{"id":13380,"date":"2007-12-15T18:39:11","date_gmt":"2007-12-16T00:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=13380"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:20:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:20:50","slug":"what-does-name-it-and-claim-it-mean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-name-it-and-claim-it-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"What does ‘Name it and Claim it” mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

What does ‘Name it and Claim it” mean?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

“Name it and claim it” is the slogan of the Positive Confession movement, also known as Word-Faith. At the heart of the movement’s teaching is the idea that faith is what we say, not what we have in someone else. “The term “positive confession” refers to the teaching that words have creative power. What you say, Word-Faith teachers claim, determines everything that happens to you. Your “confessions,” that is, the things you say — especially the favors you demand<\/em> of God — must all be stated positively and without wavering. Then, God is\u00a0required<\/em>\u00a0to answer. Word-Faith believers view their positive confessions as an incantation by which they can conjure up anything they desire: “Believe it in your heart; say it with your mouth. That is the principle of faith. You can have what you say” (Charismatic Chaos, pp. 281, 285).” [Positive Confession\/PMA<\/a>\u00a0by J. Beard]<\/p>\n

The obvious problem is that it puts everything backward. The created is seen as being in control of the Creator.<\/p>\n

“Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?<\/em>” (Isaiah 29:16).<\/p>\n

“Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?<\/em>” (Isaiah 45:9).<\/p>\n

“Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”<\/em>” (Jeremiah 6:3-6).<\/p>\n

“You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?<\/em>” (Romans 9:19-21).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This movement loses sight of the fact that we may ask of God what we desire, but it is the Lord God who decides what is needful and what to give to His children. Just because we ask is no longer a guarantee that we will receive from God any more than earthly fathers grant their children’s every request. Parents know spoiling a child (giving them anything they want) is a quick way to raise an unappreciative brat. God knows this better than we do. This movement is nothing more than a thinly disguised form of materialism.<\/p>\n

By strange coincidence, this question came in the day before I received an article on a book by one of the famous “name it and claim it” promoters. Please see: “Your Best Life Now? Really?<\/a>“<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: What does ‘Name it and Claim it” mean? Answer: “Name it and claim it” is the slogan of the Positive Confession movement, also known as Word-Faith. At the heart of the movement’s teaching is the idea that faith is what we say, not what we have in someone else. “The term “positive confession” refers…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[34,258],"class_list":["post-13380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-false-teaching","tag-money-management"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":43323,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-belief-and-confession-mean-that-baptism-is-unnecessary\/","url_meta":{"origin":13380,"position":0},"title":"Do belief and confession mean that baptism is unnecessary?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 10, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, Thanks for your web site. It has been a God-send to folks like me who are relatively new in our walk with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been trying to find a Bible-believing church to attend, but there are so many\u00a0false teachings and\u00a0divisions in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":68764,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-umbrella-nature-of-the-term-faith\/","url_meta":{"origin":13380,"position":1},"title":"The Umbrella Nature of the Term \u201cFaith\u201d","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton One preacher (Stephen Whitsett) argued the following: \"In the same way, it would be possible that Acts 2:38 is indeed communicating the fact that they were to be baptized \"as the result of\" or \"because\" they already had believed and in doing so had already received\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14702,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-romans-49-12-indicate-that-we-are-saved-prior-to-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":13380,"position":2},"title":"Does Romans 4:9-12 indicate that we are saved prior to baptism?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 24, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Can you explain why Romans 4:9-12 does not indicate that we are saved prior to baptism? I am not sure how to put the answer into words for an acquaintance that insists that he was saved prior to baptism regardless of clear passages of Scripture. Thank you! Answer: When\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27950,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-righteousness-mean-giving\/","url_meta":{"origin":13380,"position":3},"title":"Does righteousness mean giving?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Brother Jeffrey, I hope you have time to answer. I was speaking with a Pentecostal fellow who tried to redefine righteousness as sadaca (giving) from the Old Testament. I knew this was wrong but didn't have a great answer. I thought about Romans 1:16-17,\u00a0 the passage he was trying\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":749,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-belief-include-anything-more-than-trust\/","url_meta":{"origin":13380,"position":4},"title":"Does belief include anything more than trust?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 30, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does belief include anything more than trust? Answer: Belief or faith is of primary importance to a follower of God. The writer of Hebrews state, \"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23716,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-proper-thing-to-say-as-you-are-baptizing-someone\/","url_meta":{"origin":13380,"position":5},"title":"What is the proper thing to say as you are baptizing someone?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi Jeff, I read an article that asks what does someone says before they baptize someone else. It almost answered my question but not completely. I have always been taught that it is not a proper baptism unless the proper things were said. After taking their confession and then\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13380\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}