Here is an example of prayer based on these six steps:

“Father, in the Name of Jesus, we ask you for $_______.

“We have this money in our heavenly account and we
are withdrawing this amount now. We believe we receive
$________. As in Mark 11:23-24, we believe it in our hearts
and confess now that it is ours in the Name of Jesus. We agree
that we have $______ according to Matthew 18:19. From this
day forward, we roll the care of this over on You and thank You
for it. Satan, in the Name of Jesus, we take authority over
you; we bind your operation now and render you helpless.
Ministering spirits, we charge you to go forth and cause this
amount to come to us according to Hebrews 1:14. Father, we
praise Your Name for meeting our needs according to Your
riches in glory by Christ Jesus and for multiplying our seed
for sowing in the Name of Jesus.”

When I entered the ministry and enrolled in Oral Roberts
University, my wife and I lived in an old house in Tulsa, Okla.,
and because of business failures, we owed money in every
direction. Then, as we began to grasp the principle of seed-faith
giving and believing God to supply our needs, we decided to
believe God to pay these debts. One night we sat down and figured
what we owed. I got my checkbook and wrote out the
checks that would pay these debts. We laid hands on them and
prayed according to Romans 13:8. “Owe no man any thing, but
to love one another.” I said, “Father, in the Name of Jesus, I am
putting these checks in this desk drawer and am believing You
to get us out of this mess. I am looking to You for the money to
pay all these debts, in the Name of Jesus.” I was not so foolish
as to mail those checks before the money was in the bank. That
is against the law. God will not bless fraud!

We figured to the last penny how much it would take to
operate our household abundantly, even allowing for unexpected
things. We wrote it down and prayed over it in the Name of
Jesus. I made up my mind to be single-minded from that day
forward, and in less than 12 months from that night, we did
not owe anything and haven’t owed a penny since. God did
some miraculous things during that time, and He is still doing
them today! Praise God!

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

Jesus said in Mark 11:23, “For verily I say unto you, That
whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be
thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall
have whatsoever he saith.” Notice the last words, “he shall have
whatsoever he saith.” Faith is released with the mouth. Even our
salvation is based on the confession of our mouths that Jesus
Christ is our Lord (see Romans 10:9-10). You can have what you
say! In fact, what you are saying is exactly what you are getting
now. If you are living in poverty and lack and want, change
what you are saying. It will change what you have!

People continually say to me, “Brother Copeland, I cannot
see what the confession of my mouth has to do with the circumstances
around me.” Well, I didn’t understand it much
when I first found out about it. Only the simple fact that Jesus
said it was enough for me to begin to change my vocabulary.
Since then I have learned the powerful force of the spiritual
world that creates the circumstances around us is controlled by
the words of the mouth. This force comes from inside us.

Jesus Himself said, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and
by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). Words
are containers. They can contain faith, love, fear, hate, or they
can be totally empty. Jesus said that we would stand judgment
for idle (or empty, inoperative) words (see Matthew 12:36).
Remember, we said earlier that all the material substance you
will ever need is already in the earth. Everything you need is
already here. The confession of your mouth will cause you to
possess it. God will see to that. Hebrews 3:1 says that Jesus is
the Apostle and the High Priest of our confession; and Hebrews
4:14 states that we are to hold fast to our confession. We are to
confess what we desire to come to pass. We don’t wait until it
comes to pass and then begin to confess it. In Mark 11:23, Jesus
is talking about saying things that have not yet come to pass.
The mountain had not yet been removed when it was spoken
to. Jesus said for us to believe that those things which we say
will come to pass and then we will have whatsoever we say.
When I learned these facts, it became easy for me to confess, “I
have it now….I can see it through the eye of my faith.” Once I
make deposits in my heavenly account, I can say, I have it and
then it will come to me. Sometimes it comes instantly; sometimes
it comes after it is confessed several times; sometimes it
comes after several days; sometimes it comes after several
weeks. There have been times when it came after months of
confession, but nonetheless, it came! We have God’s Word for
it. It will come to pass!

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

As we have already seen from Mark 10:30, Jesus promised a
hundredfold return when we give for His sake and the gospel’s.
Using this scripture, I decided to believe for a hundredfold
return when I gave my airplane as an investment in the gospel.
Let me add that I didn’t begin believing for a hundredfold
return overnight. When I started in the ministry, a hundredfold
return was more than I could fathom! I could see it in the Word
of God, and I knew it was true, but it took time for my faith to
develop so that these things would produce in my life. I didn’t
start believing for $5,000 or $10,000 at a time. I began believing
for the return on the first $10 I gave to Brother Roberts. My
wife and I believed for a double return and got it every, single
month. But over a period of time, by meditating in the Word
and confessing it, that “victory portion” of faith came alive in
my heart concerning a hundredfold return.

In October 1971 I gave my airplane to the Lord. I released
it, no longer claiming ownership. Then through the next few
months, I continually confessed with my mouth that the withdrawal
was mine, that it was on deposit in my heavenly account
and would be manifest as I needed it. There were times when I
would wake up in the middle of the night with fear trying to
take over, trying to get me to put pressure on people, trying to
get me to rent or lease or borrow. But I would fall back on the
Word of God and my covenant with Him, thanking God that
His Word is true and full of power. Then in January 1972 the
Lord spoke and told me to whom I was to give the airplane.

At this point, I was in quite a predicament. Arrangements
had been made to produce a television series, and we had no
apparent capital. In addition, we had a busy schedule with no
transportation. In the natural there was no way out, but by this
time, we knew how deeply God was involved! Ten days later I
had in my hands the exact amount I had confessed as my withdrawal.
Someone I didn’t even know said that God had told
them to give the money. I was to put it into the ministry and
not disclose from whom it came. This person wanted God to
receive all the glory and He has. If you borrow from the bank,
you have to answer to the banker, but when you get it from
God, there are no strings attached.

Well, I had spotted another airplane and knew exactly
where it was. I called the owner, and he flew it down to me. He
could hardly believe it! He was a Christian too, and God had
warned him three or four months earlier that he was flying
around in my airplane. But he hadn’t done anything about it
and had not made arrangements for one of his own. He had to
do without transportation for a while! This is an exciting life!
You can do what you want, but for me and my house, we will
serve the Lord!

Withdrawals from the bank of heaven are accomplished
through the power of agreement, the power of confession and
the power of standing expectantly on God’s Word.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Let’s look at Malachi 3:10 once more. There is something
here I want to emphasize. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me
now herewith, saith the Lord….” God has said in many places
through the Bible, “Have faith…believe Me,” but here in
Malachi He is saying, “Prove Me…put Me to the test!” Many
Christians are looking for a sign from God as proof of His
power, of His willingness to heal and do miracles in today’s
world. The financial realm is the only place where God gives us
an opportunity to look for this sign, and it is the only place we
haven’t been looking! We say, “But I couldn’t tell God what to
do; I couldn’t expect Him to bless me! It wouldn’t be humble!”
But what does God say? “And prove me now herewith, saith the
Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and
pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to
receive it.”

As I was studying this one day, the phrase windows of heaven
kept coming into my thinking, so I did some research. The
phrase windows of heaven actually means “floodgates.” It is the
same word used in Genesis 7:11 where God opened the windows
of heaven and flooded the earth. God doesn’t use empty
figures of speech. He means what He says! He will open the
floodgates of heaven and pour out an abundant blessing on the
tither. Then the next verse (Malachi 3:11) says:

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall
not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast
her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all
nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land,
saith the Lord of hosts.”

Now let’s discuss how to receive from your giving.
Ephesians 6:8 says, “Knowing that whatsoever good thing any
man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be
bond or free.” Whatever good thing you do to any man, you will
receive the same thing from the Lord. We have just read in
Malachi where God said that He would open the windows of
heaven to us. Therefore, we can expect to receive from God.
However, in Luke’s gospel Jesus says, “Give, and it shall be given
unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again”
(Luke 6:38). From this, we see that we also can receive from
men; so the blessing is twofold. When you tithe, you receive
from God above. When you give, men give into your bosom.
You have it coming from all directions!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Once you realize that you have these deposits in your heavenly
account, you need to learn how to make withdrawals.
Colossians 1:4-6 says, “Since we heard of your faith in Christ
Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope
which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the
word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in
all the world; and bringeth forth fruit.” Everything laid up for
you in heaven is represented by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When you put the Word of God to work, it produces faith.
“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith
puts spiritual law into operation, and the results are manifest
here on the earth. When it is laid up in heaven, a carbon copy
will take place in the earth if you will stand and act on the
Word. This is how you were saved. Salvation is not waiting for
you in heaven. It was provided for you and laid up in heaven;
but when you believed the Word about salvation and acted
on it, it was manifest here on earth in your life. This same
principle is true in the area of finances. When a man makes
deposits with God, he has a right to call upon these deposits
and make withdrawals.

We have discussed God’s teaching about tithing—how it is
set up and how it operates. You need to learn how to receive
from your tithing. When I first attended Oral Roberts
University, I heard Brother Roberts speak on seed faith, and I
began to realize what the Word said about giving. My husband and
I decided to act on this by joining in a financial partnership
with Brother Roberts, a real step of faith on our part since we
had no steady income. It was during this time that we learned
how to stand on the Word in the area of giving. For almost a
year we gave $10 into this partnership each month; and every
single month someone unexpectedly handed us $20. Later, we
learned how to believe God more specifically, but right then we
were learning the basic principles.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Another area to invest in the gospel is supporting ministries
that are assigned the job of teaching God’s people how to function
in spiritual affairs. The teaching ministries have a great
responsibility placed on them by God. Consequently, they are
greatly blessed.

Any investment expert will be quick to tell you that the
most productive form of investing is a steady, regular investment
into solid business. There is nothing more solid than
God’s work! Begin to be a regular investor. Be faithful to it.

Let’s go back to what Jesus said in Mark 10:29-30, He has
said that this will work for every man. Peter had said, “What
about us? We have left all and have followed You.” He asked
this as if he thought Jesus’ staff stood in some special place
where these laws are concerned. Jesus answered him in no
uncertain terms. Every man who invests into the gospel has a
right to expect the staggering return of one hundredfold.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Kenneth Copeland Ministries