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Gloria Copeland — Praying in the Spirit Part 1

23 Jun

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries (1 Corinthians 14:2).

When I began to pray an hour each day, I prayed mostly in the spirit—in other tongues. In the spirit I prayed the perfect will of God. I was able to pray His will even though I did not know the specifics of His will about many things with my intellect. I spoke mysteries unto God (Romans 8:26). Weymouth says “divine secrets.”

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27).

The Holy Spirit helps us to pray the perfect will of God. He makes intercession for the saints with groanings which cannot be uttered, but He does it through us. He does not do this on His own apart from us. We must listen to Him, obey Him and allow Him to help our weaknesses.

“…The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities.” The word infirmities in the Greek is weaknesses. The Amplified Bible translates it this way: “So too the (Holy) Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness….”

If something in your life is giving you trouble, the Spirit of God will bear you up and give you wisdom and strength to overcome it. He gives you answers. Ephesians 3:16 says, “…be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” The Spirit of God works within us to strengthen our spirits—to endue us with His power so we can overcome. He not only tells you what to do, He imparts to you the strength and ability to do it.

You may have been Spirit-filled for years but have not been listening to Him or paying attention to what He has been saying to you. He will give you the answer, every answer. Whether a large problem or small problem, the Spirit will work against it. He is our Helper, Strengthener, Standby, Intercessor, Advocate, Counselor, Teacher. He is on our side! Romans 8:31 says, “…If God be for us, who can be against us?” You could say, “If God be for us, what difference does it make who is against us!”

When He prays the will of God through you, He goes to the exact root of the problem. You and I might only realize the symptom. He deals with the cause. Thank God, there is nothing too hard for Him. And if you care about it, He cares about it.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Gloria Copeland — A Word From God

01 Jun

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

Near the end of 1982 I heard a prophecy that changed my life. The Lord gave me direction and instruction. This word from the Lord impressed on me that if I would just give a tithe of my time, an hour or two a day to the Lord, all would be well, my life would be changed and empowered. At the time I especially thought about my family. I needed things well in my family.

One result of this exhortation by God’s Spirit is that God led me to pray in the Spirit an hour each day. At that time, even five minutes seemed long to me. I just did not spend much time in prayer. I concentrated on God’s written Word. I would go to Him, show Him His Word, believe it, act on it and it would come to pass in my life. But I had never spent much time in prayer. This word from God changed my life.

It has been more than 20 years since I decided to spend an hour or two with God every day. It has been of major importance to my spiritual growth and the well-being of my present life. I sincerely believe that all my needs are met abundantly today because I obeyed this direction. My children are serving the Lord. My grandchildren are well and happy. My children have blessed and happy marriages, and they are prospering. We are all well.

Ken and I are still happy and in love with each other after 46 years. I believe we have run the race God set before us and obeyed His will for our lives up to the present day. Yes, I am still spending at least an hour in prayer every morning. I like for all to be well!

But this prophecy wasn’t just to me. It was to the Church. Spending time with God every day for an hour or two—in His presence: in prayer, in His Word, praising Him, in services—will change your life as well.

The important thing is to do what God tells you to do and to be consistent in the things of God. Spending time in eternal things is not like spending time in the affairs of this world. Your prayers are eternal, and eternal things never end. They have everlasting reward.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Gloria Copeland — Give God Control

28 Mar

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit… (Hebrews 4:12).

The Word of God divides the soul and the spirit. The Word of God will distinguish, clarify or separate the soul and the spirit. When I look back in my own life, I can see how I was held back spiritually. It was not my willingness to disobey God. I have been willing to obey Him since I first began to study His Word. It was my inability to hear from God and recognize His leading that held me back spiritually. It was not through any willful determination. I just did not recognize most of the time what God wanted me to do. When I had to make a decision, I would try to figure out the best way for me to go. I didn’t know
how to recognize my spirit.

Thank God, that is not the way you and I have to walk. We should not walk according to our own intellect or reasoning. We should walk according to the Spirit who knows all things. But we must make the decision to allow Him to direct our actions. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6).

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Gloria Copeland — Enter Into His Rest

11 Feb

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

Teaching His disciples, Jesus said:

I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:25-30).

We should labor to enter into that rest. What is the rest of God? Walking in the Spirit. Walking in a life that is controlled by the Holy Spirit. This is the high life Jesus was talking about—walking in liberty from the bondages of this world. Nothing in this world can defeat us if we enter into the rest of God. To walk in His Spirit will make us obedient to Him, and the power of God will be manifested in us. People’s souls are so pressured in this hour. There are so many problems in the world today, so many problems in individuals’ lives. Jesus was talking to us in this passage. He was saying: “Whatever you learn of Me, cause that to be the path of your life, and you will find rest for your souls.” Take His yoke upon you. It is easy. You’ll love the results of obedience!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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Gloria Copeland — Harden Not Your Heart

21 Jan

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

For so many years I walked on the written Word of God and depended on it. It changed my life. The Word renewed my thinking. I began to think like God thinks in many ways. But one area in which I was insecure was making decisions when the Word did not give me specific directions.

The Word does not tell us whether to move to another city or what person to marry. We have to make these individual decisions by the direction of God’s Spirit in our spirits. We have to learn to listen to our spirit who is being communicated with by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:16 says the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirits.

You cannot wait until you see a burning bush or hear an audible voice to follow God. If you did, you would not know where you are going most of the time. I wish it were so plain when God talks to us that we could hear His audible voice, but that audible voice happens too rarely to rely on for everyday guidance.

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness…. Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Hebrews 3:7-8, 4:7).

You must be willing to hear His voice and harden not your heart. How do you harden your heart? You resist the Word of God and the promptings of the Spirit. You decide, “No, that is not my will; I have decided to go another way.” You might not make that actual declaration, but if the Spirit of God leads you to do something and you fail to do it, essentially you are saying, “I shall do my own will in this matter.” If you harden your heart, it is unbelief to the written Word and to the voice of the Spirit of God that comes up within you. Harden your heart and you will not live in rest.

One definition of harden is “to make firm, solid or rigid.” In Ezekiel 36:26, God says He will take away the stony heart and give a heart of flesh, or a soft heart, a pliable heart. You could say it is a heart that the Holy Spirit can maneuver.

So, if you harden not your heart, what happens to you?

“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief” (Hebrews 4:9, 11).

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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