LANGUAGE IS VERBAL CLOTHING
Some people use clothing and jewelry and postures to attract attention and brand themselves as spiritual. Many more skip the clothing and use their language for the same purpose. Here are some examples of religious language:

• Pray for me. I will pray for you.
• God is good. All the time.
• Good sermon.
• Bless you.
• No problem. It’s all under the blood.
• I felt that God told me to ….
• Worship today was wonderful.
• The music moved me in my spirit.
• He/she is a Godly man/woman.
• He/she is a real prayer warrior.
• I did my devotions today.
• He/she has a real anointing for ….
• God is in this place.
• Can you feel the spirit?
• He/she is spirit-filled.
• He/she is born again.
• He/she flows in the spirit.
• I am called to ….
• God put it on my heart to ……

While these statements do contain truth when spoken by true prophets, they are always powerless, self-serving cliches when  spoke by false prophets who quote them mindlessly as a kind of programmed response to a situation or when another cliche is quoted in response to a certain circumstance. As a result, these exclamations are void (or nearly void) of any spiritual content. Often they are used to fill the air when people don’t know what else to say. They are accepted (and even expected) reflexive, verbal responses uttered with little or no thought by pseudo spiritual people in denominational settings.

The other caution about using these cliches is that they have a real potential for being a turn-off for people who are not members of the group that typically uses them. The reality is that religious speech and actions tend to be offensive to those who do not subscribe to that particular religious tradition. Thus, using such speech or actions in public places may communicate your spirituality to members of your group, but it speaks of holier-than-thou religiosity to those who are not members of your group.

Having offended others with verbal religious displays, it is possible to build a wall between religious insiders and outsiders. It has the same effect as wearing religious clothing that separates clergy from the common people. Anyone who hopes to be able to reach out to others and build a fruitful relationship should always be mindful that religious speech can be a real obstacle to building new relationships.