When God first created the world He did it by speaking. Genesis 1:3 shows the first declaration spoken when God said “Let there be light”. A decree or declaration is defined a a noun meaning an official order issued by a legal authority or a verb meaning to order something by decree. So when God spoke and said let there be light He was issuing an order based on His authority. If we skip to the end of Genesis chapter one we see that God decrees that we should be made in His image. I don’t believe this had anything to do with physical likeness but rather that we are made in His likeness having power and authority through Jesus. How do we engage with the likeness that God has designed in us? We do the same thing He does, we decree His love and His word to the world. We declare His provision of relationship. Jesus paid the greatest price so that we could receive grace and have the power and blessings of relationship with our loving Heavenly Father. Many times when confronted with trials we choose incorrectly to approach them from a stance of weakness as if we must just try to endure them. John 16:33 says that in this world we will have trouble but to be at peace and of good cheer because He has overcome the world. We don’t have to buckle down and just let trials and storms rage over us. We have been given power and authority to speak His word over our lives. He has called us to establish His kingdom on the earth. His love has no bounds and He desires that everyone would know Him and the tremendous lengths He has gone to so they can have relationships with Him. A beautiful friend of mine has been posting on Facebook these deeply stirring posts and at the end of each one she says “This is my declaration!” It challenges me to use the voice God has given me, to rise up in the authority He has endowed me with as a Daughter of the Most High God. Let us set aside our emotions and how we feel and let us pick up the powerful tool He has given us. We don’t need to endure a storm... we need to rise up and remind the enemy, the world and ourselves that WE ARE THE STORM! We carry the most powerful authority there is and that in Him there is no limit to what can be done. THIS IS MY DECLARATION! What will yours be?