Can We Speak Things into Existence?

It can be tempting for individuals to follow false belief systems because they sound appealing with the idea of “speaking things into existence,” but they simply are not true. The Lord God is the only One who can speak things into existence with just a breath.

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Speaking things into existence is part of the law of attraction and manifestation. The law of attraction and manifestation are not biblical concepts and should not be practiced by believers. Within manifestation, there is the concept that you can speak things into existence by using your words. The major things people try to “speak into existence” are their hopes, wishes, and dreams.

Can We Use Our Words to Manifest?

The law of attraction and manifestation teaches that our words have the power to materialize whatever we desire. As an example, if you have the desire of having your dream job, all you have to do is speak positive words about getting your dream job.

The “Manifesting Queen,” Kelsey Aida, gives these words of advice about manifesting your dreams, “We just speak about the things we want to happen enough, and in time, they happen!” In other words, if you just keep repeating the same positive affirmations, you can speak anything into existence.

The Bible tells us we cannot speak things into existence. The only One who can speak things into existence is God Himself. God spoke the entire universe into existence (Genesis 1:1-31). He spoke the light, the water, the sky, and everything else into existence. God literally only says, “Let there be…” or “Let the…” and it came to be true (Genesis 1:1-24).

God is able to do this because He is God. He is the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:13-14) and the Master Creator (Revelation 4:11). God has blessed us with the ability to create things, but we cannot speak things into existence. Mankind is unique among God’s other creations because we are made in His Image (Genesis 1:26).

Animals, insects, and the universe were not made in God’s image, but all human beings are made in God’s Image. This means we have emotions, intellect, and morality. With our intellect, we can create things with our hands, such as homes, inventions, or artwork; however, we cannot simply say a few magic words, and these things magically come into existence.

You can try sitting on the ground each day and try to speak a house into existence, but you will only be wasting your time. God has gifted us with great abilities, and He has given us creativity as well as imagination, but He does not give us the ability to speak things into existence.

Is Manifestation a Biblical Concept?

Prosperity teachers, such as those who adhere to the law of attraction and manifestation, believe that a person can obtain the same ability as God or become little gods. With this ability, these false teachers advocate one can speak things into existence.

This is an erroneous teaching and true biblical teachers with gravitas do not hold to this belief. The Bible tells us clearly that we cannot speak one word into existence. Lamentations 3:37 tells us, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” If God has not already decreed something, it will not happen.

Likewise, when we pray, it does not mean that God will answer all of our prayers. God answers prayers in accordance with His Divine Will.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him (1 John 5:14-15).

This means that God will not answer prayers with selfish motives, such as asking for designer clothes, to become more popular, or asking for the latest sports car.

However, this also means that some prayers we pray with good intentions will not become answered either because these prayers are not within God’s will. You may pray for the healing of a loved one, but they pass away, or you may pray for a spouse, but you remain unmarried your entire life.

Both of these prayers are commendable and not wrong to pray, but God may not answer them because they are not in His Will for your life. When we pray for something, it does not mean God will answer our prayers, but He does promise to listen to each of our prayers (John 9:31). When we submit our prayers to Jesus’ Lordship, we will grow to pray more things in alignment with His Will rather than our own will.

Some false teachers try to use the passage of Mark 11:24 to mean that mankind can speak things into existence. Mark 11:24 states, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” These words come from Jesus’ own lips as He is talking to His disciples.

In this passage of Scripture, Jesus is not telling us that we can speak something into existence nor is He telling us that we can create things out of nothing by simply using our words. What Jesus is actually telling us is to have faith in God when we pray.

As previously mentioned, not all of our prayers will be answered, but God will answer the prayers we pray in faith and in accordance with His Will. God is the only One who can do the impossible.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:23-26).

Can We Really Speak Things into Existence?

As Christians, we should not try to become involved with the practices of manifestation as this belief system will only lead a person astray. The idea of speaking words into existence advocates for the idea that we are sufficient in and of ourselves to do anything. This is not true as our lives are dependent on God.

Every single breath we take in the morning is only possible because of our Almighty God. We are not self-sufficient despite what the world tries to tell us. Our entire being and lives rest upon God and His mercies. Each person would not be here today unless God had created them, breathed life into them, and caused oxygen to fill their lungs.

For further reading:

What Is the Difference between God's Manifest Presence and Omnipresence?

Is Manifesting Our Lives for the Better Biblical?

If There Is One Truth, Why Are There So Many Doctrines?

Does the Prosperity Gospel Seek God or Money?

Does God Still Speak to Us Today?

Vivian Bricker author bio photo Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures.