In my last blog we contrasted how certain believers from around the world are more likely to proclaim with boldness their prayers instead of only petitioning heaven in the manner that Christians in the West do. It is my personal observation that this practice is tied at least in part to their level of faith; they have a clear understanding of the ways of God as well as who they are in Christ. These believers are praying with the knowledge that the answers to their prayers are already on the way (see Daniel 10:12).

After reading my last post, a friend sent me the following*, written by Emma Okorie of Living Word Ministries. I am including it here with her permission in order to pump up your faith and challenge you to proclaim certain decrees over your life, your children, and your nation. Emma Okorie’s exhortation also ties in to a previous post I wrote on “Ruling with Christ here on earth”—

I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:  He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'” (Psalms 2:7-9)

Except a child of God rises to the occasion and makes a decree concerning certain challenges of life, change does not take place.  Nothing will happen.  In the above Psalm the Lord God was prophesying about Jesus who has today replicated Himself in many believing Christians.  There are countless representatives of the Lord Jesus now who have the power to arise on regular basis and make decrees concerning issues of life based on their God-given rights. God said in Proverbs 8:15-16, “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.”  Job 22:28-29 affirm: “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.” 

A prince decrees justice in his environment and state.  In view of national elections and general matters, the prince decrees justice.  We, as children of God, have a right to decree things into being from the realm of the Spirit. Believers ought not allow drift and waste to continue.  God has put sufficient impetus into His children to change situations through decrees.  The heathen may apply voodoo but the blood of Jesus is available to the believer to torpedo things and the wicked cannot cross the bloodline.  A child of God decrees things by faith and goes to sleep certain that angels have taken up the battle.  His decree activates the Holy Spirit who goes to work to establish things.  Little wonder when men are cast down, there shall be a lifting up for God’s servants.

There are diverse kinds of prayers and a Christian should be knowledgeable in all.  He should know that he has power to make a decree. When he comes face-to-face with the devil, it is not time to run to his closet to pray.  It is time for action; time to wake up the anointing and the word of God within and issue a decree.

God rules by decrees and orders things into existence.  His language is “Let there be!” Right in the face of trouble, there is no room to legislate or parambulate.  There is no compromise, negotiation or talking.  What is required is an order, a decree.  It is a proven theological fact that the righteous has the right to make decrees and they shall come to pass.  Elijah made decrees.  Moses did, Joshua made decrees and Jesus did and there were definite results.  Believers have a right empowered by the Lord Jesus to make decrees which come to pass.

A decree is an opinion expressed with authority, an official order issued by an authority.  Anointed by the Holy Ghost and backed by the authority of heaven, a child of God issues decrees which come to pass.  A decree is an official order. One who knows his position in Christ is conscious of the authority behind him and the word he issues.  He simply calls the shots and watches them come to pass. He beholds the physically challenged and issues an order to the devil to pack and leave based on the fact that the body is God’s temple and dwelling place.

A man that makes a decree is a man in authority; a man above situations and circumstances, in full possession of the spirit.  They that do know their God, shall be strong and do exploits.  He can speak authoritatively to situations and instant remedies ensue.  We have within us the power, nature and ability of God. When we issue orders in the name of Jesus, those things which be not shall come to be.  We can only be like our father who decreed things into being in the beginning.  As soon as we are baptized in the Holy Ghost, a double portion of anointing comparable to Elisha’s comes to dwell in us.  Once this is in place, the authority to issue decrees is in place and one can authoritatively speak to circumstances with instant remedy.

God has highly exalted us in Christ and has made us joint heirs of His glory and authority.  We have thus a lot in common with Christ.  When we speak a word, Jesus immediately takes it up and it becomes His own word.  You can give a decree in command of angels or humans and cast out all manner of demonic forces.  Isaiah 45:11-12 says, “Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.”

We can make a decree by the name of our maker as long as it is in agreement with His word.  God will not feel insulted because He has already given us the authority to command Him concerning the works of His hands.  A number of people issue decrees.  Believe me, as long as it is in agreement with the word of God, you have authority in your hands to issue decrees in the name of our maker. You can command the sun to stand still for the sun is a work of His hand.  You can command and demolish sicknesses.  You may command the rain, sun and the wind if they stand in the way of your divine assignment.  Joshua commanded the moon and the sun and God ensured compliance.  Joshua 10:12-13 “As the men of Israel were pursuing and harassing the foe, Joshua prayed aloud, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and let the moon stand in its place over the valley of Aijalon!  And the sun and the moon didn’t move until the Israel: army had finished the destruction of its enemies!  This is described in greater detail in the book of Jashar.  SO the sun stopped in the heavens and stayed there for almost twenty-four hours!”(TLB).

We have authority over everything created by God.  We have no need to worry how our decrees will be carried out because God has the whole world in His hands.  At the mention of the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.  Whoever God calls, He equips.  When He says go, He is right behind to back you up.  The heavenly forces queue up to bring the words of God’s committed servants to pass.  Move by faith, don’t think who is going to do it for you for all power belong to Jesus, the Creator of heaven and earth.

Decree is an opinion expressed with authority.  Do you ever get angry righteously?  Where is your righteous anger?  Why allow sickness to continue when the word of God says by His stripes we are healed?  Why would you watch while the enemy crosses the bloodline? Why will you be bound when Jesus has set you free?  Elijah was flesh and blood.  He feared Jezebel, a woman, and ran for his life, desiring even death.  Yet at Elijah’s decree, rain ceased for a period of three and a half years. Fire came down from heaven and many other miracles happened. How long will you continue to suffer on account of the fact that you don’t know your rights? Arise and become a friend of God and grow in anointing. Become righteous because God does not hear sinners. There is a fight to be fought, issues to be settled. Begin to issue decrees. Joshua did and scripture notes there was no day like that when God hearkened to the voice of a man.

God has put everything unto the authority of man. He said, “Go into the world and subdue it.” Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

You should be in a place where you rule not where you are subjugated. You should be in a place where your anointing makes the enemy capitulate and bow. This is the level of exaltation God has given us. God sees a believer as his extension. A believer’s decree is God’s though from the mouth of His servant. Elijah certainly reached a limit in 2 Kings 1:12 when he issued decrees and fire descended from heaven and consumed men. “And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.”

When persons rise to fight a church over lands and other properties, they take a life and death risk. Before long they experience inexplicable plagues and will probably not know their origin. It is a dangerous risk to distract any on divine assignment. When Korah and his cohorts confronted Moses he said to them in Numbers 16:28-30.

“And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.”  The ground clave asunder under Korah and company and swallowed them with their houses, families and goods. You don’t mess with those who do know their God. You don’t poke fingers in the eyes of God’s servants in who lie great anointing. Paul said to Elymas “Be blind for a season” and he stumbled around looking for someone to guide him by the hand.  Acts 13:11 “And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.”  As a believer, you can decree things in any direction you desire and they come to pass. James 5:17-18 “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit..”

When God gives authority, it behooves His servants to use it to work out His purposes. While this lasts, He will not deny the user but will rather support him.

There are many issues to be solved by decrees and there should be no questions about them. If a man of God is full of the word of God, ready at all times to make a decree, mountains will be leveled.

When Jesus decreed death to a fig tree, it dried up, Matthew 21:19 “And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away.”

When they passed that way the next day his disciples took notice, Jesus told them, “You can say to this mountain be thou removed.” (V21). You can do the same to every ugly situation on your way.

The kingdom is established by decrees. Your opponent does not need to understand before he obeys. How long will you allow circumstances to rule you? Rise in the power of the spirit and decree things into being. Make a decree how your health should be. You can do it because you have the authority. Daniel 11:32 says “… but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.”  The secret to making decrees is in the knowledge of God.  None can make a decree above the revelation he has received.  It is by the measure of revelation you have in Jesus that you can rise in the spirit and say “Satan, give way!”

By decrees you can conquer territories and occupy it.  Time has come to get angry in the spirit and make decrees concerning your circumstances.  Military governments rule by decrees.  As it works in the natural, so it is in the supernatural.  In the midst of confusion, trouble and unrighteousness, police cases, court cases, oppression, Satanic gang-ups, make a decree and set the aggressors to flight.  When a wicked government or ruler is in authority, declare a decree and put a change in place.

When I think of the valley of dry bones in the book of Ezekiel, I see decrees criss-cross each other.  Ezekiel 37:1-10 “…So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.”

What kind of country would you want to live in?  What kind of community or state do you desire?  You can achieve it through decrees.  The desires of the righteous shall not be cut off.  It shall be granted, an exceeding great army.  Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 18:18 “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Spiritual decrees do not stem from natural laws but from supernatural laws.  When scripture talks of calling those things which be not as though they were, what comes to my mind is to declare the decree of faith.

Discover things which are the works of the hand of God especially those which have constituted challenges for you.  Arise today and begin to issue decrees in the direction of your needs.  I assure you, there shall be a performance.  God will give you the desires of your heart.

God bless you.

*the only change from Emma’s writing was the incorporation of the NASB version of scripture rather than the KJV, for ease in understanding.