By Steve Backlund

Here are some of my favorite quotes about declarations and the power of our words: 

• We cannot change our lives without changing how we talk.
• We don’t have something just by saying something, but saying something is necessary to have something. 
• If something happened, something was spoken.
• Both God and the devil need our words to accomplish their wills.
• Whatever we talk a lot about, we will see more of.
• Instead of just using words to describe our lives, we are to use them to change our lives
• The best thing some Christians could do is to stop talking.

The biblical basis for these statements can be found in my books Declarations and You’re Crazy If You Don’t Talk to Yourself. 

Declarations are biblically-based faith statements about what is true even though it may not be in our experience yet (or may not fully be in our experience). Instead of calling them declarations, some call them decrees, proclamations, affirmations, or confessions. 

On Sunday, February 20, I preached on “Why I Make Declarations” at Bethel Church. You can listen to the message or watch it here - Why I Make Declarations Sermon. If you don’t have time to watch the entire church service, you can fast-forward to 1 hour 7 minutes which is when I begin speaking. I shared the testimony that much of what I am experiencing in my life now is because of what I declared twenty-five years ago when it seemed ridiculous. 

Here are some of the reasons I shared in that message for why I make declarations: 

1. Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21) - Learning to speak life (instead of negativity) over myself has created a great life for me.
2. Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17) - If I am going to experience something higher, then I need to believe something higher than I am feeling and experiencing. And if I am going to believe something higher, then I need to hear something higher than I am experiencing or feeling. 
3. I am called to bring life to dead-looking things by calling those things that do not exist as though they did (Romans 4:17) - Declarations are a main way to make dead-looking areas in our lives come alive (whether it is personal, family, our geographical area, or something else).
4. It is a primary way for me to renew my mind (Romans 12:2) - I used to mostly “renew my mind” with my feelings and past experiences. Declarations help us renew our minds with truth instead of lies. 

In this Part 2 of the message, here are four other reasons I make declarations:

1. Declarations help me overcome anxiety - Philippians 4:6-7
2. Declarations help me to abide in the Word - John 8:31-32 & Joshua 1:8
3. A declaration is taking up the sword of the Spirit - Ephesians 6:17
4. Declarations pull down strongholds, demolish arguments, and take thoughts captive - 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

In next week’s blog, I will go deeper into these life-changing reasons to make declarations. My podcast here gives greater insight and revelation concerning what I am sharing.