Keep Watch at the Door of my Lips: There is power in your words

By Brandy R. Francis

Throughout her life, God has shown Brandy R . Francis just how powerful words can be-for good or for bad. Why? In Genesis 1, God used words to speak all of creation into existence. Furthermore, He created human beings in His image and likeness. That means God delegated the authority of the spoken word to humanity so that we could rule and reign.

Just as He declared things into existence, we declare things into existence through the words we speak. We have the power to manifest the world we want to see around us.

In each chapter of Keep Watch at the Door of my Lips, Brandy will share stories from her life about times when she discovered the power and authority of words. She will match those stories with teaching from Scripture and provide a guided prayer so that you can better understand the authority God has given you on the earth and begin to be more mindful of the words you speak over yourself, your family, and those around you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798823020916

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© 2024 Brandy R. Francis. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   03/13/2024

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2090-9 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2086-2 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2091-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024905243

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views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scriptures marked AMP are taken from the AMPLIFIED® BIBLE, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation Used by Permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scriptures marked BLB are taken from the The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God’s Word has been dedicated to the public domain.

Scriptures marked CEV are taken from the CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION copyright© 1995 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scriptures marked ESV are taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION® Copyright© 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.

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Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan.

Scriptures marked NLT are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION, Copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Foreword: Faith-Feeding Seeds for Your Soul—Dionne Arceneaux, Ed.D.

Prologue: The Power and Authority of Your Words

Chapter 1:     My Words Put Him There.

I have dominion and authority in the earth. Whatever I speak, it shall come to pass.

Chapter 2:     Change the Harvest

I declare crop failure over every negative word spoken over me by others and myself.

Chapter 3:     Hope Deferred, Longing Fulfilled

I will be true to my word, even as I trust God to be true to His Word

Chapter 4:     When He Comes in Like a Flood

When the devil tells you, It’s too much! God speaks to him, That’s ENOUGH!

Chapter 5:     Your God Will Be My God

Hearing and speaking words of faith is powerful!

Chapter 6:     Hurt People Hurt People

When harsh, deceitful words are spoken against you, respond with grace.

Chapter 7:     My Good Samaritan

I will declare the heart, feelings, and purposes of God.

Chapter 8:     Shut Down the Rumor Mill

I will not listen to or spread rumors. My words will only be of the utmost integrity.

Chapter 9:     Commitment to Virtue and Integrity

I want to be pure. This includes keeping my word to myself and others.

Chapter 10:   Let Go and Let God

I will use my words and choose God’s way of forgiveness.

Chapter 11:   A Man After God’s Own Heart

I will pray without ceasing, and I will pay attention to my confessions of faith in God.

Chapter 12:   The Masterpiece

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Pressing Toward the Goal

Endnotes

DEDICATION

To my very first love, God.

For the past couple of years, life’s circumstances have

tried to mar my view of you, but it was then, in my worst

breakdowns, that I received my biggest breakthroughs.

I rededicate my heart to you through this book. I

truly believe it was for such a time as this.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To my loving parents, Willie J. Pickney and Sedonia Pickney. Thank you for your continual prayers, love, and support. Without them, I don’t know where I would be. You are truly God’s divine expression of love. I love you.

To my handsome brothers: Travis Gobert, you’re a pillar among us. You upheld us when everything could have crumbled. Thank you for your sacrifice. I love you. Jeremy Edmond, our gentle giant. Your sense of humor gives life. I love you. Junior, my ace. God didn’t make us twins because He knew we would be double the trouble. I love you.

To my beautiful sisters, LaKeisha Moore and Pamela Moore. Thank you for your love and support. Moore Girl Power! I love you.

To my three beautiful sisters in Christ, JoAnne Malbrough, Roselyn Landry, and Vera Simonian. Thank you, ladies, for always keeping me rooted and grounded in my relationship with Christ. I love you.

In honor of my late father, Big One. I love you, and I miss you. May your legacy live on through all of your children.

To my best friend and mentor, Dr. Dionne Arceneaux, I want to say thank you for all that you have been to me. Your life and zeal for God motivated me to become a better version of myself. Thank you for loving me and teaching me how to turn my pain into purpose. I know you’re cheering me on. I hope I make you proud of me. I love you, my dear friend and sister in Christ.

And to my purpose—be it the good times, hard times, successes, and failures—may it always bring glory to God because everything works together for my good in the end.

FOREWORD

Faith-Feeding Seeds For Your Soul

Dionne Arceneaux, Ed.D.

We have the power to manifest the world we want to see around us.

When I read this line in Brandy’s book, I almost leaped from my chair! Inside I was exclaiming, We do, we do! Some people read that and tend to exclude God from the process. Keep Watch at the Door of my Lips guides you on how to include God, allow Him to order your steps, and use His Word to frame and build an amazing life.

When you read Brandy’s stories, they reveal an honest journey, not a perfect one. You see God’s grace, mercy, and particularly His love, woven through her entire life. Throughout it, she reminds herself—and us—to keep watch because there is so much power in words. A simple concept with monumental effects.

This line really spoke to my heart, for it is so true and timely: Words are like seeds that are planted in our souls. Brandy has written a book filled with faith feeding seeds that I believe will bloom into a beautiful garden in your own soul. Her story will encourage you.

Keep Watch at the Door of my Lips is funny, emotional, and inspiring. At the end, you feel good about where your life is headed. You also discover that Brandy’s journey is continuing to unfold. You will feel excited for her, and you will feel just as excited for yourself.

I have known Brandy for over a decade. Since the first time we met, her faith and pursuit to stay close to God’s plan for her life have been beautiful to watch. Each time we talked, I knew she was carrying a book inside of her, and I am so proud of her for birthing it.

All my love,

Dionne Arceneaux, Ed.D.

Teacher, speaker, and author of Not Until He Left, 4 Words to Freedom, and The Butterfly Box.

PROLOGUE

The Power and Authority of Your Words

How do you know God exists?

It may seem odd that such an important and deep question would be asked of me in a place where most of the conversation revolved around the latest music, the coolest clothes, and the hottest guys.

But this was no normal day in my tenth-grade physics class at Opelousas High School where the classroom debate about the merits of Divine creation versus the Big Bang Theory was just getting underway.

It made sense that I was the leader for Team God. Sure, I’d grown up in churches where messages were always taught about the power of God and His existence, and my faith was a vital part of who I was. But I was also in my element. As a bookworm, I was more at ease in the classroom than I was most anywhere else at school.

I wasn’t the most popular girl. I was tall and heavyset, and I had eczema on my skin that left scars. Some kids, especially boys, said I was fat and called me leopard, which was that much more troubling considering that our school mascot was a tiger and our colors were black and orange. I was the kind of girl that friends would come to for advice with relationships but guys didn’t really want to date. I had a boyfriend, but I was so insecure that at times I felt like he was ashamed of me, especially when he joined in on the teasing.

Words can certainly be powerful when they are hurtful.

Yet I was confident in some ways. I was active in Powder Puff football, a girl’s league at school. I played flute and piccolo in the band and sang soprano in the choir, and those things made me confident in the knowledge that I possessed gifts and talents that made me stand out from others. I’ll always remember when a talent scout from the area college came to sit in and monitor the band as we rehearsed. He pointed me out, saying, She is something special. She has real talent. I’d never had anyone rave about me like that.

I also felt like I knew my stuff when it came to the Bible, so I was more than ready to shine that morning in physics. My team was going up against Team Big Bang Theory led by Trevor, a longtime classmate since elementary school. Opelousas may have been a parish seat in southern Louisiana, but it wasn’t a big city by any means. People generally knew one another from childhood on up, and I considered Trevor a friend.

As if it was mirroring my mood, bright sunlight streamed through the windows that lined the back of the classroom, illuminating the black-topped lab tables that took up most of the space. Books stood upright on a shelf on one end of the room while our teacher, Mr. Piccolo, was stationed behind his desk in front of the dry erase board on the other end. Usually in rows, our lab tables had been repositioned to face the opposing team, and Trevor and I stood in front of each group. That allowed us to easily turn and collaborate with our seated team members before offering our arguments in response to each question.

My brown eyes gleamed, and I brushed aside a swoop of black hair over my forehead that had escaped from the bun on my head as I completed consulting with my team. I hoped that the self-assured conviction I felt within radiated enough from my face to be plainly seen over the glare of the bright orange school polo shirt I was wearing as part of my school uniform.

I began by answering Trevor’s question with a query of my own.

"How do you know God does not exist?"

He briefly huddled with his team, then turned to face me. His reply displayed his knowledge of the reasoning behind the Big Bang, including how it came about and what occurred as a result—a