The prayers of positive confessions, declarations, assertions and affirmations popularised today is simply not Biblical. And l am not comfortable with this modern and popular way of praying today.
There is no single day I don’t come across these sort of prayers on social media and TV. These prayers are so full of self exaltation and arrogance. Many Christians now believe they have so much power in themselves to do and undo things! Our confidence is now in ourselves instead of God. Many are deceived into believing that God can’t or won’t do things without their aid! God Almighty needs them to speak, to declare or make a decree in order for Him to act! How ridiculous. Such arrogance!
The Lord Jesus taught His disciples how to pray and no where in His teachings did He ever tell them to pray by making declarations, by decreeing or making some positive confessions.
He taught them: “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:9-13).
If truly we are His followers we would. pray the way He prayed. And we would pray the way He taught His disciples.
Our Father in heaven indicates that we direct our prayers to God, with whom we have a relationship. We pray to God, not to the universe, not into the air and certainly not to or with ourselves.
Hallowed be thy name shows reverence, it shows that we are to approach our Father with a humble heart in prayer, seeking that His name alone be honored and exalted.
We pray asking that His will alone be done, not ours. We are not to affirm or assert ourselves or our own will before Him in prayer but to have a heart of humility in prayer.
Jesus told the parable of two men who went to the temple to pray, ” one a Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.” The other, a tax collector, prayed to God humbly, asking for mercy. The latter went home justified by God.(Luke 18:10-14 ).
Scripture tells us, “and be clothed with humility, for“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:5 – 6, James 4 :6,16).
There is nothing about humility in those prayers. One l read recently said, ” l attract to myself good and great people, divine helpers. I declare that henceforth, wherever I find myself I shall possess, dominate and rule. I claim the anointing to be honoured, and no one shall struggle with me anymore in the mighty name of JESUS CHRIST. It’s all about what self or man can do never mind that the Lord’s name is added to such prayers.
I have read the Lord’s prayers in John chapter 17 uncountable number of times, His prayers in the garden before His betrayal and arrest, His prayer on the cross etc. And l am yet to find where He or any of His apostles or prophets prayed such prayers.
Our Lord prayed to His Father in heaven, even though He was God in the flesh. Not once did He affirmed or asserted Himself before God in prayer. In the garden He fell upon His face before His Father and prayed to Him, “Abba Father all things are possible for you, if it be possible please let this cup pass away from Me.” (Mark 14:36). On the cross He prayed to God, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”(Luke 23:34). And, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:45), “Father, into Your hands, l commit My spirit.” (Luke 23: 46).
The New Testament speaks about different types of prayers and all of them are prayers directed to God. They are not declarations, decrees, or affirmations.
“Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.”(Psalm 5:2-3).
No where in the entire Bible are we ever taught to pray to God by decreeing things or making declarations. The Bible says, “who is it that speaks and it comes to pass when the Lord has not commanded it?” (Lementations 3:47).
Romans 4:17 also says it is “—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” Our decreeing and positive confessions do not have the ability or power to create things, that ability is God’s alone. No where are we encouraged to address God commandingly or demandingly. Every prayer in the Bible is directed to God in the spirit of humility and faith.
Brethren in Christ, all these prayers of declarations, assertions, affirmations and positive confessions, have you ever asked if they are biblical? Have you come across such prayers in the Bible? Why is everyone getting on the bandwagon, praying prayers that are not biblical?
Christian, don’t do it because it’s popular, do it because it’s Biblical.
I know many pray these sorts of prayers ignorantly, because they see or hear other Christians doing it, not knowing it’s very unscriptural,
Read through the entire Bible and see how God’s people approached Him in prayer. Shouldn’t we pray like they prayed? Shouldn’t we pray like our Lord prayed? Are we wiser than God? Must we follow the ways and teachings of men or God? Doctrines being promoted and popularised by modern day preachers
The Bible warns us to beware of new and strange doctrines and not allow ourselves to be carried away by such (Eph. 4:14,. Heb. 13:9, 1John1:10, Titus 1:10-11,1Tim.1:3-4, 2 Pet.3:17, 2 Pet.2:1).
If it’s not in the Scripture, drop it, even if a preacher you love or respect teaches it. Let’s get back to our Bibles. Let’s learn to pray Biblically. Go through the entire 66 books of the Bible, and learn how God’s people prayed to Him and pray like they prayed. The Bible warns us not to follow the multitudes in wrong doing (Exod. 23:2), or to exceed that which is written (1 Cor.4:6).
Christian, don’t do it because it’s popular, do it because it’s Biblical.
