–– Joe Shoko

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

The beginning of each year is always an interesting time for the observer or onlooker. After the excitement of the festivities passes and the increase of unwanted kilograms dawns upon us, then comes the time for ‘declaring & decreeing’, ‘overnight cross-overs’ and ‘40 days of prayer and fasting’. This has become a ritual in Africa. Many of the adherents of Pentecostal/Charismatic theology prioritise attending the cross-over services which their churches hold on the last day of each year, into the dawn of the New Year. 

In Zimbabwe, thousands of people flocked to different gatherings for this much-anticipated event. To many, this has been made into a defacto holiday of sorts. The State media and other media were used to herald the message; ‘this very night people are going to cross over’. Families prepared to flock to whichever ‘Man of God’ had the greatest pull and members of certain churches were chastised for visiting other churches on that cross-over night in fear of losing crowds in their buildings and cash in the offering baskets. So what happens during a cross-over event? 

Many ‘Pastors’ come up with a theme for the year. The themes differ according to church and denomination, but most are prosperity-oriented, for example, ‘the year of plenty’ or ‘the year of breaking financial barriers’. One popular preacher from West Africa arrogantly and boastfully declared that 2025 was his year of undeniable victory. After the theme has been set, the congregation adopt it or thinks up their own depending on what they want to achieve that year. Afterwards, the declarations and decrees begin. These are characterised by loud chanting and aggressive body movements, directed at God. The show of resolve and determination is so vigorous that, hypothetically speaking, if God appeared to them visually at that moment, it is not far-fetched to imagine that they would take hold of Him and pin Him to the ground until he yielded to their demands. 

Some of the other activities are the ‘binding’ enemies and ‘loosing’ blessings from the past year, so those binding and loosing would start the year on a fresh page. As the old adage goes, ‘New Year New Me.’ 

There is also jubilant music played that evokes wild dancing and mass prayer. This usually happens till the morning, then people finally leave and wait for God to make it their year. 

How should we think of this in light of Scripture?

A Biblical Response 

1. Biblically speaking, this is in fact the exact opposite of what God would want His children to do when approaching a New Year or season. Firstly, decreeing and declaring show a proud heart. The Christian is called to humility and dependence upon God. Declaring and decreeing portrays one who has exalted themselves to the point of being at par with God. Yes, we are created in the image of God but that does not mean we are God. This is a tragic state to be in and calls for one to be regenerated (to be made alive) by the Spirit of God so that they are quickened to know the truth. 
2. There is no Scriptural evidence that suggests that a good year for an individual occurs when one spends the last night of the previous year declaring and decreeing. There is not one imperative in the entire Bible that supports ‘cross-over nights.’ Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Christians having a church service before the New Year or any other day for that matter, but there is everything wrong with the commonplace practices that dominate the cross-over nights.
3. There is a sense in which blessings are mystically tied to the 31^st of December. People think that because they pray or declare for one day in a year, everything will go ‘well’ for them. I would posit that many people attending the cross-overs don’t come to church at all during the year. They live a life of rebellion against their very Maker, only to pretend to love Him for a few hours on the last day of the year.
4. People desire a comfortable and wealthy life, but the reality is that we live in a sinful and broken world. Sickness is commonplace, death is inevitable and failure is a certainty. The Christian’s Hope for a life that is free of sorrow, sickness and death is in the life to come. A life with our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us on the cross and whom we have believed in through the Father’s electing love and the regenerating of the Holy Spirit. Mankind’s feeble efforts at being God, will not in any way thwart the Decrees of a Sovereign and Mighty God.

Finally, it may not be your year. I cannot make a definitive and concrete claim that it will or won’t be a year of your desires being fulfilled, but what I am sure of is that it is definitely God’s year. God is sovereignly ruling and orchestrating things according to His Sovereign will and no one can say to Him, “Why have you done this?” We need to open His Word, read to understand it, pray in dependent humility and then get up and obey all that He has commanded.