Declarations: The Science Behind It

Declarations: The Science Behind It

By Steve Backlund

Declarations are one of the most practical ways we renew our minds and experience transformation (Romans 12:2). It is speaking life (Proverbs 18:21) and “calling those things that do not exist as though they did" (Romans 4:17). I have written books about it, taught it extensively, and experienced the benefits of it. 

What we believe greatly impacts what we feel and will experience. And what we say is a main contributor to what we believe. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). This increase of healthy thinking (faith) results from our brain literally changing as we intentionally “work out” our beliefs with truth. 

The science and psychology behind declarations and beliefs is fascinating. I am not going to do an extensive study in this blog, nor am I going to cite specific sources, but I am going to refer to conclusions that are well documented and can be found through an online search. 

Here are five insights about the science behind making declarations:

1. Our brains are wired to change

Modern neuroscience calls this neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to rewire itself through repeated input, focus, and experience.

This means our thinking patterns are not fixed. Our mindsets are not permanently stuck. Our emotional reactions, expectations, and beliefs are being shaped continually by what we focus on, rehearse, and repeat. This is good news for those of us who desire to become stronger in how we think.

We understand this principle when it comes to other parts of our body. If we want stronger muscles, we intentionally exercise them. If we want better cardiovascular health, we consistently walk, run, or move. If we want flexibility, we stretch repeatedly.

Most of us understand we must steward our physical bodies intentionally, but many of us do not realize our brains and thought lives are to be stewarded intentionally too.

Declarations are like going to the gym for our thinking. Repeated truth strengthens spiritual and mental muscles that help us believe, hope, and live differently.

We are already training our minds whether we realize it or not. The question is not, “Are we being trained?” The question is, “What are we being trained by?”

2. Words don’t just express thoughts — they direct them

It can feel like thoughts just happen to us, but we are more in control of them than we might think. When we intentionally speak truth, we move from passive thinking to intentional thinking.

We are no longer just having thoughts. We are leading them.

Research on “self-talk” shows that the words we speak to ourselves can influence focus, confidence, emotional regulation, and performance. This helps explain why declarations are more than words; they are intentional direction for our thoughts.

This is one reason declarations are so powerful. They help us stop rehearsing limitations and start reinforcing truth. They interrupt agreements with fear, shame, discouragement, and unbelief, and they help us align our inner world with what God has said.

Declarations are not primarily about expressing what we feel, but about choosing what we will focus on and believe.

3. Repetition builds conviction

There is a simple principle: what is repeated becomes stronger. This is true for both physical training and mental training. 

Repeated thoughts build stronger pathways in our brains. Stronger pathways become more automatic. Over time, what we say consistently becomes what we believe naturally.

That is why declarations are not about saying something once. They are about building conviction over time.

We do not make declarations to convince God. We make them to convince ourselves. Instead of talking ourselves out of what God has promised, we talk ourselves into what is already true.

4. Declarations shape identity, not just behavior

Most people try to change behavior by saying, “I need to do better.” But lasting change comes from identity: “This is who I am.”

Beliefs create actions, and identity shapes beliefs. This is why declarations matter so much. They help us consistently agree with who God says we are until that agreement becomes more natural than the lies we used to believe.

Science supports this connection between identity and behavior. Research on self-affirmation shows that when people reflect on deeply held values and identity, they can become less defensive and more open to healthy change. In other words, identity-based truth helps us respond to life from strength instead of self-protection.

This is why declarations are not simply about trying to act better. They help us become more convinced of who we are, and people tend to live consistently with who they believe they are.

Declarations are not behavior management. They are identity formation. This is crucial because we cannot consistently do what we don’t believe we are. 

We don’t declare truth because we are trying to become impressive. We declare truth because we are training our brain to become fully convinced about it.

5. Scripture was and is ahead of science

The Bible says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). It also says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).

Science confirms that repeated thought, focus, and language patterns can shape the brain. Again, neuroscience describes this through neuroplasticity: repeated mental activity can strengthen neural connections, and repeated patterns can become more automatic over time. Habit research similarly shows that repeated behaviors can become automatic when reinforced in consistent patterns.

Scripture did not borrow from science. Science is catching up to Scripture.

God has always known that what we meditate on, speak, and agree with affects our thinking and how we live. Romans 12:2 is not just a spiritual metaphor. It is a revelation that transformation literally happens to our minds

Final Thought

We are always declaring something through our words, thoughts, focus, and expectations. The question is not whether we are declaring. The question is: what are our declarations reinforcing in our thinking? Are we reinforcing limitation, fear, shame, and discouragement? Or are we reinforcing truth, identity, hope, and the promises of God?

Declarations are intentional agreement with truth that strengthens our thinking.They are not just a good thing to do, but they, as science confirms, are actually changing our brain to be more hopeful, confident, and creative. 

Five Declarations for This Message

1. My brain is being rewired with truth. 

2. I am training my mind with truth, and my thinking is becoming stronger every day.

3. My mind is being renewed, and my thinking is increasingly aligned with truth.

4. I am strengthening spiritual and mental muscles that help me believe, hope, and live differently.

5. Truth is becoming more natural to me than fear, shame, or unbelief.