When you're driving a car down the highway, there's no question about who chooses the direction you go. After all, you're in the driver's seat and the steering wheel is in your hands.

But when it comes to your life, it's not always so clearcut. Some things are outside of your control. You didn't get to choose how you were raised or the genes you were born with, for instance. Outside circumstances like the economy or other people's choices can all send you in directions you don't want to go.

Yet each of us is still in the driver's seat of our own lives. And your steering wheel is your words.

With your words, you can set a direction of discouragement and defeat... or courage and victory. You can steer toward doubt or aim for faith. The choice is yours.

If we take that metaphor even further, think about driving in a rainstorm or blizzard. A storm can definitely make it harder to stay on the road, but it doesn't take you out of the driver's seat and lock you in the trunk. So even in the midst of a difficult situation, you STILL have the power to declare words of faith and hope.

What are you speaking on a regular basis? Do you like the picture those words are painting? If not, the best way to steer in a better direction is to use God's Word as a roadmap. As you speak His promises out loud and declare them as your own, it starts to fill you with hope.

You could take Psalm 119:171 (TPT) and declare, "God's Word is my song of worship and declaration of faith. As I praise God, His strength and favour fills my life."

Or you could use 1 Peter 3:10 (NLT), declaring, "I keep my words away from lies and unbelief. As I speak words of hope and faith instead, I'm building an amazing future."

To give you some more verses to declare, we created a special resource for you called Walk in the Word. Every month, we offer a PDF with eight declarations based on Scripture. You can download it, print it and put it somewhere you'll see it often. Your desk, nightstand, bathroom mirror—wherever it will remind you to declare the Word!

Click here to download this month's Walk in the Word about speaking hope.

The more you build God's beliefs in your heart, the more you'll steer toward His promises. You're in the driver's seat!

P.S. If you'd like to get more of these collections in the future, you can sign up for our emails. At the beginning of each month, we'll send you some great resources to build your faith, including Walk in the Word. Click here to sign up today!