest.
But again, the key is consciousness.
The Posture of Surrender
The instruction to “say what you want to see” is only effective when it flows out of a life fully surrendered to God’s perfect will. If the heart is still dominated by self; selfish ambition, fleshly cravings, or carnal desires - then, no matter how loudly or confidently one declares, those words will remain fruitless.
The first and most crucial step to speaking with power is discerning and identifying the will of God for your life. Without alignment, speech becomes empty. But once you know His will, your words gain weight.
This discernment can come through the study of Scripture, through prayer and communion with the Holy Spirit, and at times through the prophetic.
Regardless of how it is revealed, the point is the same: once you have clarity about what God has willed for your life, you are positioned to speak with accuracy and precision. And when you speak in alignment with His will, you will see those words take shape, manifesting into life before your very eyes.
You Are the First Prophet Over Your Life
The truth is, you are the first prophet over your own life. Before anyone else can declare a word over you, your own mouth is already shaping your future. What you consistently speak will either breathe life or release death, either build or break, either plant seeds of promise or sow seeds of despair.
So I leave you with this charge: begin to say what you want to see. Not from a place of self-will or fleshly desire, but from a posture of surrender to God’s perfect will. Seek His heart, discern His plans, and then open your mouth with faith and consciousness of the authority you carry as His child.
Because when you speak in alignment with Him, heaven backs your words. And what you declare will not return empty - it will manifest.
P, xo
