Awake to Righteousness

Kenneth Copeland

Awake to righteousness, and sin not.

– 1 Corinthians 15:34

When your alarm clock goes off tomorrow morning, don't just wake up to another day. Do what the Word says to do and "awake to righteousness!" Reawaken yourself to the glorious fact that you've been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and given right-standing with Almighty God.

Why? Because tomorrow--and every other day of your life on this earth-- Satan is going to try to convince you that you don't have any right to the things of God. He's going to try to bring you into bondage again to sin in order to control your life. But he won't be able to do it if you'll reawaken yourself every day to who you really are in Jesus.

Here's a prayerful confession to help that revelation come alive in you:

"Father, I confess anew Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior today. Lord, You are the head of my life. I completely yield myself to You. My will is now Your will. My plans are now Your plans.

"As a new creation in Christ Jesus, I accept the gift of righteousness and all that gift includes: health, prosperity, peace, joy and life abundant. I put aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets me. I now look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith.

"According to Your Word, I can now reign in this life as a king. The power of sin and death in my life has been overcome. No longer am I ruled by the forces of evil but by the God above all gods. I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me.

"I determine today to walk conscious of my right-standing with You, Lord, and with every step to draw closer and closer to You. Thank You for the gift of righteousness. Because of that gift, I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

"In Jesus' Name. Amen!"

He'll Be Listening

Kenneth Copeland

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

– 1 John 5:14-15

Have you ever been in prayer and suddenly had the disturbing sensation that God simply isn't listening?

It's happened to all of us. We limp along praying the same old prayers, half-hoping those prayers are heard and half-suspecting they're not.

Today I want to show you how to resolve that dilemma once and for all. But let me warn you, I'm not going to slap you on the back and assure you God will listen to any old doubtful, self-centered thing you say to Him. He won't. He's only promised to listen to prayers that are prayed according to His will. The Apostle John says when you pray like that, you'll know that you have the petitions you desire of Him.

The word petition is defined as "a formal written request addressed to a sovereign superior of a particular right or grace," and that's exactly what you need when you're praying about something serious.

How do you put together a solid petition, one that's in line with the will of God?

First, you have to roll up your sleeves and dig into the written Word. Find scriptures that apply to your situation and make those the foundation for your petition.

Then get on your knees and consult with the Holy Spirit. Let Him help you develop your petition in detail. The best way to do that is to spend time praying in other tongues. (See Romans 8:26-27.) Expect God to reveal things from His heart to yours. He wants you to know His will. So, while you're praying, listen!

Last of all, write it down. Make a formal written request by writing down every scripture you found. Also, as you're listening to the Holy Spirit for the details, write down the impressions and ideas He gives you.

Take your time. Let the Spirit develop your prayer. Let the truth He reveals to you settle in and begin to work in you. Get your petition firmly in mind, then when you're ready, present it to God.

Believe me, He'll be listening.

That Glorious Name

by Kenneth Copeland

And I will do--I Myself will grant--whatever you may ask in My name [presenting all I AM] so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in [through] the Son.

– John 14:13

In Jesus' Name. It's more than a phrase we tack onto the end of our prayers. All that God is and does is represented in the Name of Jesus. The Amplified Bible says when you ask in His Name, you present your requests to the Father on the basis of all that Jesus is. So you can boldly expect to have those requests granted--not because you're worthy, but because He is!

What's more, the Name of Jesus carries authority over all other names. In Philippians 2:5-11, the Apostle Paul tells us, "God also hath highly exalted him [Jesus], and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth."

In spite of all the Word of God has to say about the power of the Name of Jesus, most believers don't seem to put much stock in it. They'll pray in the Name of Jesus, then turn right around and say, "I sure hope God answers that prayer." They don't realize that if they only had the faith to believe it, Jesus' Name alone carries enough clout to guarantee their prayers will be answered.

They even let religious slang rob them of the power of using that Name. I've heard many a well-meaning believer end his prayer with the phrase, "For Jesus' sake." But Jesus didn't say to pray for His sake. He said to pray in His Name.

I used to make that mistake myself. One night I was praying because I was suffering from a stomachache. "Oh, for Jesus' sake," I prayed, "heal my stomach."

After I'd said that a few times, the Lord spoke up on the inside of me. "Wait a minute," He said, "whose stomach is hurting here, Mine or yours?"

"Mine!" I answered.

Then He very plainly said, "In that case, pray for your stomach's sake, in My Name!"

Jesus' Name. Dig into the Word and find out just how much power and authority it really carries. Then use that power every time you pray. Stop hoping God will answer and start expecting Him to cause every circumstance in your life to bow its knee in honor of that glorious Name!

Scripture Reading: John 16:13-24

An important question

My Friend: I am asking you the most important question of life. Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?

God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.”

In the Bible God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple! You can be saved today. How?

First, my friend, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God in Hell.

“ . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. “ . . . He hath made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us . . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus had to shed His blood and die. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11). “ . . . without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22).

“ . . . God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.

My friend, “God . . . commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: “ . . . ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . . . .’ ”

Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.

Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.

In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Just pray: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!

God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.

If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God save you this very moment.

God’s power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious Christian life. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God’s promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth:

• Pray -- you talk to God.
• Read your Bible -- God talks to you.
• Witness -- you talk for God.