Helen Harray, 24 February 2015

Have you ever just stood and declared God’s truth over a situation in your life or the life of a loved one? If you have, then you know the power of declarative prayer.
Declarative prayer is announcing, out loud, something that is true according to the teachings of Scripture and the character of God. It’s about proclaiming truth and destroying lies. This changes the spiritual atmosphere. When we declare God’s truths over ourselves, they stick. They change the atmosphere. They change us. Declarative prayers get me out of my self-pity, anxiety, confusion and self-doubt. They change my mindset and reorient my thinking.
Examples of declarative prayer:
– Declaring our own identity in Christ, for example; “I am a son or daughter of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.”
– Declaring God’s sovereignty and love over the people around us, for example; “The God of the universe loves my friend. He has sent His Son, Christ Jesus to seek him.”
– Declaring God’s sovereignty and power over the nations, for example; “The God who is greater than the leader of this nation desires justice, compassion and mercy.”
Declaration of God’s truth is powerful prayer but it’s not a ‘name it, claim it ‘ form of prayer. It comes out of waiting and listening for how to pray and knowing the Word of God which we wield like a sword in the Spirit. There is power in the Word: “the words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). Our words release life and death - “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21). Practicing such prayer purifies our own hearts and the world around us. In praying God’s truth, we find our own faith strengthened and our confidence ever more firmly grounded in him.