2 Powerful Ways to Pray for the United States
Declaring and decreeing are two important tools in spiritual warfare. Some people use these words interchangeably, but there are subtle differences.
The other day, Sue and I were praying for a man struggling with a physical ailment. As we listened to the Holy Spirit, she and I ended up praying in different ways. One of us made a declaration, and the other made a decree.
The goal with both of these prayer methods is to listen to the Holy Spirit and pray accordingly.
What Declaring Looks Like
For my part, I considered what God’s Word says about healing. One truth in particular came to mind, and that is how I prayed: “Lord, Your Word says that by Your stripes we are healed. We are declaring Your Word.”
Declarations are often fairly general in nature. We consider what His Word says and then use that truth as the foundation of our prayer. “What Scripture is applicable here? What does the Bible say about situations like this one? What do we declare?”
As we listen to the Holy Spirit, He will bring a biblical truth or perhaps a story from Scripture to our heart.
What Decreeing Looks Like
Decrees, however, tend to be much more specific than declarations. In light of what God’s Word says, what are we asking Him to do now?
“Lord, what are You saying? How do I effectively decree in agreement with Your Word in this situation?” The decree is part of how we work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).
As we listen to His Spirit, we get a sense of where He is going. “Oh—I think this is what He’s saying. I think this is what He wants me to pray.”
That’s what happened with Sue. She sensed the Lord’s leading and began to pray this way: “We are decreeing, Lord, that by Your Spirit and by Your angels, You will restore this man’s body to its original design—that his original design would return to him.”
Making a decree essentially looks like customizing the declaration to fit what is needed in the moment, according to what the Holy Spirit is showing you.
Filling the Library of Your Heart with God’s Word
If we have a library of God’s Word in our heart, the Holy Spirit can easily draw near and lift out of that library the rhema word: the specific truth He is highlighting to us.
“This is how I want you to pray. This is what I want to do for this man. This is what I am already doing for this woman. This is what I intend to do in the United States.”
As the world fights to seize our attention and fill our heart with the fruit of the wrong tree, we need to saturate ourselves in God’s Word. Not only will the knowledge of His Word keep us on the right path, when there are hundreds of paths to choose from, but it will also help us stay out of vain imaginations—our own ideas and thoughts of what should happen.
It does us no good to make assumptions about God’s will or to consider the hurting people around us from a human perspective. What we want to grab hold of is the awe and wonder of God and what He wants to happen.
Powerfully Advancing God’s Kingdom
These two types of prayer—declarations and decrees—are part of God’s training program. The disciples requested of Jesus, “Teach us to pray. We really need to know how to pray.” And to this day, we are still learning from Him.
Paul Billheimer used to talk about the three branches of government in the United States: The Legislature writes the laws, the Judicial interprets the laws, and the Executive is charged with enforcement. As the church, we are the “enforcement arm” of God’s kingdom. We step into situations that need His light, and we instruct them to line up with His victory.
“This is what God’s Word says, and I have heard His voice.”
What is God telling your heart about the United States? How is He showing you to pray for the nation?
When you pray according to the Spirit’s leading, as you declare His Word and decree what He shows you—those prayers stir the fire He has already lit, and the flames start to spread.
Other articles from Bill and Sue Frisbie:
Why do we need to pray for government leaders we don’t like? Click here.
Click here to read about one way you can change your nation.
Are you praying for a prodigal child? What about a prodigal nation? Here’s one way you can pray. Click here.
Do you long to pray Spirit-led prayers that change people, situations, and nations around you?