In some circles, to “decree and declare” something is to powerfully speak it into existence. This phraseology has Pentecostal/Charismatic roots and is much like the “positive confession” teaching. Those involved in the “decree and declare” movement claim that if someone decrees or declares something, then it will happen. To “declare” is to state (out loud) a fact; to “decree” is to issue an authoritative command. Kenneth Hagin, a leader in the Word of Faith movement, writes, “You can have whatever you say. . . . You always get in your life what you believe for and what you say” (“You Can Have What you Say,” hopefaithprayer.com, Lesson 25, accessed 3/31/20).
The “decree and declare” movement claims to be biblical by using scriptural support. Since mankind is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), then, the thinking goes, we, like God, can speak and make things happen. God spoke things into existence (Genesis 1:3, 14, 20, 24, 26), so those with faith can do the same. Those who follow the “decree and declare” formula make such statements as “I decree and declare that I will be healed from my sickness” or “I decree and declare my family will be healthy and well provided for.” Often, asking God for things in prayer is replaced by decreeing those things to happen.
It’s true that mankind is made in the image of God; however, the “decree and declare” proponents are wrong in the practical applications of that truth. Being made in the image of God does not mean that we have the same abilities that God has. Being made in the image of God means that “humans share, though imperfectly and finitely, in God’s nature, that is, in His communicable attributes (life, personality, truth, wisdom, love, holiness, justice), and so have the capacity for spiritual fellowship with Him” (Allen P. Ross, Bible Knowledge Commentary: Genesis, ed. by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, David C. Cook, 1989, p. 29). Being made in the image of God means that we reflect God’s attributes, not that we can do the things that only God can, such as speak things into existence.
Someone who has been taught to “decree and declare” might say something like this before taking a road trip: “I decree and declare God’s blessings on this vehicle, that it will remain mechanically sound!” In saying that, the speaker may truly believe that his verbal declaration, coupled with God’s power and authority within him, will guarantee a trouble-free trip. The problem is, our statements can be declarative, but not causative, no matter how true they are; plus, when we go around “decreeing” things, we are in danger of putting our will over God’s will. Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done, and He led by example (Luke 11:2; 22:42).
Whether practitioners of the “decree and declare” formula realize it or not, the ritualistic vocalizing of those words has similarities to magical incantations. According to the dictionary, an incantation is “a written or recited formula of words designed to produce a particular effect” (merriam-webster.com, accessed 3/31/20). The “decree and declare” teaching says that there is something special—something powerful—associated with our thoughts and words. We can think of something and “declare” it, and that in itself will change our circumstances and bring us blessings, including prosperity and healing. There’s nothing biblical about using certain words to manipulate events to bring something to pass. Instead of praying to the Lord for healing or other needs according to His will, followers of the Word of Faith movement are taught to repeat the “decree and declare” formula in the belief that their positivity will bring about positive results.
Instead of reciting formulaic declarations to obtain something, we should pray to the Lord in submission to His will (Matthew 26:42). Instead of seeking to force God’s hand by calling forth whatever we want, Christians should trust in the Heavenly Father who “knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” (Matthew 6:8, NLT).
Word of Faith teaching is decidedly unbiblical. It is not a denomination and does not have a formal organization or hierarchy. Instead, it is a movement that is heavily influenced by a number of high-profile pastors and teachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul and Jan Crouch, and Fred Price.
The Word of Faith movement grew out of the Pentecostal movement in the late 20th century. Its founder was E. W. Kenyon, who studied the metaphysical New Thought teachings of Phineas Quimby. Mind science (where “name it and claim it” originated) was combined with Pentecostalism, resulting in a peculiar mix of orthodox Christianity and mysticism. Kenneth Hagin, in turn, studied under E. W. Kenyon and made the Word of Faith movement what it is today. Although individual teachings range from completely heretical to completely ridiculous, what follows is the basic theology most Word of Faith teachers align themselves with.
At the heart of the Word of Faith movement is the belief in the “force of faith.” It is believed words can be used to manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises (health and wealth). Laws supposedly governing the faith-force are said to operate independently of God’s sovereign will and that God Himself is subject to these laws. This is nothing short of idolatry, turning our faith—and by extension ourselves—into god.
From here, its theology just strays further and further from Scripture: it claims that God created human beings in His literal, physical image as little gods. Before the fall, humans had the potential to call things into existence by using the faith-force. After the fall, humans took on Satan’s nature and lost the ability to call things into existence. In order to correct this situation, Jesus Christ gave up His divinity and became a man, died spiritually, took Satan’s nature upon Himself, went to hell, was born again, and rose from the dead with God’s nature. After this, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to replicate the Incarnation in believers so they could become little gods as God had originally intended.
Following the natural progression of these teachings, as little gods we again have the ability to manipulate the faith-force and become prosperous in all areas of life. Illness, sin, and failure are the result of a lack of faith, and are remedied by confession—claiming God’s promises for oneself into existence. Simply put, the Word of Faith movement exalts man to god-status and reduces God to man-status. Needless to say, this is a false representation of what Christianity is all about. Obviously, Word of Faith teaching does not take into account what is found in Scripture. Personal revelation, not Scripture, is highly relied upon in order to come up with such absurd beliefs, which is just one more proof of its heretical nature.
Countering Word of Faith teaching is a simple matter of reading the Bible. God alone is the Sovereign Creator of the Universe (Genesis 1:3; 1 Timothy 6:15) and does not need faith—He is the object of faith (Mark 11:22; Hebrews 11:3). God is spirit and does not have a physical body (John 4:24). Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27; 9:6), but this does not make him a little god or divine. Only God has a divine nature (Galatians 4:8; Isaiah 1:6-11, 43:10, 44:6; Ezekiel 28:2; Psalm 8:6-8). Christ is Eternal, the Only Begotten Son, and the only incarnation of God (John 1:1, 2, 14, 15, 18; 3:16; 1 John 4:1). In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). By becoming a man, Jesus gave up the glory of heaven but not His divinity (Philippians 2:6-7), though He did choose to withhold His power while walking the earth as man.
The Word of Faith movement is deceiving countless people, causing them to grasp after a way of life and faith that is not biblical. At its core is the same lie Satan has been telling since the Garden: “You shall be as God” (Genesis 3:5). Sadly, those who buy into the Word of Faith movement are still listening to him. Our hope is in the Lord, not in our own words, not even in our own faith (Psalm 33:20-22). Our faith comes from God in the first place (Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 12:2) and is not something we create for ourselves. So, be wary of the Word of Faith movement and any church that aligns itself with Word of Faith teachings.