by Kenneth Copeland

Not long ago, the Lord told me that we need a much higher degree of revelation that God is love, and that His love is in us to be used.
As you develop and exercise that love, He said, it will not only fill you up, it will flush the fear out of your soul. Once fear is flushed out and you begin to step out in faith and love, an area of protection will develop around you, an area of joy which is your strength—an area that the world has no explanation for. They’ll begin to wonder, “Who is this that even stops and stills the storms?”
We can read 1 John 4, and clearly see how this process works. There, the man known as the Apostle of Love says:

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us (1 John 4:15-19).

Notice the very first thing that we need to do once we’ve confessed Jesus as our Lord is to know and believe the love God has for us.
We have to develop faith in that love and have it secure in our hearts. When we do, there won’t be an ounce of fear in us. Any time the devil threatens us with some kind of harm, we can rebuke him and say, “You’d better not touch me. I am a dearly beloved child of Almighty God. If you do anything to hurt me, you’ll have my Daddy to deal with and we both know you don’t stand a chance against Him. So just back off right now!”

Now think of all the different people it takes to make up the Body of Christ in the world today. What if we all prayed an hour each day in the Spirit? How many hours of praying the perfect will of God would that represent?

Once the Body of Christ rises up and becomes obedient to God, with each individual doing what he is told, we will reap the harvest of souls that God desires—and we will do it quickly!

God might tell one person to pray five hours. Someone else may be told to pray 15 minutes. The important thing is that we do what we are told. I was told to pray an hour each day, and it has changed my life. (Now I pray in English as much as in the Spirit—just whatever direction I receive.)

If you prayed in the Spirit one hour a day, by the end of the year you would have prayed 365 hours of the perfect will of God. Just 15 minutes a day would be 91 hours. Don’t you think that would affect everything in your life for good? It certainly did mine. I wouldn’t consider not spending time in prayer every morning.

I want you to realize that God will deal with you right where you are today. He might tell you to pray five minutes each day. He may ask you to start there and then increase. Five minutes is important when you are praying the perfect will of God. It is God praying through you. He gives the utterance, you give Him your authority and your voice. When you pray in the spirit, your intellect will not get in the way because you are not praying out of your head, but out of your spirit.

We must come to a place where we keep God’s Word, obey His guidance and simply do what we are told—a body of people that God can depend on to do His will in the earth.

What God said exactly was “Don’t take up all your time with natural things…but see to it that you give heed unto your spirit and give your spirit opportunity to feed upon the Word of God…
and give your spirit opportunity to commune with the Father above and build yourself up on your most holy faith…just an houror two out of 24, just pay a tithe of your time unto Me, saith the Lord and ALL WILL BE WELL.”

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

You may ask, “But can’t I pray in my own language?”

Yes, but not to the degree you need to be praying. You can only pray with your own understanding according to the knowledge you have. Many times you will not know enough in the natural to accurately pray for the answer, but the Holy Spirit inside you will provide God’s solution when you pray in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit prays God’s higher way into the situation—His perfect will.

We should pray both ways the Apostle Paul said:

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also (1 Corinthians 14:14-15).

The Holy Spirit is in us to bring to pass the will of God in our lives. Bringing to pass God’s will is the pre-eminent responsibility of the Church in the earth. Because the Church is made up of individual people, this responsibility starts with you and me. Each person in the Church standing before the Lord, being obedient to the Spirit of God, will cause God’s will to be done in the earth.

We are favored to be able to pray with the understanding and with the spirit. We do not know enough in our natural minds to be that glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, but in the spirit realm we do. We must reach down into our spirits that are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and find out what to do. As we take our place in the spirit, God’s special people will rise up in the earth.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Often we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit of God knows. The Spirit of God is in you to pray through you—to give you utterance in the perfect will of God. That is what praying
in other tongues is all about. He prays God’s answer through you. Praying in the Spirit overcomes the weakness you have because of lack of knowledge as well as the weakness you have because of
living in a natural body. It helps your spirit to receive enlightenment and strength to dominate your actions.

“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).

Jude 20-21 says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ
unto eternal life.”

Romans 8:27 reads, “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit….”

He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. God looks on the heart, and you look so much better in your heart than in your flesh. But He wants you to look as good on the outside as you look on the inside. Following after the Holy Spirit will bring that to pass. Following after the Word of God and the leading of God in your spirit will cause you to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

In our hearts we must desire to please God. We must despise things in our lives that we know are not right before Him. As born-again believers, we do not want to sin. We want to be free. We want to please God.

The problem we’ve experienced has been getting our souls and bodies in agreement with our hearts. The Word of God and praying in the Spirit is the answer. We must give ourselves over to the Spirit of God, begin to pray in the Spirit, and allow the washing of the water of the Word to present us a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing and without blemish (see Ephesians 5:25-27).

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

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

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

When you pray for your enemies instead of hating them, you become a candidate for increase. When you turn away from immorality, you’re turning toward blessing. When you see things in your life that you know aren’t right and you correct them according to the Word of God, you’re preparing yourself to handle greater financial abundance.

The book of Proverbs is full of God’s wisdom about everyday things and decisions. It will help you learn how to handle your affairs in a way that is pleasing to God. And since it has 31 chapters, by reading a chapter a day along with your other Bible reading, you can finish it in just a month. It will increase you to read Proverbs over and over.

In Proverbs you’ll find out, for example, that the quality of faithfulness and the blessing of prosperity are tied together very closely. Wherever you find one, you’ll find the other. For as Proverbs 28:20 says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings….” According to Webster’s dictionary, a faithful man is one who “adheres to duty, of true fidelity, loyal, true to allegiance, and constant in the performance of duties or services.”

Luke 16:10 says, “He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much” (The Amplified Bible). So if you want to be trusted with more and be promoted to a better job, be faithful and honest in the job you have right now.

You may think Christian people don’t need to hear about honesty and faithfulness, but they do. I know personally of cases where Christians have stolen money from their employers.

They may not have intended to “steal” anything. They may have just thought, Well, I’ll borrow this money for a couple of weeks and then I’ll put it back and no harm will be done. The problem is, you can’t borrow something from someone without their permission. That’s stealing and you can’t be blessed and steal.

Taking that money may have seemed all right to those people when they did it. They may have made excuses and justified it in their own minds. But if they’d been studying and obeying the Word of God, they wouldn’t have fallen for those excuses. That’s because the Word discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). It teaches you what is right and what isn’t.

It reveals not man’s way, but God’s way of doing and being right. It enables you to lay a firm foundation for godly prosperity.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Romans 13:2 says, “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power,
resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to
themselves damnation.” After I read this in the Word, I broke my
bad confession and began to pray for these men. For the first
time in my life, I went to the polls and voted intelligently. No
longer moved by emotion, I began to pray and seek God in voting
as I did in other areas. When my attitude changed, God
began to give me insight into the political affairs of this country.
After approximately two weeks of praying this way, God
showed me some things about the president. You see, I had
opened myself to receive from God by stopping the strife in my
heart. I had been very critical of the government and politicians;
I griped and complained continually, but God changed
my attitude. When I quit begrudging the government, God
could reveal some things to me and I could receive them. This
opened an area of prosperity I didn’t even know existed. The
Bible says these men, our civil leaders, are God’s ministers for
our good, that they are ordained of God. Our lack of prayer
support for them has caused the problems we have seen.

As a guide for you to use in receiving from your giving in
any area, let me share this little formula. It has worked consistently
for us and will work for you if you commit yourself to it.

1. Decide on the amount you need. Be careful not to cheat
yourself. God is not a skinflint. He is a giver. He is a lover. God
is love. For God so loved the world that He gave. Determine the
amount you need and then be single-minded. A double-minded
man can’t receive anything from the Lord (see James 1:7-8).

2. Get in agreement according to Matthew 18:19. This is very
important. The best and most powerful situation on earth is a
husband and wife who can agree together in these areas.
If this isn’t possible in your particular case, then get together
with another believer and have him join with you.

3. Lay hold on it by faith. Use the principles set out in
Mark 11:23-24. Believe it in your heart and confess it with your mouth.

4. Bind the devil and his forces in the Name of Jesus. You have
the authority in Jesus’ Name to order Satan out of your financial
affairs. This is your responsibility. Don’t ask God to do it.
You do it in Jesus’ Name. Mark 16:17, James 4:7, Ephesians 6
and the entire New Testament tell you to resist the devil. It is
important for the husband and father to do this. It is their
responsibility as spiritual head of the home.

5. Loose the forces of heaven. Hebrews 1:14 refers to the
angels as ministering spirits “sent forth to minister for those
who shall be heirs of salvation.” The Bible also says that angels
hearken to the Word of God (see Psalm 103:20), so when you
use the Word in the Name of Jesus, they are obligated to follow
your command.

6. Praise God for the answer. Praise keeps the door of abundance
wide open. The channel between you and God is clear so
that you can receive from Him.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Discipline your vocabulary. Discipline everything you do,
everything you say, and everything you think to agree with
what God does, what God says, and what God thinks! God will
be obligated to meet your needs because of His Word—not
because of your righteousness or your lack of it—but because
of His covenant that was brought into existence the day Jesus
was raised from the dead. If you stand firmly on this, your
needs will be met!

The Bible says that we are to owe no man anything but love
(see Romans 13:8). I will go to any lengths to love a man with
the fullness of what God has given me. Suppose I had owed
several thousand dollars on that airplane when God said to give
it away. If that had been the case, God would not have been
running my ministry; the bank would have been and I could
not have given it!

How do you operate in financial situations without subordinating
yourself to the world’s system? What is the key that
opens the channel in these things? It is available to us, but
instead, all we have known is borrow, borrow, borrow! The
Bible says if you will meditate in the Word of God day and
night, you will have good success and deal wisely in your
affairs. The Word of God is the key.

Begin to meditate on the Word in these areas we have discussed
and give God an opportunity to tell you what to do and
how to function. Remember, the rich young ruler turned and
walked away. That was his biggest mistake! All he needed to do
was say, “Lord, I don’t understand this, but I have confidence in
You. Would You please explain God’s Word in this matter?” He
just assumed Jesus wanted to take away everything he had,
while actually Jesus was offering him the kingdom of God!

Now I want to take a moment and share something else with
you. First Timothy 2:1 says that we are to pray for all men, for
kings, and for all in authority. Paul wrote that we were to pray for
these men first of all. You are to pray according to the Word of
God for the men who operate around you politically. Government
leaders have a great deal to do with your financial life.

The Word of God says, “[Pay] taxes to whom taxes are due”
(Romans 13:7, The Amplified Bible). One of the major things
fouling up your life where prosperity is concerned is your
bad-mouthing the government and its leaders, particularly in
the area of taxation. Most people are operating in strife where
their taxes are concerned, and it has a direct relationship to
the government that provides our financial system. One day
the Lord said, “Quit grumbling and complaining about your
tax money. Pay it cheerfully the way you do your tithe and I’ll
bless it.” From then on, my wife and I started praying over
our tax money—just as we do our tithe—and we have never
had a tax bill that we couldn’t pay. We bless our tax money to
the United States government. That is a change, isn’t it? Get
strife and hard feelings toward your government out of your
heart! The Word says we are to pray and give thanks for our
leaders, not badmouth them!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

For years I knew deep down inside that there was a place in
God where a man could live in victorious circumstances at all
times. I knew there was total victory in Jesus, so I searched for
it; but many of the people I asked about it told me that I would
not be able to live this way until I got to heaven. Thank God,
the Word says differently.

Matthew 18:19-20 says this: “Again I say unto you, That if
two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they
shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am
I in the midst of them.” Notice that Jesus said, “Again I say unto
you.” This was important enough for Him to say more than
once to these men until they realized that if they would get in
agreement with one another and establish a thing, Jesus would
be in the midst of them to cause it to come to pass.

You need someone to be an agreement partner with you.
The most ideal situation is for a man and his wife to be in
agreement. You need someone who will not relent and, once
the agreement is made, will stand firm that it will come to pass.
Jesus will bring even the impossible to pass if two Christians
will agree firmly on His Word and its truth. This is the reason
that in financial matters it is so important to know that you
have made your heavenly deposits. It is easy to agree on the
fact that something is yours when you have already made the
deposits for it.

The prayer of agreement is a powerful prayer, and it will work
when it is put to work. However, so much of the time one person
will agree and another person will hope. I have prayed with people
and when I finished said, “It is done and it will come to pass.”
Then the other person who was supposed to be agreeing with me
would say, “I certainly do hope so, Sister Copeland.” At that
point I am forced to say, “Well, it won’t. I agreed…you hoped.”

When an agreement is made, both parties are firm in the
fact that there is an agreed situation. When you agree with a
person to pay a bill at a certain time and that person says, “I
consider this bill as paid,” and you say, “I certainly hope so,”
then that is probably as far as the situation will go until you are
firm in your committal to that agreement. The other partner
will not enter into it with you. It should be this firm between
two Christians when they come together and believe that what
they have agreed upon in the world of prosperity will come to
pass. Remember, we have Jesus Christ’s Word for it. It will
come to pass if we refuse to relent in our agreement together.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries