Speak up! It’s ok to let people know what you think or what you need. You don’t have to sit there in silence waiting for someone to notice that you have something to say or that you have a need. Speak up! It is not wrong, but there is a caveat; it has to be done in the right way. A bad attitude or a harsh tone can mask your words.
Reading through the passages above, I found a message that the Lord was trying to communicate to me. There are some great reasons to speak up and use my voice to deliver something good for my Lord.
Five Sisters Speak Up
Just before the crossing into the promised land five daughters of Zelophehad came before Moses. Their father had died in the wilderness and he had no sons to possess land in their father’s name. They spoke up and said:
Numbers 27:4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
I am sure this was a bold move on their part. It was not customary for women to come independently before Moses AND make a request to take possession of land among their brethren. Many social barriers had to be overcome for them to find the strength to speak up, but they did. It is important to recognize that they were rewarded for their strength and how they presented their words. They made a clear request.
Numbers 27:6-7 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
David, the Psalmist Speaks Up
We need to speak up before our Lord. He desires to hear us and our requests.
Psalm 70:1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.
Psalm 70:5 But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.
Reading the Psalm, we can hear the intensity of this request. “Make haste…make no tarrying.” We can turn to our Lord and come before his throne boldly and speak up. We can let Him know our needs and express our hearts. Not just in times of dire need, but daily.
Peter Speaks Up
It is a dark and scary time for the Lord’s disciples. The Lord has been betrayed by Judas and a band of officers has bound Jesus and taken Him to the high priest to be questioned. Peter lurked in the background wanting to know what was going to happen to his Lord, but not wanting to be noticed. Then someone noticed him and asked:
John 18:25 …Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
When the threat of emotional or physical harm is upon us, it becomes easy to speak up and say something out of self-preservation. Peter denied that he knew the Lord to protect himself.
We need to exercise caution when we feel questioned or attacked. It is natural to want to be protected and we will speak up and say something to defend ourselves. Most of the time, what comes out of our mouth will not be something that is truth or that honors the Lord. We need to find the strength to speak up in truth even when we feel threatened.
A Wife Speaks Up
Your husband loves you and wants to know your thoughts and dreams and your needs. BUT you have to speak up! He is not magically gifted with the ability to read your mind. If you believe that he should know what you want without having to say it, you are believing something that will bring you years of disappointment. Speak up!
You have valuable things to say, so you don’t want your words to be lost or masked by tone or decibel level. As women, when we feel frustrated or hurt, some of us have a way of speaking up that is self-defeating. Our tone becomes harsh, loud, demanding, and disrespectful.
Proverbs 19:13 … the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
Nagging is defined by tone and frequency, and nagging will never get your thoughts communicated. Your words are important, your needs are real, your ideas are enlightening, and your opinions matter. Control your tone and disposition so your words can be heard. Speak up with respect. Speak up with thoughtfulness. Speak up with boldness and truth.
Related Bible Passages:
Numbers 27
Psalms 70
Proverbs 19
John 18
Have a face to face conversation with your Lord:
Lord, what needs do I have that I have kept to myself hoping that someone will notice?
Lord, why am I afraid to speak up?
Lord, when do I lose control of my tone and let it mask my words?
Lord, I know you give me wisdom and I know you give me good direction. Help me to speak up at the right moment, with thoughtful words and with a tone that helps me communicate what you have given me…
If you are interested in having a collection of these devotional conversations, consider purchasing the devotional book, Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 1 or Conversations: Face to Face with Your Lord Book 2. Book 3 is coming soon! They are available from Amazon by clicking on the titles above.
Glory, Strength, & Beauty 
Amen Danika. I needed this! God is good.
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Thank you for this timely message. I had multiple thoughts as I read.
Learning to speak, to use our voice, to use our voice in the “right” way can be so challenging. Our voice could fall silent when we need it’s strength the most. Because of other our mental and emotional state, our voice could be distorted, and dissonant.
1) As girls we are often taught to keep our needs silent, and instead care for others without meeting our own needs. As a result we often don’t have great tools to use our voices powerfully. I like the story the daughters of Zelophehad, they knew they needed to ask for something in order to care for themselves. Also the mention of the misuse of our voice to try to force someone who refuses to listen to hear us. What do we do? This can be difficult. I have learned I had to first quit wasting my energy on those who would not listen. I had to learn to set boundaries stating what I was willing to do calmly, and then act only to the point of the boundary I set. I backed my voice with small, yet clear actions. I have asked others to help me find the words, when I could not. Others have let me practice my words with them, until I was ready to use them in reality. Then, I let go of how others reacted. I let them use their voices without softening their feelings, I hold a space without walking across the boundary I just set. The Women’s Guide to Assertiveness is a great book on this topic.
2) Speaking up in a strong, fearful, dangerous situation can take immense courage. We shame Peter for denying his connection to Jesus. Yet in this story I see humanity. I see a story that could tell us to be compassionate with ourselves. Peter was one of the strongest disciples, yet in a moment of extreme stress, even he struggled. Who are we to judge Peter? Out of the guilt he felt from his moment of weakness, did he not learn more about the holes in himself that he needed to tend? Did he not go on to do many great things? Would he have been able to do so much good later if he had been killed with Jesus? I learn my most, when I have had my least courage. Because I failed to have courage of my voice, of my intuition, of the people in my support network, I allowed someone else to convince me follow them into a destructive, abusive situation. God had spoken to me in a hundred ways, yet I followed this other person because I lacked the courage to use my voice in the face of their voice, and act with conviction. I am praying that out of my lack of courage, like for Peter, something greater will come.
3) Finding honesty in our voice also starts with honesty in our ears. I’ve learned to listen for the real truth. Then tell myself the truth as I process what I hear. Finally, I find the sounds to share the truth I have discovered. This process comes with a great deal of patience. I often am wondering am I hearing what this person is REALLY telling me? Or am I hearing what I want to hear? To here what a person is really saying, I know I cannot listen with half an ear, while checking my phone, or thinking about to do next at work. When I don’t like what I hear, I have learned to first ask – What is my part? What do I feel (My body, my emotions will tell a greater truth even when my mind wants to cover it) What do I need to see in this? How do I respond in a way that honors me, and respects others even while holding both of us accountable? Once I have worked through this, I now ask how do say what I need to say? I have learned to keep it simple. I feel X, when you Y. To resolve this I need Z.
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I really appreciate your thoughts on this topic. All of your points are great additions to the conversation. I love how you bring out the facts about Peter. You are so wise to recognize that that Peter tended to the holes in himself, and through that recognition and healing, Peter went on to do great things. I have seen the Lord work in this way. I know you will experience this in your own life.
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