Evangelizer Emmanuel Ogar of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja highlighted the negative consequences of the wrong use of the tongue when he taught serially on ‘Engaging the Power of the Tongue’ in St Mary’s Catholic Church (The City of God), Samaru Zaria between Tuesday, 14th, 2021 and Friday, 17th December, during the one-month end of the year programme that commenced on Saturday, 20th November and ended on Monday, 20th December, 2021.
The teacher taught that many deaths result from the misuse of the tongue and summed that those who engage their tongues positively save themselves from many troubles and worries.
“Every word has a meaning – whether in the physical or in the spiritual,” he asserted. “Creation never began until what God conceived as a vision became declared as a word. Even though your tongue may appear a very small part of your body, it is very powerful because it is connected to the nervous system.
“You must become the watchman of your lives. You can control your life if you can discipline your tongue. It is your responsibility to refute whatever arrow that has been shot from that weapon.
“Some of us are good at speaking to the wrong people. Unfriendly friends are not far from you and they can destroy you with a snap of the finger. Witches from this part of the world do not need the internet to fly – all they need is your information.
“You will know your enemies if you have the spirit of discernment – no matter how good they seem to be to you. We need to correct whatever lapses there are in our use of the tongue against next year.
“Tongue has created enmity between children from the same womb. Some people’s miracles are thwarted because of premature announcement – some only get a whisper of blessing and everyone knows about it. Your life is under serious threat until you control your tongue.
“Resist any external influence to use your tongue against your life – even if it means separating from them for a while so that you will regain your consciousness. Your tongue is a factory and a raw material – either for your favour or against you.
“Sin is found more where people talk too much and every wrong use of the tongue is a grave dug in actual sense. There is an advantage attached to those who run to the Lord but we need to engage the power of the tongue in positive ways. Rededicate your tongue to God.”
Pinpointing that some people who are prone to sharing bad news are hardly heard when asked to preach, Evang Ogar taught that a wholesome tongue is complete in integrity and that it is necessary to develop a wholesome integrity so as to possess power. He further tasked them to stand with people of integrity and to desist from casting lot with wicked people and from speaking from both sides of their mouths.
By Olivia Obijiaku