Kenneth Copeland - How To Be Consistent In Prayer
Hello, everyone. I'm Kenneth Copeland. This is the Believer's Voice of Victory broadcast. Father, we thank You and we praise You for the privilege of speaking Your words, words that are divine words from the Bible that have come down from above by Your Spirit, Your covenants of prayer and power. We praise You and thank You for it. I receive the anointing today to stand in the office into which I've been called, the prophet and the teacher. In Jesus' name, we pray it and believe we receive and we believe for honor in this broadcast today in that name that's above every name. Amen.
We're going to continue concerning prayer. Prayer is more than just communicating with God. It is communicating with God, but there's too much, in my opinion, and it's been formed over 57 years and some, but in my opinion, the largest prayer problem among Christian people is they don't pray at all and go to a restaurant, pay no attention to God. And like one fellow said one time, he said, "Well, I pray a headache prayer". What is a headache prayer? Well, he said, "You do like this in the restaurant and people think, boy, he sure must have a headache". No, he's embarrassed. He's ashamed to pray in public. And then there are the too busy people, too busy to pray, don't have time. Well, you're going to have time to sit in lawyers' offices. You're going to have time to sit in doctors' offices, and you're going to have time to sit among the time that your children get in trouble because you didn't teach them how to pray.
So I heard Oral Roberts said more than once, and to me personally, that the largest problem among good Christian people, born-again, Holy Ghost-baptized people is a prayer problem, not knowing how to pray or not knowing when to pray. Someone asked Smith Wigglesworth, they said, "How long do you pray"? Well, he said, "I rarely pray over about 15 minutes". But he said, "I rarely go 15 minutes without praying". So in other words, that was his answer to all the time. So now let's turn to the sixth chapter of the book of Ephesians. Now, this chapter begins with children, "Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise".
Well, we've hit on something right there. This is the first commandment with promise. With long life, He'll satisfy you and show you His salvation. But as we continue on, "You fathers, provoke not your children unto wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters, according to the flesh, with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ. Not with eye service, as men pleases, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will, doing service as unto the Lord and not to men. Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man does, the same shall he receive of the Lord. And you masters do the same thing unto them, forbearing, threatening, knowing that your Master also is in heaven. Neither..." Now, I want you to get it. Let me read that again. "Knowing that your Master also is in heaven".
This is going to really mean something here in a few moments. "Neither is there respect of persons with him. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all to stand, stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth". This is the armor. "And having on the breastplate of righteousness".
You remember 2 Corinthians 5? He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God. What does that mean? That we might come into right standing with God. Glory to God. Not by anything we did, but what He did. "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace". Do you remember it also says that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation? He's talking about walking in power. "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Take the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying".
Well, well, well. Now, you could take each one of those pieces and explore that. But this is prayer armor. Each one of these has to do with praying. Praying always, with all prayer. And we found out that one translation says all manner of prayer. One says all different kinds of prayer. So, there's the prayer of petition. There's the prayer of faith. And so there are the prayer of dedication and commitment. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. For I am an ambassador in bonds, and therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak".
Okay, praying always. For whom? The ministry. Praying for your pastor. Praying for whatever ministry that you're part of as a partner. But I'm telling you, prayer should be something that goes on all the time. I was at ORU and I came home from school one day. And Gloria said, in studying prayer, she said, "I heard this, in consistency lies the power, to be consistently constant of praying the Word. Because it was about that time that I heard in my spirit, let the Word fight its own fight. Because it has within itself the power to bring itself to pass".
Now then, why bring this up? Having done all to stand, stand therefore. Well, what is the need? Well, somebody doesn't help me financially, I'm telling you right here in a few days, I mean, we're just going to go down the drain. You're redeemed from the curse. What curse? Uh-huh. Okay. There's the problem. The curse of the law. Threefold. Spiritual death, sickness and disease, and poverty. The blessing of Abraham, spiritual life, divine health, and prosperity. And prayer is involved in all of those. Now, let's go back over here now to the sixth chapter of the book of Matthew. "Jesus said, Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them. Otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore, when you do your alms, do not sound the trumpet" or just don't be blowing a horn about yourself on your giving. It's just, anyway. When you do, don't let your left hand know what your right hand's doing.
Now, that has a lot to do with prayer. Jesus is using these words like this. Number one, there's a lot of things in your giving that's nobody's business but God's and yours. From what he has told you to do, and you carry it out, and it might be just good that nobody knew you did it. And so your treasure is in heaven. Now, look at that seventh verse. "When you pray, use not vain repetitions". He didn't say you couldn't repeat yourself. He said don't use vain ones. That's just stuff that doesn't mean anything. It's going over and over and over and over and over. The night I was praying there in, I was to register for ORU the next day. And $24,000 in bad debt and no money. Well, I just fell in the floor and began to pray.
Now, wait, wait, though. I just started praying in tongues just as hard and fast as I could. There's no way you can pray in tongues and hear from God at the same time. You're doing all the talking. Now, you might receive an inner direction or something. I was desperate. I didn't want to be there. I wanted to be somewhere else because I had no idea what was about to happen. I said, "I wonder if I would be quiet if he'd say something to me". It was as close to being audible as you can get. Well, it's about time. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. Get on your feet. And I received my instruction. And before the day was up, before that day was up, I was co-piloted on an Oral Roberts Evangelistic Associations airplane. I never dreamed of that. Well, the Lord wasn't about to tell me that the night before. He just said, "I'll take care of you".
Now, look at this. Use not vain reputations. Now, what I was doing wasn't vain because it was in tongues. But there was no faith in it. It was a lot of fear. So I guess you could say that it was vain. It didn't have any faith power. But then the Lord knew my heart. I was willing because I was there. I had a lot of fear. But he straightened that out. Now, come on down. They thought they'd be heard for their much speaking. Be ye not therefore like unto them, for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask. Okay. Well, I just don't see there's any use to ask. That isn't where he stopped. You still have to ask. And we're working on something. After this manner, therefore, you pray. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts.
I have sung that so many times, "Heaven, hallowed be thy name, give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen". If you forgive men... well, now he's right back on forgiveness. That's not a second covenant prayer. Don't look at me in that tone of voice. He said, "Your kingdom come, your will be done". What we read in Ephesians, the full armor of God. They didn't have the full armor of God. But if you read in the book of John, he begins to talk about the comforter, the standby, the intercessor. He has been with you, but he will be in you. Something is about to happen here. All right. So now, let's go to the book of Daniel.
"In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar, and the thing was true. But the time appointed was long, and he understood the thing and had understanding of the vision. In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh or wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. In the fourth and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel, then I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a curtain, a certain man, clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz. His body was also like a barrel, and his face had the appearance of lightning, and his eyes were lamps of fire. His arms and his feet, like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, and the men that were with me saw no vision, but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore, I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me, for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words. And when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground, and behold, a hand touched me and set me up on my knees upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright, for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken these words unto me, I stood trembling. Then he said unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you did set yourself to understand, to chasten yourself before thy God, your words were heard, and I am come for your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and 20 days, but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes", Michael is the archangel of war, "came for your words. And I remained there with the kings of Persia".
Now, he was on a partial fast, and God had to deal with him through a vision, an awesome power. The power knocked him down, the power stood him back up. And Gabriel was speaking. It was the voice of Jesus. It says so. But it was Gabriel that delivered it, an archangel. And he had to call for Michael who came in and helped him fight off the devils. What devils are those? Wicked spirits in the heavenlies. The apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit mentioned that in the sixth chapter of the book of Ephesians. So here, fasting, fear not, Daniel, we heard you from the first day. He had no weapon except prayer and fasting and a determined spirit. The Bible said he had an excellent spirit about him. And just stand. He just stayed. He just stayed. 21 days. And they heard him the first day. What if he had given up at the end of the week? Saying, there's nobody hearing me. These are angelic beings bringing messages from Jesus. He's not Lord of the church yet. There's not any church yet. Now, fasting is a weapon. And throughout, the apostle Paul said, through fastings often.
Now, if the pastor calls a fast or a partial fast, then why? What is the reason to do away with food for a season? In the second covenant, there are no instructions for fasting. Now, I studied it and in January of 1983, the Lord called me to our prayer cabin on a cleansing fast. And I won't take the time to go through all that. But, well, I'll tell you, I was so toxic. I didn't realize it until I got up there and did what he instructed me to do. But I was so toxic, I'm telling you. It was just terrible. I could see why he called me on it. But at the close of that, then I was able to hear plans for the immediate future. And plans and some things are just now taking place. And that was January 1983. We're out of time, so my point of this opening session is having done the stand, stand. Stand before you call somebody and ask them for money. Stand before you call somebody and ask them to come over and help me. Stand first. If the Lord directs you to have that someone, well, then that's a different thing. But you don't just pick up the phone first. Help me, help me, help me, help me. No. We'll be back in just a moment.