What if I told you there is one small change you could make in your life that would produce tremendous results? Let me explain.

Most people do not realize that focusing on what they do not have only causes them to attract never having it. When we find fault with and voice our complaints about our lives, we are actually creating an environment to receive more of what we are complaining about.

Using your mouth to express gratitude and voice your thankfulness is that one small change that can catapult you from wishing to experiencing your dreams. I have tapped into that extra degree, and it has opened up a doorway of blessings, opportunities, favor and joy in my life like never before.

You have the ability to change the entire direction of your life with that little thing under your nose called your mouth. It’s as simple as it seems. We read in Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]” (AMP). Every time you open your mouth to talk, you speak life or death to your circumstances.

Remember, Proverbs 23:7 says that we are what we think in our hearts. What you think about, you continue to bring about. If you dwell on poverty, never having enough, always missing opportunities, never succeeding, always coming up short, then that is exactly what will come to you.

I’m sure you are aware that at 211 degrees, water is hot. However, at 212 degrees, it boils. Boiling water produces steam, and steam can actually power a locomotive. Raising the temperature of water by merely one degree means the difference between something being extremely hot to something generating enough force to power a massive machine.

When you use your mouth to express gratitude for what you already have, you have just turned up the heat that one degree and opened the door for success. If you will adopt the discipline of voicing gratitude rather than complaints, you will experience greater success in seeing your dreams realized. Being thankful even causes you to attract more to be thankful for.

When you praise and thank God, you are activating your faith and doing exactly what God’s Word tells you to do.

Consider the example of Paul and Silas (read Acts 16:16-40). When they were in prison and began boldly and loudly worshiping God for His faithfulness, proclaiming how awesome and powerful He is, they were still shackled to the wall of a jail cell. They had been arrested. They had been beaten. They were bruised, battered and in pain. They were imprisoned with no visible hope of ever getting out. But their faith-filled words of praise and thanksgiving put God on the move. He sent an earthquake from heaven that shook the building. The walls began to crumble, the prison doors opened up, the chains fell off of them and they walked out of there free as could be.

This supernatural event would never have happened had these two men of God not spoken their faith out loud. They had to give voice to their belief in and devotion to God. Your life will never change until you begin vocalizing what you believe God intends to do for you and through you.

The Power of Praise

What comes out of your mouth is vitally linked to whether or not you have victory. Your words, when spoken, can be a powerful weapon against the enemy or they can doom you to failure. Words of praise and thanksgiving are devastating to the devil. When you speak in this manner, it can speak life to yourself and death to his plan of destruction. This is what motivates me to ignite my faith by worshiping God. Here are three powerful effects praise will produce in your life:

1. Praising God Drives the Devil Crazy. When I think how desperately Satan is trying to stop me from pursuing my dreams and goals, it makes me want to fight back. He’s the one who wants to keep me stagnant and discouraged by trying to wedge a foothold of doubt into my life. He’s the one who tries to drag me down and get me to give up on what I am here to do. And I can’t stand it! So how do I get him back? How do I make him pay for what he’s done to me? By praising, worshiping and thanking God. These are weapons of mass destruction that drive the devil crazy. When you take time to sing praises, it confuses Satan. Your efforts to lift up the Lord are an aggressive means to attack him. And it works!

2. Praise Helps You Give God Control. Here’s what else praising God will do—it solidifies your commitment to fully surrender yourself to God. When you finally give God your all, He takes control. He is waiting for you to put your complete trust in him, especially as it concerns your vision, dreams, and goals. Matthew 33:6 says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you” (KJV). Note the Scripture says “all” these things, not some of them or one thing—”all these things” will be yours. I want you to understand that as you seek God, as you spend time with Him, and as you worship Him, you are making an investment in your future. You are trusting that He has already done what you are believing Him for. Doing this will open the door for God to begin moving in your life.

3. Praise Is an Atmosphere in Which God Works. Worship creates an atmosphere where God begins to work. Remember, the Bible is full of stories of people bowing down and worshiping God before they got their breakthrough. Worship Him first and foremost on your journey to fulfill your vision. Don’t thank Him after your dreams come true and you reach your goals. Sure, it’s easy to thank somebody after they’ve done something nice for you. But worshiping God before you see results shows Him that you wholeheartedly believe in the vision He has given you and that you are going to give it everything you’ve got.

You may have tried this in the past and gotten discouraged. You may be thinking, Terri, I have been worshiping God that I’m free from debt, that my bills are paid and that I have money in the bank, but nothing has changed. I know it might be hard and it requires a lot of faith, especially when the natural dictates the opposite of what you believe; but you’ve got to do it. And you’ve got to keep doing it.

If you are on the verge of giving up right now, be encouraged that you are close to victory. You are close to your dream. My dad believes that feeling as if you have no choice but to quit is always an indication that your breakthrough is right around the corner. Don’t give up. Determine in your heart that no matter how impossible your dreams may look at this very moment, you will hang in there.

Paul wrote, “For in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9, KJV). Persevering when things get tough is a long-term commitment. You don’t try to dig in your heels to see how it goes. You can’t treat it like a test run; if you don’t get results immediately, you go back to your old ways. You must determine that you will not quit. You will not give up. You will faint not, and reap your dreams.

What are you thankful for? My dad says, “The depth of your praise determines the magnitude of your breakthrough.” Being grateful is a habit you must practice regularly. Get into the routine of thanking God for anything and everything. Right now, when you’re done reading Adventures in Faith, take some time and think of about 10 things for which you are grateful. Include things you are enjoying right now and dreams and desires that have not yet come to pass. Write them all done. When you are done making your list, tell God out loud how thankful you are for His past, present and future provisions and manifestations in your life.