Decreeing and Declaring
Have you ever people pray saying, “I decree and declare...”? Or even prayed that yourself?
Although people often mean well and are passionate about seeing God move, I want to submit to you that this way of praying is not prayer at all according to Scripture. It does not align with how the Bible teaches us to approach God.
Many in the Word of Faith movement use this language to “speak things into existence,” claiming believers are “little gods” with creative power. Yet Scripture gives no support for this. Creation was by God’s word alone (Genesis 1). Humans do not share that power. Prayer is not decreeing our will with heaven’s backing; it is humbly asking according to God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).
True prayer aligns our hearts with heaven’s agenda: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Prayer is not about getting man’s will done on earth with heaven’s power, but heaven’s will done on earth through heaven’s power.
The ideas behind “decree and declare” often trace more to New Thought and New Age movements than historic Christianity. These teachings can cause real spiritual harm: blaming sick or struggling people for lacking “enough faith,” fostering pride in supposed godhood, and ignoring the reality of suffering in a fallen world.
We often learn to pray by hearing others pray and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Hearing mature believers pray can be helpful and formative. But we must always test everything against the Word of God, not the traditions or slogans of men. Our prayers should be shaped by Scripture, not the other way around.
This brings us to the heart of the matter: Who is God, and who are we? In John 10, Jesus makes one of the clearest claims to deity in the Gospels. After declaring, “I and the Father are one” (v. 30), the Jewish leaders accuse Him of blasphemy. Jesus responds by directly quoting Psalm 82:6, “I said, you are gods”, referring to those to whom the word of God came and who exercised delegated authority.
Then He says: “If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (John 10:35-36)
This is a powerful from the lesser to the greater argument. Even if we understand the “gods” in Psalm 82 as supernatural beings in a divine council (as some interpreters like Michael Heiser argue), Jesus is still using the passage to defend His claim against His human accusers by pointing to a scriptural precedent of delegated divine titles. He is not equating Himself with those “gods.” He is saying His claim is far greater.
Jesus doesn’t lower Himself to their level. He elevates the truth of His identity. He is the eternal Word who was with God and who was God (John 1:1). He is the One before whom Thomas cried, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). He is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of His nature (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).
Because Jesus is fully God, He deserves our total allegiance—not partial, not occasional, but complete surrender of heart, mind, will, and life. This means we do not use His name to sign off on what we decree and declare, as if we can command reality according to our own will. Instead, we submit every desire to His sovereign purposes.
Never use the name of Jesus to endorse your own decrees and desires. His name is above every name (Philippians 2:9-11). We pray in His name not to harness His power for our agenda, but because our only access to the Father comes through His authority—and because we are fully submitted to His authority. We seek His acclaim, not our own. True prayer flows from surrender, not from trying to play “little god” with heaven’s resources.
Unlike the failing “gods” of Psalm 82 who were judged and died like men, Jesus rose victorious. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
May the glory of Christ captivate your heart today and move you to give Him your full allegiance. He is worthy.
Although people often mean well and are passionate about seeing God move, I want to submit to you that this way of praying is not prayer at all according to Scripture. It does not align with how the Bible teaches us to approach God.
Many in the Word of Faith movement use this language to “speak things into existence,” claiming believers are “little gods” with creative power. Yet Scripture gives no support for this. Creation was by God’s word alone (Genesis 1). Humans do not share that power. Prayer is not decreeing our will with heaven’s backing; it is humbly asking according to God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).
True prayer aligns our hearts with heaven’s agenda: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Prayer is not about getting man’s will done on earth with heaven’s power, but heaven’s will done on earth through heaven’s power.
The ideas behind “decree and declare” often trace more to New Thought and New Age movements than historic Christianity. These teachings can cause real spiritual harm: blaming sick or struggling people for lacking “enough faith,” fostering pride in supposed godhood, and ignoring the reality of suffering in a fallen world.
We often learn to pray by hearing others pray and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Hearing mature believers pray can be helpful and formative. But we must always test everything against the Word of God, not the traditions or slogans of men. Our prayers should be shaped by Scripture, not the other way around.
This brings us to the heart of the matter: Who is God, and who are we? In John 10, Jesus makes one of the clearest claims to deity in the Gospels. After declaring, “I and the Father are one” (v. 30), the Jewish leaders accuse Him of blasphemy. Jesus responds by directly quoting Psalm 82:6, “I said, you are gods”, referring to those to whom the word of God came and who exercised delegated authority.
Then He says: “If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (John 10:35-36)
This is a powerful from the lesser to the greater argument. Even if we understand the “gods” in Psalm 82 as supernatural beings in a divine council (as some interpreters like Michael Heiser argue), Jesus is still using the passage to defend His claim against His human accusers by pointing to a scriptural precedent of delegated divine titles. He is not equating Himself with those “gods.” He is saying His claim is far greater.
Jesus doesn’t lower Himself to their level. He elevates the truth of His identity. He is the eternal Word who was with God and who was God (John 1:1). He is the One before whom Thomas cried, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). He is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of His nature (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).
Because Jesus is fully God, He deserves our total allegiance—not partial, not occasional, but complete surrender of heart, mind, will, and life. This means we do not use His name to sign off on what we decree and declare, as if we can command reality according to our own will. Instead, we submit every desire to His sovereign purposes.
Never use the name of Jesus to endorse your own decrees and desires. His name is above every name (Philippians 2:9-11). We pray in His name not to harness His power for our agenda, but because our only access to the Father comes through His authority—and because we are fully submitted to His authority. We seek His acclaim, not our own. True prayer flows from surrender, not from trying to play “little god” with heaven’s resources.
- He created us.
- He redeemed us with His blood.
- He sustains us moment by moment.
- He will judge us perfectly.
Unlike the failing “gods” of Psalm 82 who were judged and died like men, Jesus rose victorious. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
May the glory of Christ captivate your heart today and move you to give Him your full allegiance. He is worthy.