That’s important because in this dangerous day, we need God’s blessings more than ever. We need His power. We need to be walking in our full inheritance as believers because this age is about to be brought to a close. As the Apostle Paul says:

The night is far gone [and] the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light. Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly as in the [open light of] day; not in reveling (carousing) and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery…not in quarreling and jealousy. But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh (Romans 13:12-14, AMP).

The hour is late! It’s time for us to wake up. It’s time we quit allowing the devil to darken our homes, our businesses, our churches and our individual lives with strife and envy. It’s time we quit letting him pull the plug on our faith power. It’s time we started living in the light.

You may be thinking, That’s easier said than done!

I know. But you can do it.

How? Learn to watch over yourself. Pay attention to your state of mind. When you find yourself depressed or downcast, don’t just ignore those feelings. Think back. Ask yourself, “What started this downturn?”

You may realize that a particular situation sparked feelings of aggravation, jealousy or strife within you. If so, look at that situation through the eyes of God and then talk to it (see Mark 11:23).

Say, “That situation has no power over me. I refuse to allow it to bring envy and strife into my life. I yield to the forces of love and joy within me. And, Lord, I praise You for Brother Smith’s new car. I thank You that Sister Jones has those nice clothes!”

Then just start praising the Lord. Sing a song. Put on a tape that will lift you up, and force yourself to sing along. Before long, the love of God will be bubbling up out of your heart again and you’ll be singing in genuine joy.

I know you will, because I’ve done it!

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Notice I said it made a move on you, not in you. That’s an important distinction.

You see, if you’re a born-again believer, envy is not a part of your spiritual nature. It’s something the devil tries to pressure you into receiving. He dangles it in front of you like bait on a hook, hoping you’ll take a bite.

Why? Because he wants to defeat you! He wants to keep you sick, broke, sad and perpetually trapped beneath your circumstances. And to do that, he must somehow stop you from living by faith.

Since he can’t very well just come barreling in the front door and steal the faith right out of your heart, he slips in the back way. He uses envy and strife to interrupt the flow of love in your life.

The minute love is disrupted, your faith stops working too, because faith works by love (Galatians 5:6).

Many Christians don’t understand that principle, so they struggle along, quarreling and fussing with one another—and all the while wonder why their faith isn’t producing results. They don’t realize that if you want to walk in the power and blessing of God, you cannot allow envy or strife into your life. Period.

James 3:16 shows us why that’s true. It says, “Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” In other words, envy and strife give the devil an open door into your life.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Jesus did what He said He would do: He preached the gospel, healed the sick, brought sight to the blind and delivered the captives. He taught in the synagogues of Galilee and the people were amazed. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power” (Luke 4:32). Every word going forth from His mouth brought deliverance and healing.

Jesus never turned away from healing anyone who came to Him in faith. He never said, “I can’t heal you. God wants you to stay sick a little longer.” He always responded to the faith of the people.

Acts 10:38 says: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

God wants His people healed and whole. He demonstrated this through Jesus. You can see His will toward healing expressed very simply in Luke 5:12-13: “And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.”

When the leper asked, “Will you make me clean?” Jesus answered immediately, “I will: be thou clean.”

The leper knew Jesus could heal him. The only question in his mind was whether or not Jesus would. This is the key point in receiving healing—the determining factor in acting by faith or unbelief. You know God can heal. The problem comes in knowing for certain that God will heal and that He will heal you! Until you realize in your own heart that God wants to heal you, you will never receive from Him. You can watch other people receive healing and still never receive it yourself.

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Ephesians 6:10-17
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the http://kennethandgloriacopeland.net/wp-admin/themes.phpgospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Philippians 2:13
[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight (The Amplified Bible).

Philippians 4:6-9
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests) with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and
seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]. Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you (The Amplified Bible).

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland

Abraham…Moses…David…Solomon…why did God bless
these men? Why have so few men found the blessings of God
in finance? We need to renew our minds to God’s reason for
financial blessings. In the book of Deuteronomy, we see the
predominant rule to remember in living a prosperous life: “And
thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath
gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God:
for it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth, that he may
establish his covenant which he swore unto thy fathers, as it is this
day” (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

The predominant rule: God gives the power to get wealth.

Why? To establish His covenant.

Let’s read further from Deuteronomy 9:5-6: “Not for thy
righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to
possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord
thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform
the word which the Lord swore unto thy fathers, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth
thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for
thou art a stiff-necked people.” In other words, Moses was saying,
“God didn’t drive those people from their land because of
your righteousness. He did it because He promised to do it. He
had made an agreement with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Now
the people did everything they possibly could to keep Him
from it. They broke the covenant in every way, but God instituted
the priesthood to offer sacrifices for their sins. They had
no righteousness to rely on, so God gave them a way out. He
went to great lengths to establish the covenant even among
unrighteous people!

Deuteronomy 29:9 says, “Keep therefore the words of this
covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.”
According to this, we should be prosperous in everything we
do, but we must keep the words of the covenant.

God gave instructions along these same lines to Joshua
during the most critical situation in his life. Moses was dead
and Joshua was to take over leadership of Israel in his place,
a very difficult job to do. Moses…the man who talked with
God face to face…the man who produced water from a rock
in the middle of the desert. Moses walked in prosperity!
When he needed water, God gave him the ability to get it.
The power of God brought the water, and it was priceless!
This is real prosperity!

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland