Are You a god?

In the next three weeks, starting with this one, I will analyze three errors in prayer that Christians make.

I’m sure you’ve come across such a prayer among Christian circles: “I decree and declare that by the power in the name of Jesus Christ, every evil altar against my destiny is destroyed in the name of Jesus Christ!” But what Biblical mandate do we have to carry out such an exercise?

Error number one: decreeing and declaring.

• Definitions

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a decree as “an order usually having the force of law.” A decree is therefore a legal order given by a legal authority. A decree has to be issued by someone who has the authority to do so in order for it to be considered legitimate. 

A declaration, on the other hand, is defined by the same dictionary as “the act of making something known formally, officially, or explicitly.” By definition, a declaration does not have the ability to make what you declare materialize on its own. It’s simply a statement of fact. It lacks any creative or causative power. It does not have to be issued by a legal authority, as is the case with a decree. So, going by these definitions, a declaration is not nearly as effective as a decree.

In this article, I wish to show you that while humans can declare some things as spelled out in Scripture, they do not have the power to decree. Certainly, mankind does not have the power to bring things into existence through the spoken word. Only God possesses that power.

The Bible’s view

As human beings, we can only declare the truth as espoused in Scripture. For example, in Joel 1:14, God tells the priests in Israel to “declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD” (NIV). In this passage, the priests were declaring what the Law of Moses prescribes: a sacred assembly, crying out to the Lord, etc. We have no mandate to declare things that God has not permitted. In the New Testament, after His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). In other words, He was commanding them to “declare” the gospel to all people. In this context, the disciples could only declare the Gospel as defined by Jesus. No more, no less. In Jeremiah 14:14, the Lord laments about individuals who were declaring things that were not in line with Scripture: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.” Sounds familiar? Aren’t we Christians guilty of declaring “delusions of our own minds” that have no Scriptural support?

It is unbecoming for a Christian to declare that only good things will come his or her way. That is contrary to Scripture which tells us that hardships are part and parcel of a believer’s existence. Jesus Himself told His disciples: “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33, NIV). The apostle Paul told the believers he came across in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch: “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22, NIV). Subscribers to the prosperity gospel have been taught that because they are now “gods,” they can overrule the teachings of Jesus and the Apostle Paul by decreeing and declaring success, wealth, and blessings for themselves.

Only God has the power to decree. Isaiah 46:8–10 (NKJV): “Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.’”

The Prosperity Gospel

The prosperity gospel has deified man by elevating him to godlike status. According to this false gospel, Jesus died to restore you to the godlike status that man had before the fall. This lie is as old as the book of Genesis, when the serpent in the garden of Eden tricked Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, saying: “For God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5, NIV).

One of the proponents of this error is Kenneth Copeland, who broadcasts his sermons worldwide on his Victory Channel. He is quoted as saying: “He [Adam] was not subordinate to God – Adam was walking as a god! What he said went, what he did counted; and when he bowed his knee to Satan and put Satan up above him then there wasn’t anything God could do about it because a “god” had placed Satan there. Adam, remember, was created in the god-class, but when he committed high treason he fell below the god-class.” Copeland is also quoted as saying: “Speak God’s words over your circumstances today. Speak His words in faith and watch Him move!” And also: “By getting the Word deep into your spirit and speaking it boldly out your mouth, you release spiritual power to change things in the natural circumstances.“

In his book Apostasy! Jeff Kluttz writes: “The teaching of man’s elevation to god-status is an essential element of Word of Faith systematic theology. It is from this premise that the supporters of these wicked teachers can be shaped into an understanding of the rest of the theological story. From a god-status, man is in control and can do as God did, using the force of faith to create one’s own reality and shape one’s own future. The end result, according to these teachers, puts man utterly in control of his own circumstances, being an incarnation of Christ, with authority to rule one’s own life. Man has not only become ‘like’ God, but has trumped God’s power entirely, making man fully in control of his own destiny and even the very actions of God. Satan must be very proud of these men. His original sin has come to fruition within the walls of the apostate church.”

Of course, proponents of this “decree and declare” heresy claim to have Scriptural backing for this teaching. In my next blog article next week, I shall examine some of the verses that are used to justify this false doctrine and also show you how they have been taken out of context to make them mean what they don’t mean.

A Supplicant Posture

Needless to say, all through Scripture, our Lord taught us to adopt a supplicant posture before our God. As limited creatures, we are in total dependence on an all-sufficient God to meet our needs. We do not have the power to create reality. Therefore, Jesus taught us to pray to the all-sufficient God to meet our needs. Nowhere in Scripture does Jesus indicate that we remotely have the power to decree our problems away. Take note of the following teachings from Jesus:

John 16:24 – “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (NIV).

Matthew 7:7 – ““Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (NIV).

Matthew 9:38 – “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (NIV).

John 14:14 – “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (NIV).

All through the famous Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:9, Jesus never indicates that we can decree and declare reality.

We are to petition Jesus for our needs. Then Jesus, Who is God and has the legal power and standing to decree and declare, will bring about the reality we seek if our prayer is in accordance with His will. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15, NIV).

We must mature in our faith and understanding of Scripture and discard any mechanical theories regarding how prayer operates. Prayer is not magic, and God is not a cosmic robot to be ordered around with our decrees and declarations. Such practices are openly disrespectful to God.