Pray and Declare
I have been writing a series of blog posts about different kinds of prayer. I want to encourage you to utilize different kinds of prayer (Ephesians 6:18) to enhance your prayer life and break up the monotony when it seems like you are in a boring rut. Also, there are times when certain circumstances call for different kinds of prayer.
Today I want to write about praying and declaring. Jesus Himself modeled this kind of prayer when He raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11:38-44. It says in verse 41 that He lifted up His voice and said, “Father I thank you….” (Prayer) Then in verse 43 it says that He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus come forth….” (Declaration) Jesus used both prayer and declaration to see the results needed to bring resurrection life back to Lazarus.
In this instance, prayer could be defined as “talking to God.” And, declaration could be defined as “talking to our situation.” There is a place for both. Prayer helps us to know what the will of the Lord is, and declaration helps us to execute that will in the earth realm.
Jesus also taught us this principle in Mark 11:22-24 when He said, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Words are powerful! Especially when they are spoken in accordance with the will of God, and filled with faith.
I was reading in my devotional time just this morning, and came across this same principle in Psalm 2:7. It reads, “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.” I could just see Jesus declaring the powerful truths that His Father had said about Him. You and I can also declare the things that our Heavenly Father has spoken about us. And we can use these declarations as power weapons combined with our prayers.
So let me encourage you to pray. Among other things, pray about your problems and circumstances. But also declare and decree. Speak the Word over your life and over every situation. Don’t just pray. Pray and declare.
What are some of the things you are praying about right now?
What does the Word say about these things?
Write out some declarations to speak over these things.
Pray. And declare.
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