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Posts Tagged ‘faith’

Kenneth Copeland — Prepare to Succeed

02 Jul

Kenneth And Gloria Copeland

You can avoid failure by preparing to succeed. Once you have prayed in faith, you must stand your ground until the manifestation comes. Fight the good fight of faith. Stand firm on the Word and believe God for results. Give Him the opportunity to do something with your circumstances. God is on your side! Prepare to succeed, not to fail.



When you pray in Jesus’ Name, according to the Word in faith, God will quickly respond to you (John 16:23). Suppose you prayed for healing. Then you think, What will I do if God doesn’t heal me? Maybe I had better make an appointment with the doctor. He’s awfully busy this time of year. I might not be able to see him. Then if God doesn’t heal me and I don’t have an appointment, I’ll be in a mess!




With that attitude, praying is a waste of time. The person who thinks that way will be unable to receive from God. Before he prays, he is already preparing to fail. He is double minded and, according to James 1:8, unstable in all his ways.




He is wavering in his mind and will never receive from God. He is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed about in every direction. He has a backup plan “just in case.” The moment he feels the least bit sick, he will operate in fear and unbelief. When he feels well, he will act in faith, but he will never achieve any concrete results.




If the thought comes, What am I going to do if I fail?, don’t give place to it. If you have a setback, just get back on the Word of God. The power of God is the same whether you feel like it or not. Receive the Word into your heart. Renew your mental attitude to the Word. Prepare to succeed, and you’ll receive the manifestation in the physical realm.




You may ask, “But how do I prepare to succeed?” Keep your attention on God’s Word. Look at Proverbs 4:20-22: “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”




Don’t listen to the voice of circumstances around you. Keep the Word of God before you. Do whatever is necessary to keep Satan and circumstances under your control. If that means reading the Word 200 times a day, then do it!




Jesus said in Matthew 6:22, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” Your body responds to what it is “fed” through the eyes. If you are believing God for healing, you must “feed” your consciousness with the Word of God, which will bring healing. Waste no time on useless activities. Be diligent to spend your time in God’s Word.




The Word of God will make you free. Make plans to succeed! These principles will bring the desired result, which is the manifestation of answered prayer by God’s supernatural power. At that moment, you will have a realization of God’s ability from personal experience, not just through another’s testimony. This is probably the most exciting thing that can happen. You realize God moved because you prayed and used your faith.




The day Gloria and I were married was a beautiful experience in my life. But even greater than that has been the experiences we have had in believing God together, watching Him move when we pray. To know God sees and cares about us, our family and the circumstances around us, has truly enhanced our lives. You haven’t lived until you experience the thrill of watching your prayers come to pass!


Kenneth Copeland Ministries


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Kenneth Copeland — Refusing Doubt

					

						

							24
							Jun
						

					

	
					

						
Kenneth And Gloria Copeland


Satan uses doubt with great skill and cunning to cause you to fail. He knows the importance of getting you to waver. He constantly tries to throw doubt and unbelief into your consciousness. If you begin to wonder whether you have the answer, Satan will purpose to secure a foothold in your mind. By gradually increasing his influence, he knows your faith will become ineffective and cause you to be defeated.


 


Matthew 14:24-31 is a perfect illustration. Jesus’ disciples were traveling to the other side of the sea by ship. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 


 


But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when


 


Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?


 


When Peter cried out to Jesus, He answered him with one word, Come. That command carried the authority necessary to defy all natural power. Faith supported Peter on the water. He stepped out of the boat into a supernatural experience. When he saw the wind, however, he became afraid and failed. He saw, he feared, and he sank!


 


Three elements are always involved in defeat: SEE + FEAR + DOUBT = DEFEATED FAITH Doubt was the thief that robbed Peter of God’s best. Great sermons have been made about how Jesus was there to save him. God’s best was not that he be rescued in the nick of time before being overwhelmed by a raging sea! Peter had an opportunity to walk in the supernatural, in spite of what was happening in the natural. Faith or fear—you cannot function in both at the same time. Doubt causes defeat!


 


In praying effectively, a vital part of your success is knowing how to refuse doubt, fear and unbelief. If you are concentrating on your circumstances instead of the Word, you are building an inner image of the problem and not the solution. What you see on the inside will determine your attitude. If all you envision is your negative circumstances, you will doubt God’s Word. Satan will then be able to take advantage of you to thwart your faith process.


 


Doubt operates in the mental realm. God’s Word operates in the spiritual realm. Our responsibility is to use the spiritual weapons at our disposal. Second Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” In Matthew 14, Peter’s battle was not with natural forces. 


 


The combat was spiritual. Natural law was subject to the power inherent in Jesus’ word, “Come.” By stepping out of the boat, Peter acted on the authority in that word.


 


We can walk in the supernatural in spite of life’s storms raging against us. Our spiritual weapons are mighty! Do not allow doubt or fear to enter your consciousness.


 


Maintain control of your mind. Be ready to refuse any thought or imagination contrary to your prayer. When doubt comes, refuse to give it any place. Be selective about the thoughts you entertain. Do not build inner images of defeat!


 


You can control your thought life according to Philippians 4:6-9. Learn to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report.


 


Satan uses doubt and fear to bluff you into accepting defeat. But you can overcome him by the power of God and faith in His Word.


 


Kenneth Copeland Ministries


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Bible Faith Demands Action by Kenneth Copeland

					

						

							18
							Jun
						

					

	
					

						
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Jesus released power in His earthly ministry through words. At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth,” and he did. At the city of Nain, Jesus stopped a funeral procession and said, “Young man, I say unto thee, arise.” The boy was raised from the dead. Matthew 8:16 says Jesus cast out the devil with His Word. Psalm 107:20 says God sent His Word and it healed the children of Israel.


 


Words carry power. The very forces of life and death are powered by the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the importance of speaking right words. When faith words are spoken, they must be backed by corresponding actions. James 2:17, The Amplified Bible, says, “So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).” God’s Word instructs us to be doers of what it says and not hearers only. In applying faith, two elements are involved: words and actions. Real Bible faith demands action.


 


You have to act by faith, not according to your feelings or reasoning. Faith is based on eternal truth and is more dependable than the evidence of your physical senses. According to 2 Corinthians 4:18, we are not to look at things which are seen,but at things which are not seen. The things which are visibleare temporal, or changeable. The things which are invisible are eternal—they never change. Don’t focus your attention on what you perceive through your five physical senses. Keep your heart fixed on the Word of God. Then what you see will come in line with the Word.


 


To believe God’s Word, rather than physical circumstances, is to talk and act the answer instead of the problem. Acting on the Word puts faith in motion. You cannot expect results from your prayer without the operation of faith.


 


An incident that occurred during the ministry of Jesus is a fine example of faith in action. Jesus was teaching in a private home. The crowd was so large there was no room for anyone else. Some men had brought a sick friend to Jesus to be healed. They could not reach Him because of the crowd, but they refused to be denied. They knocked a hole in the roof and lowered their friend into the room on a stretcher!


 


The owner of that house thought as much of his roof as you think of yours. How do you suppose he reacted when they tore that hole in his roof? But these men had only one thing in mind—to reach Jesus. They put aside their own dignity and refused to fear the owner of the house or the people around them. When they lowered the sick man into the room, Luke 5:20 says Jesus saw their faith. The invisible force of faith


became visible through their actions! In response to faith, Jesus forgave the man’s sins and healed his body.


 


What Jesus did 2,000 years ago, He will do today. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Once you have prayed, hold fast to your confession. Refuse to speak contrary to the Word of God. Do not allow circumstances to sway you. Act as though it were already done.


 


When you apply your faith accurately, according to God’s Word, you will get results. You will experience Hebrews 4:16 for yourself. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” It does not say, “Come and hope to get.” It says, “Come and obtain!”


 


A very misunderstood concept, throughout the religious world, is that it is extremely difficult to get God to answer prayer at all—much less answer all prayer. That is a lie of Satan and absolutely contrary to the Word of God. When you believe God’s Word in your heart, and pray in line with His Word, you have every right to expect your prayer to bring


results. Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:21-22).


 


If God will answer the prayer of a sinner to be saved, He will certainly answer the prayers of born-again believers who come to Him in faith concerning their lives.


 


Kenneth Copeland Ministries


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Applying Faith in Prayer by Kenneth Copeland

					

						

							09
							Jun
						

					

	
					

						
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When you begin your prayer based on God’s Word, you are starting with the answer. The Word contains the answer to every problem that could confront you.


 


The next step in praying effectively is found in Mark 11:24. Jesus said, “What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” This places a qualification on your prayer. You must believe you receive when you pray. Don’t wait until the manifestation comes to believe you receive.


 


This will seem very difficult at first. But as you get to know God personally, you will become convinced His Word is true. The problem area will diminish. Make a quality decision to believe God’s Word. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” You can trust His integrity. When you pray, all you have to do is apply your faith. 


 


Where does faith come from? How do you get it? Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Every believer is dealt the measure of faith (Romans 12:3). He must develop that faith by spending time in the Word of God. The application of your faith, in any given situation, is directly related to your knowledge of God. You could not have faith to be saved before you knew it was God’s will to save you. If you feel you need more faith, realize that you already have it. What you need is a more personal knowledge of God, through time in His Word.


 


Once you have prayed in faith, hold fast to your confession. God is aware of your situation. His power went to work the instant you prayed in faith. You can now rest assured that what you prayed will come to pass. Maintain your faith by keeping your confession—what you say—in line with the Word.


 


There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession (Hebrews 4:9-14).


 


Speak only words that agree with what you desire. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. As your High Priest, He is seeing to it that the whole system works the way God said it would!


 


The importance of speaking right words cannot be measured. Faith is released with the mouth. Words are the vehicles. God spoke faith-filled words when He created the universe. Hebrews 11:3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God….” God spoke and the Spirit of God used the faith in those words to create the worlds. 


Kenneth Copeland Ministries


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What Is Prayer by Kenneth Copeland

					

						

							29
							May
						

					

	
					

						
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Prayer is not an emotional release or an escape valve. It is much more than just asking God for a favor. Most important, prayer is not a religious exercise.








 


You should be getting results each time you pray. God responds to faith. So just repetition and beautiful words do not get the ear of God. Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” Let me give you an example from my own experience.








 


Not long after I became a Christian, I asked a minister to pray for me. I was expecting to hear a long, beautiful prayer—one that would cause people to fall on their knees in repentance before God! What I heard was just the opposite. He laid his hand on my chest, bowed his head, and said, “Lord, bless him. Meet his every need.” He then turned and walked away. I was left standing there thinking, How could he do that to me? I have big problems. It should have taken at least 20 minutes of hard praying to cover everything.








 


The major difference separating that minister and me was the degree of faith at work in our lives. He was operating in faith, praying exactly what he meant. I was a baby Christian, looking for a physical manifestation of some kind.








 


The length of time or how hard you pray makes no difference. When you pray in faith, you have confidence in God’s willingness to use His power to answer your prayer. The man who has confidence in God is very difficult to defeat. He knows, regardless of what comes, he can pray and God will move in his behalf. The key then, to success in prayer, is expecting results. Many Christians think, I’ll pray and maybe something will happen. They say, “I’m just hoping and praying.”










If you are only hoping to get results, you will never receive from God. “Hoping to get” is not the same as “believing you receive.” The promises of God bring hope in hopeless situations.








 


However, hope has no substance by itself. “I hope to get healed someday.” You hope to receive someday, but someday never comes. Faith brings hope into reality and gives it substance. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The object of hope becomes a reality through faith. Hope is always in the future. Faith is always now.








 


Faith causes you to receive from God. The believer who is operating in faith believes God’s power went to work the moment he prayed.








 


Kenneth Copeland Ministries


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