The doctrine of “positive confession” – one of the tenets of Word of Faith (prosperity gospel) theology – is a lie. We do not have the power to speak things into existence. Our words do not create reality. Those are powers reserved to God alone. We cannot make good things – like health, or a financial windfall – happen by speaking positive words like “My body is whole and healthy,” or “I am wealthy and lack nothing.” That’s superstition. Conversely, we cannot make those same sorts of bad things happen by speaking negative words. That’s witchcraft.
Take a load off and relax. God is sovereign over every situation in your life, the good and the bad. The burden is not on you to ensure a positive outcome to every circumstance by striving to always think and confess positively. Nor do sickness, tragedy, or problems mean you don’t have enough “faith” or that you’ve slipped up and said something negative. Trust God to carry you through whatever comes your way. He knows what He’s doing.
Additional Resources:
Positive Confession at Got Questions
Michelle Lesley 
My husband believes in this. I once in a frustrated state asked him, “How well does this work with a broken arm?” He actually conceded that it doesn’t. Why are people so drawn to this belief? Is it the supposed power the speaker wields?
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Michelle, the link doesn’t seem to be working.
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Thanks for the heads up. I think I got it fixed :0)
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🙂
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Hi Michelle! Your thoughts on this are spot on! And it’s refreshing to see a woman post something so pointed about this doctrine of “creating reality with your words.” There is a certain lure to this doctrine because it makes the “doer” of the “creating” so much like God (in fact, Creflo Dollar famously stated that we were created “just like God” at creation…) yet ONLY God possesses this type of power! Who spoke the earth into being? God! Who spoke and stilled an actual storm at sea that could’ve killed the disciples? Jesus! Who made the sun stand still when Joshua needed it to occur? God! He’s sovereign over matter, not us! Gloria Copeland even said that her husband Kenneth had the power to pray over tornadoes and have them disappear… with that logic, every tsunami, earthquake, building collapse and lightning strike is a result of word faith preachers not using their words at the right time. It’s so, so ludicrous, but has permeated many, many churches INCLUDING the last 3 CHURCHES we attended before our current conservative Baptist church… Thank you for posting this Michelle. You are brave in doing so…
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Thanks, Luke! :0)
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Would you consider this heresy or error?, I certainly know that the false teachers we see on TV are delusional and really think they create things on the same level as God, but are some people genuinely confused and do know that they don’t have the same power or authority as God but have heard these teaching mixed eisegetical views on scripture and have failed for it. Would you say that pastors who are not charlatans and frauds for money but do have this wrong teaching even though it’s not a strong part of their theology and don’t even know of the wrong Christology thought in these movements, heretics and false teachers?
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Hi Salen – In case you missed it, I just wanted to let you know I answered your question in this edition of The Mailbag.
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Thank you, since then I’ve left the Word of faith movement and joined a biblically sound reformed church. I asked because I was in the position of wondering if people in a church who have positive confession in their theology but they don’t have other outrages views like the worst of the worst in the WOF like Copeland and Meyer, is the church it still a true church, and I stuck around trying to be an influence but after seeing Jonathan Samson’s testimony on why he stuck around for so long before God led him out, I knew I was in the WOFM and needed to leave. The Holy Spirit gave me the peace to leave and I have no regrets. Thank you Michelle.
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