Followers of Jesus Christ are promised many things in this life, but we aren’t promised the power to speak things into existence. Having that kind of power would be wonderful, but only God has this much power. So, why do we hear Christian teachings on this topic? How did they come to this conclusion? Here are some suggestions on why this teaching is around today and what the Bible says about speaking things into existence.
Only God can speak things into existence
In Genesis, we read that God spoke the world into existence. The writer of Genesis (Moses) wastes no time pointing out how powerful God is. All he needed to do was speak; he didn’t lift a finger, and suddenly, the heavens and earth were made. That’s powerful.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:1-4 ESV)
The rest of Genesis describes how God continued to create everything, including.
- Water
- Plants
- Animals
- Even humans
In the New Testament, Luke, the author of Acts, reminds his readers that God is omnipotent or all-powerful.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:24 ESV)
Scripture is clear that only God can speak things into existence, but Scripture does teach us that he’s given us special gifts of power for the benefit of the church. These gifts, given to believers in Christ, come from the Holy Spirit. These gifts are given to help us to serve God and others. The gifts of the Spirit are
- Working miracles
- Prophecy
- Healing
- Special knowledge
- Various tongues
- Interpretation of tongues
- Ability to discern spirits
- Unique faith
Is “name it claim it” teaching biblical?
Truly[ I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:23-24 NIV)
The name it and claim it teachings were common years ago but are still circulating in many circles. Much of their claims lie in the Mark 11:23-24 verses.
Basically, this teaching says if you have enough faith, you can claim anything, and it will happen for you. It sounds enticing but has no Biblical foundation. Sadly, it’s a very self-centered view of Jesus’ teachings. A lot of the claims for this thinking have to do with miracles or money. Many people have been derailed spiritually because they gave up on the promise of prosperity without results. Of course, God does heal and provide for us, but not because we stir up enough faith, say a certain prayer, or give enough money. He heals and provides for us because of God’s grace and mercy.
Misinterpreted verses
Some Christians believe that if you say something, it will happen. Like anyone else, our words affect others for good or evil, but creating something out of nothing isn’t possible for humans. The verse that often gets quoted to support this belief is
..as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Romans 4:17 ESV)
The verse confirms that God made Abraham the father of many nations, and God is the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. This verse is not about us but God and his powerful ability to change lives.
Words are powerful, but let me explain.
Our words have the power to heal or hurt, not because we have superpowers but because words affect people. James says our tongue is a fire. He uses this metaphor to emphasize the importance of what we say.
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3: 6 NIV)
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)
Proverbs says our tongue has the power of life and death, but it doesn’t mean we’re able to create life or cause death. Our words encourage or discourage others. Hate speech damages people and may deal a death blow to a relationship. When we encourage and tell people God loves them, we bring hope. So, our words are powerful but not enough to create something into existence as God did in Genesis.
God’s will over our will
God is sovereignly in control of the world and our lives. Scripture helps us understand how God’s will is supreme. We can trust him to oversee everything. He sees the future and knows when our will isn’t the best choice. We, on the other hand, have limited vision. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. So, when we make our plans or set our will to do something, it should always hold it lightly, knowing that God could change our plans in a minute. That’s okay because he’s God and he’s our loving Father who will only do what’s best for us and for his glory.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:6 NIV)
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11 ESV)
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:14 ESV)
Live in light of eternity
When we live in light of eternity, we live each day as if it were our last. We live with hope and view of Christ, our savior who promises eternal life to anyone who believes in him, his death, and resurrection. To live like this is to glorify him, serve him on earth, and enjoy him forever in eternity. Scripture tells us that we must give an account of our life when we die. Both believers and unbelievers will face the Lord.
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27 ESV)
When everyone stands before God, there will be a judgment. For unbelievers, this will be a terrifying experience. Christians will be seen as saved by Christ because of his payment for our sins.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 2:10 ESV)
All will bow before the Lord, but anyone who refuses will spend eternity in hell, away from God and his goodness.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:11 ESV)
God wants us to live our lives in this life serving him and loving others. But we must always keep our eternal perspective. Having possessions, or material blessings are a gift from God, but they shouldn’t control us. Helping others, sharing the gospel and caring for others is what we should want to do with our lives.
If we suffer, we know that it’s temporary. This life is short in comparison to eternity. Living in light of eternity helps us face the blessings and sadness of this life with hope in Christ, our redeemer.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ( 2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV)
Conclusion
Scripture tells us that God promises many things for those who trust him and desire to serve him with their whole hearts. Because of Jesus, we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. We know that God the Father cares for us and has sent his Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us. One of the promises we aren’t given in this life is the ability to speak things into existence.
Although this sounds like a superpower we’d love to possess, it’s something that only God can do. He’s all powerful and all knowing. He’s able to make something out of nothing. Much of the name it and claim it teachings focus on money and possessions. Teachers of this doctrine suggest that if you have enough faith you can be rich and get healed. This leaves many people disillusioned and hurt because they didn’t experience these results. It’s sad when people take advantage of others for their own profit. It’s important to know what Scripture says and read the verses in context of the whole Bible. This will help us understand what Jesus’ teachings mean. Keeping our eyes on God more than money, possessions and good health is essential all the while living in light of eternity with our Father in heaven.
