Introduction
God’s promises captured in scripture are absolutely trustworthy. However, we rarely seem to see those promises manifested in our lives. We know where to find them in our Bibles and may even quote them. But knowing scriptures and seeing them at work in our lives are two different things. One way to reap the benefits of God’s Word is to decree and declare scripture.
Basically, proclaiming and affirming scriptures over ourselves is stating them and announcing them over our lives. We can do this generally or in specific situations. Often, but not necessarily, a declaration starts with: I decree and declare…, followed by a scripture.
The most important aspect of proclaiming over our lives is that what we say should be based on the Word of God. Because the effect of a decree or declaration is not the way we say it, the elaborate wording we choose, or the energy with which we speak. It is the Word of God itself that captures all the promises and power.
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
Hebrews 4:12 (NLT).
I decree and declare meaning?
When we decree and declare in prayer or during Christian meditation, we often believe that what we decree will come to pass because we have the power in our words to cause it to happen. However, it is not our words but the Word of God that ignites change in our lives.
When we pray the Word of God, we are not using our words, but His words. God watches over His Word to do what He has said. It is His Word in our mouths that will bring transformation into our lives, and we know God is faithful to hold His Word forever (I Peter 1:25; Isaiah 40:8).
“Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word’.”
Jeremiah 1:12 (NKJV).
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)
Often, we use the words decree and declare interchangeably in Christian prayers, but they are unique and mean distinctively two separate things.
I Decree
A decree is a formal statement or announcement, having authoritative power. Declarations are mandates, proclamations, commands, and official orders issued by authority. Basically, a decree is an official order issued by an authority.
The key part is the authority. For a decree to be official—meaning it can be executed—the person issuing the decree must have the authority or the right to pronounce the order. Without that authority, a decree is worthless. For a decree to hold, a person in a position of power and authority must make it.
The good news is that God has given us, His children, the authority to decree His word.
“Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.”
Luke 10:19 (NLT).
When we decree, we use scripture to state our case about our homes, families, ministries, or any other situation or condition in our lives. We may expect seeing God’s Word manifested in our lives when we decree it. As Christians, we must understand our legal right to have our scriptural decrees endorsed. And that is why we must be careful to decree God’s will (His Word) and not our own.
A decree is a channel through which biblical truths become tangible in our lives; things that we do not yet have and are not yet our daily experience become real. God used decrees when He created the world (Genesis 1: 3,6,7,9):
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
“Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” And that is what happened.”
“Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened.”
And in Hebrews 11 verse 3 (NKJV), we read, “the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
I Declare
The word declare comes from the Hebrew word achvah, which means to make known or to set forth details and information. A practical example is when we travel and a customs officer asks us to declare (our things): to recount items we have with us (in our possession). The same applies when we declare scriptures: we announce the things we already have!
A declaration is simply an acknowledgment of something that is already. However, a declaration alone does not have the power to cause what you declare to happen. There is no creative power in a declaration. That is the reason our declarations must be scriptural. It is God’s Word that has the creative power to manifest true transformation in our lives.
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I decree and declare scripture: Bible verse
We can expect positive change when we decree and declare based on Scripture because we ground it in the unchanging Word of God.
“Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”
Job 22:28 (KJV).
This means we pronounce something to be, and God will make it so. The Amplified Bible says, “You shall also decide and decree a thing, and it shall be established for you; and the light [of God’s favor] shall shine upon your ways.”
Decrees are the privileges of kings! When kings decree, it is automatically settled and becomes the law. Therefore, we can, as kings and priests seated with Christ in heavenly places, rightly make decrees according to the Word of God.
Power of declaration Bible verse
Our declarations have power because of the inherent authority of God’s word. When we affirm scripture, God ensures He performs His Word.
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV).
We also read in Ephesians 2 verse 6 that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This means we have authority and victory because we are seated with Christ. Through our pronouncements, we can turn these into realities in our own lives, influence our surroundings, change our circumstances, and receive the miracles we long for.
How to declare and decree over my life
Because of what God says about us in His Word and His confirmation of who we are, we can confidently proclaim His truth about ourselves. This means we should first know God’s Word before we can decree or declare it, because we cannot proclaim what we don’t know.
Knowing the Word of God is one thing and proclaiming it over our lives is another thing. It is not enough to merely know the Word of God. We should go a step further by actively proclaiming it over our lives for it to be effective. And don’t be surprised, we should preferably announce it aloud.
What can we decree and declare?
We can declare everything God says about us. Because of what God says about us and His confirmation of who we are, we can confidently proclaim His truth about our lives. Doing this will significantly aid in brightening up our lives, increase our faith in God, and helps us to overcome challenges.
We can declare anything as long as it is godly and positive. The key is to declare continually.
With our biblical affirmations, we:
- Speak God’s blessings upon our lives.
- Institute the very will and purposes of God.
- Separate and destroy the plans of the enemy.
How do we do it?
We are used to reading scriptures and meditating on Bible verses. You may ask, then, how do you speak the Word of God? Several ways can be used to do that. We can:
- Read complete Bible verses aloud.
- Replace pronouns with I, me, or our names, while speaking a specific scripture.
- Substitute names with our names when pronouncing a verse.
- Focus on one specific verse for a period or declare various verses throughout the day.
- Decree general scriptures over our lives or use specific scriptures for specific situations.
- Create our own decrees and declarations based on God’s Word.
When should we do it?
There is no specific time or best time, or even the best place, to speak scriptures over our lives. We can simply do it anywhere and anytime. Not all situations may allow for speaking aloud. In those cases, we can whisper it in our heads.
We can:
Speak it aloud…
Speak it silently in your heart…
Speak it when you feel bad…
Speak it when you feel good…
Speak it when you are afraid…
Speak it when you are confident…
Speak it when you are about to act …
Speak it when you are taking steps…
Speak it after you have performed…
Speak it before you sleep…
Speak it under the shower…
Speak it whilst in the car…
Speak it… everywhere… anytime…
We can make it a habit of saying the decrees and declarations until the truths they affirm become deeply rooted in our hearts and the promises are implemented in our lives. And when they do, we can pick up different declarations and continue.
You can use declarations as a form of prayer. A powerful way is, for example, a Psalm 91 personalized prayer. You declare safety and protection over your life by pronouncing that psalm over your life.
What should we not do?
It is important to note that we should not only pay attention to our words when we decree and declare but check every word that comes out of our mouths to make sure we aren’t taking sides against what God has said. We do this by being aware that each word we utter has the power to influence our lives, either positively or negatively.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)
Let us, therefore, be aware of what we say throughout the day and remember that the Holy Spirit is ready to guide and lead us.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, o Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14 (NLT).
Let’s Pray
Lord, we praise You for Your Word. Teach us how to speak Your Word over our lives in a way that pleases You and enables us to reap all the life-giving benefits of it. We want to stand on the promises in Your Word and decree them into our lives. We want to proclaim Your glory to become visible in our lives.
Let us remember Your truth throughout the day in every circumstance of our lives. We choose to declare Your Word instead of our own words. Help us, Lord, not to grow weary. And we know, Lord, that You will manifest Your Word when we speak it.
Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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This was very powerful,ty for being a vessel that God can trust to get his word out
God is good! All glory belongs to Him.
Thank you so much for this powerful teaching! It has helped me so much.
Thanks so much, Jennifer, for sharing this with me. I give God the glory and pray for you. Amen.
Thank you so much for this article. I’ve been searching for information on the mechanics of how to decree and declare. So much I found was either theoretical or, conversely, hyper-religious. I needed something practical yet full of information. This article provided it.
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I am decreeing an entire psalm, the 91st, over my crisis right now, that I WILL BE DELIVERED and that NO HARM shall overtake me or disaster come near my house. I am decreeing that He has sent his angels to guard me so I won’t be hurt.
I am decreeing His love for me. His rescue. His protection. That He will be next to me in trouble and will deliver me.
I’m even decreeing that after the deliverance, He will honor me.
Lord, I command and decree your word as written in the psalms. You promise to protect, save, provide refuge, deflect harm, keep my home safe from disaster, guard me, love me, and be with me in this time of horrible and frightening trouble. You will deliver me. You will honor me.
I decree this in your holy name, the name of Jesus, the name that is above all other names, and with the authority that you gave to me to ask You to do what You said You will do.
Glory to God for speaking to you!
I have been praying psalm 91 everyday in my morning prayers
That’s awesome! God’s Word is alive and powerful.
I am so grateful for your teaching! May God continually bless you with more knowledge and wisdom.
Thanks so much for sharing, Marlaine. God bless you.
Thanks for this great teaching and revelations of the word of God. I strongly desire to grow in faith.
Thanks so much for sharing, Rose. May God let you grow in faith as he wants you to.
I decree the word of God to be in my heart and to manifest in my life so that his name must be glorified amen
Amen! Glory be to God!
Blessings my name is Bessie Brigham. I have been so blessed by this teaching.
I also left a message for you on Facebook.
Hi Bessie, that’s awesome. may God bless you more!
(NB will check…)
Thanks ?? for sharing this wisdom and knowledge of God’s Holy Word with me and others, it is greatly appreciated, ❤️ I shall put it into practice and stand on God’s HOLY WORD in Jesus name. God bless you ?❤️??
Thanks be to God. Thanks so much for sharing. I pray God will endow His Word deep down in your spirit. God bless you.
Wow!!!! I’m glad I came across this teaching today. I actually woke up today with the scripture that says we shall declare a thing and it shall come to pass. Job22:28. I was trying to get a better understanding of what God was telling me, this teach has helped my understanding. Thank you and God bless you.
Wow! Ella! God is good! God bless you for sharing. I pray God will open the eyes of your understanding and lead you deeper into His truth. Amen.