Anything can be distorted - even faith. If your faith is what you have faith in, you are in trouble. If your speech is what you have faith in, that is also not good.
On the other hand, when God speaks to your spirit about what you are to pray for/receive, then faith must reach up and take hold of it. Faith's action is thanking God. And sometimes we need to speak the words in order to ground our faith (but not to get something or speak it into existence.)
I read a lot of the Bible aloud because I believe the Word when spoken has His spirit alive in it. Faith comes by hearing, and I need to hear myself speak it often. It chases away doubts and fears. And I like to have His word become a part of my vocabulary.
In fact the word "meditate" mentioned in Ps. 1 is derived from the Hebrew word hagah and really means "a repetitive speaking aloud", not a mental activity. So, my favorite form of meditating is to read over and over aloud some scripture that speaks to me. The Jewish people sang God's words over and over. It was in their mouth. And they spoke it to their children - they were not handed a bible.
I've seen the rice test and understand the importance of positive words. And I believe that the spirit behind our words have power to affect others. We have all been hurt by the spirit of anger in someone's words, and felt a warmth when spoken to by a spirit of love.