Author Archives: KCM

“Who Dares Wins.”

This widely admired motto of the British Special Air Service (SAS) has often been repeated by the United States military during special or dangerous missions as motivation to overcome and conquer. In essence, it is a call to defy fear to achieve victory in the face of perilous circumstances. It is a call to rise boldly above everything the flesh tells you to think, feel and do.

As Christians, we can see a similar theme throughout the Bible. He who dares to believe God, stand in faith, face persecution, and take God at His Word, wins. To dare means to have the courage to confront something boldly without questioning yourself or thinking about the “what ifs.”

At KCM, we’re declaring war on fear. Do you dare join us? Do you dare to look fear in the face and talk back with the Word of God? Do you dare to have faith when everyone around says you should be afraid? To help you prepare for battle, we’ve put together 5 Battle Strategies To Win the War on Fear that will turn you into the spiritual warrior you were created to be.

1. Get In Fear’s Face

“God has not given us a spirit of fear.” –2 Timothy 1:7

Some of the greatest soldiers in the world—particularly special forces units—are trained to deal with fear head-on. That’s because they know fear is a great threat to success. It causes all people—not just soldiers—to make poor decisions, often resulting in failure.

It’s that same reason Jesus went to great effort to deliver us from all fear and oppression. Jesus didn’t cope with the works of the devil. He destroyed them. That was His whole reason for coming to this earth (1 John 3:8). He destroyed the power of sin and death, and delivered us who were in bondage to fear (Hebrews 2:14-15).

While most of us will never face the life-threatening experiences of a special forces unit, we can take a hint from how they prepare. They practice, they laugh at fear, they see themselves having a successful outcome, and they guard their inner dialogue. Sound familiar? Those are each in line with how the Bible tells us to respond to fear. In other words, we’re called to get in fear’s face and refuse to allow it the last word.

Though we no longer have to be subject to fear, we still live in a world that’s held captive by it. This means we will encounter it, and we will have to deal with it. There’s a huge difference between just coping with fear—trying to “make it” through life while still allowing ourselves to be subject to all its oppression—and being delivered from fear where it’s totally and completely out of our lives forever.

Do you dare to get in fear’s face when it tries to come on you?

You’ll need to prepare, practice and see yourself getting in fear’s face before it happens. See yourself resisting the devil. See yourself winning. Speak only the truth of the Word. The devil cannot ever win against the Word.

2. Use Counterintelligence

“For we are not ignorant of his devices.” –2 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV)

Your enemy is planning to use a weapon against you. It is quite powerful, and often very effective at defeating its intended victim. But there is a weak point in the weaponry, and only one thing can destroy it—without fail.

To win the war on fear, you’ll need to use counterintelligence in your battle strategy. The good news is that this information has already been compiled for you. Here is the summary:

1. Your enemy is planning to steal, kill and destroy everything he can (John 10:10).

2. He is going to use fear—every form of fear—to cross your borders and gain access (Isaiah 41:10; Proverbs 29:25).

3. The weaponry of fear is powerful and can only be defeated with one anti-fear missile (1 John 4:18).

4. The anti-fear weapon is this: LOVE (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Once you’ve identified the threat and determined the course of action, it’s time to win the war on fear by deploying your anti-fear weapon—LOVE. Perfect love casts out fear. Psalm 91 protection comes from dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. Dwelling in the secret place is only possible if you receive His Love; love Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.

To win the war on fear—study love. Read about it everywhere you can find it in God’s Word. Read books about it (Kenneth E. Hagin’s Love: The Way to Victory is a great place to start). Listen to teachings (like Kenneth Copeland’s The Love Factor—Living Life Without Fear CD series). Speak love scriptures. Refuse to leave the love line under any circumstance. Keep firing your anti-fear missiles of love, and you’ll be sure to win the war because love never fails.

3. Plan a Threefold Attack

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” –Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

One of the greatest warriors in the Bible was Joshua. One of only two who had the faith and courage to take the Promised Land, he succeeded Moses before spending decades of his life in battle, as he took the land section by section. God’s instructions for success? Three things.

1. Don’t Stop Speaking the Word.

2. Meditate On the Word Continually.

3. Do Everything Written in It.

In other words, God’s presence with Joshua was not enough to win the battle against the terror he would soon face and overcome. Joshua had a part to play as well. Joshua was to speak the Word…meditate the Word…and do the Word. And he was to do all three continually. Only then would he defeat fear, prosper and have good success.

So, what did God tell Joshua to meditate on?

The Word of God…the Love of God. Because it’s that Love that casts out fear. When you’re focused on the Word of God, fear will disappear into thin air. You won’t see it, smell it or taste it. It will just be…gone.

Getting rid of fear takes some action on our part. Like Joshua, we have to meditate—constantly give our attention to—the Word of God.

That means keeping our minds stayed on Him, keeping our minds stayed on His WORD, and keeping our minds stayed on His Love. And we have to do that until we receive revelation of Hebrews 13:5-6: “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”

These days, we cannot saturate our minds with all the media reports of death, destruction, biological and chemical warfare, and terrorism, and still walk free of fear. We have to get our mind off what the world says and onto what the Word says.

Take God’s plan for success for Joshua and put it into practice as your own battle strategy. It is a guaranteed plan of attack to win the war on fear.

4. Keep Your Spiritual Composure

“Having done all…stand.” –Ephesians 6:13 (ESV)

It’s no secret that the devil uses rapid-fire artillery against the people of God. It’s what Pastor George Pearsons calls “the pileup technique.” One thing after another, after another—all at the same time. This technique is designed to wear you down and force you to quit.

To win the war on fear, when one thing after another is fired at you to try to get you into fear, it is critical that you keep your spiritual composure. That’s what Paul was saying when he instructed us to put on the armor of God for spiritual battle. Once we’ve done all, the next thing is to stand.

But standing isn’t a passive act. It is an intentional decision to stand firm in faith without fainting or giving up. That’s because you cannot afford, as Andrew Wommack would say, to “fall apart like a $2 suitcase” every time something challenging comes your way.

You win the war on fear when you keep your spiritual composure—no matter how many fiery darts are launched your way. Don’t give up. You’re about to win.

5. Don’t Ever Ring the Bell

“We will reap, if we do not give up.” –Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

During Navy SEAL training, known as some of the most intense physical and mental military training in the world, a brass bell stands in the center of the training compound in perfect view of all the students. On Day 1, all SEAL hopefuls are made aware that if they want to stop the hardships, the pain, the cold, the brutal workouts, all they have to do is ring the bell—all they have to do is quit.

In war, fear is designed to weaken the enemy and ultimately get him to retreat—to give up. That’s what your enemy is trying to do, too. He wants you so far in fear, you’ll get weaker and weaker until you just give up.

Fighting the battle with fear? Find 7 Confessions To Speak When You Want To Quit HERE.

Here is the most important battle strategy of all—don’t ever ring the bell. When you quit, you give up your rights. When you quit, you let the devil win. When you quit, you lose the bold-as-a-lion grit that always gets the promise.

No matter how hard it is right now—don’t you dare quit. Don’t give up on what God has put in your heart. You have it in you to get there. Jesus Christ paid a high price to give you everything you need to win. You can win the war on fear, and live a life filled with joy and peace!

Don’t ever ring the bell.

These five battle strategies will help you win the war on fear. Do you want to win in this life? Dare to look fear in the face, and resist it in Jesus’ Name, no matter what the circumstances look like. Dare to have faith when everyone around you says you should be afraid. Dare to keep holding on even when you don’t think you have anything left in you. “Who Dares Wins.”

Related Article:

7 Confessions To Speak When You Want To Quit

Something is missing.

Maybe you haven’t thought about it in a while or had resolved to get over it and move on. But the devil has stolen something from you. The failed business that robbed you of your retirement account, your sleep and your joy. The opportunity that was pulled right out from under you. The money spent on a health problem that persisted. A relationship that suffered damage or ended altogether.

God never intended for you to accept defeat in that area. He still doesn’t. That’s because God is a God of restoration. Not as the world would define it—putting things back as they should be. No. He doesn’t do things the world’s way. God’s plan for restoration always involves restoring things to you better than they would have been.

Brother Copeland recently prophesied that in 2022, things are going to happen that you know should have come to pass a long time ago. It’s going to be the greatest year you’ve ever had. Like any prophecy, we each have a part to play in seeing it come to pass. It’s time to see a full restoration of everything the devil has stolen. Here, we’re sharing how to receive restoration from God this year and always.

1. Make a List of What You Want Restored

“Write the vision; make it plain.” –Habakkuk 2:2 (ESV)

Most of us know what’s been stolen and would love to see a turnaround, but often we’ve put much of it out of our minds and haven’t known to expect restoration in certain areas.

That’s why it is so important to take time to identify those things—big and small—that should have been. Restoration begins with making a list of what you want restored. During your next quiet time, grab your journal and a pen, and get quiet with the Lord.

Think about the things that have been stolen in one way or another, but not in a sad or self-pitying way. You’ve likely already mourned those things. But rather, you are bringing to your remembrance the things that need restoring with the intention of seeing a victory. That is how you receive restoration from God.

Then, write it down. Make a list of everything you’d like to see restored. It could be your marriage, a friendship, finances, time, sleep, health, joy, the return of taste and smell after COVID, an opportunity, a promotion, your reputation, or anything else. Acts 3:21 tells us that God restores everything. Hallelujah!

Then, get ready to….

2. Ask God for Restoration

“No one says, ‘Restore!’’’ –Isaiah 42:22 (NKJV)

Have you said it out loud?

Have you said, “Restore!” as Isaiah 42:22 mentions?

It’s time! It’s time to walk your house saying, “Restore! God, I ask You to restore my marriage, restore my finances, restore the car that was wrecked, restore my reputation, restore that promotion, restore the years I lost to illness. Restore!” Something turns loose when you do this. Something breaks free in you and around you. It’s how you receive restoration from God.

God says He will restore to you the years the locust has eaten, and He will do so because He is Compassion (Joel 2:25; Zechariah 10:6). So, when you ask Him to restore, it is imperative that you also believe that He will. James 1:6-8 says if you ask Him but don’t really, truly, excitedly believe it will happen, you won’t get it. And it’s OK to ask God to help you have faith to receive it. He wants to help you!

Ask Him. Go down the list. Ask for restoration. Put pressure on the circumstance with the Word of God. Against, hope, believe. Against what you can see, taste and smell—believe. When all hope is gone in the natural—believe. This is what pleases God.

Quit looking at the ashes and the pain. Look up to God. Begin to tell Him that you love Him and inquire of Him. There is a miracle and a double portion at the end of this. Ask Him to show you what to do. He will show you. Now, it may not all come to pass by next Tuesday, but when He shows you the first step, move on it. It could be so simple, but take that step and then the next one; and before you know it, this whole thing will be turned around.

Watch this timeless message from Kenneth Copeland and Keith Moore about Restoration of that Which Is God’s Heart.

3. Seek Correction

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” –Proverbs 12:1 (ESV)

When it comes to restoration, one thing is sure—nothing changes if nothing changes.

Restoration is God’s will for you. But seeing things come to pass that should have manifested a long time ago begins with seeking correction.

Correction—though not always pleasant—gets you in perfect position to receive what you’re believing for. If you don’t ever want to hear anything about yourself that involves making an adjustment, you’re lacking in wisdom. Worse, you’ll never be in alignment to receive the restoration God wants to give you.

It’s easy to get caught up in what others have stolen from you or where you feel you’ve been shortchanged. But no matter what is going on in your life, God is concerned with one thing—your growth and development. You want promotion, but if you don’t have it, it’s because you aren’t prepared for it yet. It would be dangerous for you to receive it without making the necessary adjustments.

Terri Savelle Foy once shared how God told her she would receive restoration of her marriage, finances and life dreams: Forget everything going on around you. You work on you.

Maybe you’ve allowed yourself to fall into a victim mentality—the idea that life just happens to you, and you can’t do anything about it. The idea that people control your circumstances or that things will never change. The idea that you’re powerless (read: “I have no one to put me in the pool” John 5:7 or “He stole my birthright and my blessing!” Genesis 27:36).

If you’re always the victim, you’ll never be the victor. A victim approach refuses to take any personal responsibility, but rather, focuses on unjust events or perceived wrong treatment from others. It specializes in the blame game, as in, “It was that woman You gave me!”

It’s time for you to see a restoration of everything that’s been stolen! It begins by understanding this one thing: You are not a victim. In Christ, we are no longer powerless. Through His power, authority, grace and mercy, we are victorious overcomers!

Becoming a victor, rather than a victim, begins with not just being willing to receive correction when it comes, but seeking it out! Ask a trusted mentor or friend to share one or two items for you to work on. And don’t be easily offended when they do. Love isn’t easily offended—and neither is wisdom. None of us is above correction, nor are we ever without a time when we need it.

At the same time, ask the Lord to shine His light on the dark places in your heart, too. Allow Him to dig around and reveal those areas of weakness you may not have even known were there. Then, ask Him to help you fix them. When He gives you a step to take—do it! It may be something humbling or uncomfortable but do it anyway. The road to restoration isn’t always an easy one, but the reward is sure.

4. Sow a Restoration Seed

“If [the thief] be found, he shall restore sevenfold.” –Proverbs 6:31 (KJV)

Jerry Savelle says it best: “When you say ‘need’, God says ‘seed’!”

Once you’ve made a list of things that need restoring, asked God for restoration, and sought correction, you’re ready to sow a restoration seed. Proverbs tells us that the enemy must not only give us back what was stolen but restore sevenfold. That kind of harvest needs seed.

Go the Lord and ask Him, “Lord, what would You have me sow for restoration?” He may have a specific seed for each area of restoration. Be tuned in to hear His direction, and give with a thankful and expectant heart.

5. Ramp Up Your Gratitude

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.” –1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

You won’t see a Christian harvesting a blessing without gratitude any more than you’ll see a farmer harvesting a crop without going out and intentionally bringing it in. Gratitude is the harvester.

You prepared the soil by asking God for restoration and seeking correction. You planted the seed by sowing where He instructed. Now, you’re ready to harvest by ramping up your gratitude.

A gratitude journal is a perfect place to start. Take the time to write down 10 things each morning that you are grateful for. It can be anything—even something as simple as your cup of coffee. Then, spend time thanking God for each of them. You’ll be amazed at how much it will lift your spirit over time. In fact, Dr. Don Colbert prescribes keeping a gratitude journal to many of his patients for physical and emotional healing.

There is so much untapped spiritual power in praise and thanksgiving.

The devil wants to keep you from being grateful while you’re in the process of believing, because he knows it’s an important key to breakthrough. Remember when Paul and Silas were locked up in the bowels of a prison? Things looked pretty grim. Most people would be begging and pleading with God to get them out, or considering all the ways they’d served Him and wondering how they could possibly deserve what was happening.

Instead, Paul and Silas “were praying and singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25, NIV). The result? “All the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose” (verse 26, NIV). All the doors. Every chain. All because of praise and thanksgiving—hearts of gratitude toward God.

So, as you’re believing for restoration, when you pray, “enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4, KJV). A heart of praise, thanksgiving and gratitude are integral parts of prayer. They are you and God working together—your prayer and His power. You can pray amiss, but you can’t praise amiss.

Never underestimate the importance of gratitude and praise in receiving restoration and manifestations you’ve been waiting to see for a long time. It’s one of the most powerful spiritual weapons you have!

You can take these steps to receive restoration from God and turn it into a year you’ll remember forever! It’s time to move into the victor’s circle again. It’s time to shout, “Restore!”

Related Articles:

10 Power-Packed Declarations for Restoration

How To Reclaim What the Devil Has Stolen

A 6-Step Guide to Responding To Your Enemies

The Lord Is Speaking….

“In 2022, you’ll know what to do.”

That’s how Brother Copeland sums up the word of the Lord he received for the upcoming new year.

Most of us can remember life without GPS (though it sure does make life easier!), but none of us has ever been without a map. Knowing where you’re going and how to get there is the key to success, not only when you’re in your vehicle, but even more so in life.

The word of the Lord to Brother Copeland for 2022 is:

2022 is the year of correction, direction, protection and perfection—in spirit, soul and body, in finances, churches and government.

​Read the full word of the LORD here.

As we break down what that means for you individually and how you can experience this supernatural acceleration, you’ll find that the wisdom of God—knowing how to pursue and receive it—is at the heart of it all.

What’s in store for 2022? The Lord is speaking, and here’s what you can expect.

1. 2022 Is a Year of Correction

“For the Lord corrects those he loves.” –Proverbs 3:12

When the Apollo spacecraft traveled to the moon, it wasn’t as simple as blasting off, then landing perfectly on the designated target. Astronaut Jim Irwin explained that this journey required course corrections every 10 minutes! Even then, they only landed a few feet inside the 500-mile landing zone. The trip was still a success.

God has each one of us on a path to our dreams and His purpose for us. But our arrival is dependent on continual course corrections along the way. If we fall asleep at the wheel or stubbornly turn off our spiritual ears, we’ll be circling the moon of our dreams for far longer than God ever intended (think 40 years in the wilderness).

The good news is that God only corrects those He loves. Correction leads to direction, which is for your protection and perfection—in your health, family, finances, career, business, ministry and anywhere else. But, here’s the key—you have to be willing to receive correction. There is no path to promotion without it.

Brother Copeland says it like this: “If you’re unteachable, then there’s no correction. If there’s no correction, then there’s no direction.”

If you’re going somewhere in your car where you’ve never been, you’re going to turn on your GPS—or at least pull out a map! No one wants to waste time driving in circles. Correction is your spiritual GPS. You’ll get where you want to go much faster when you accept and respond to the correction of the Holy Spirit.

How does the Holy Spirit bring correction?

Three ways—by His Word, by His Spirit and through other people.

Some people say, “I only receive correction from God,” but that’s a dangerous place to be. God uses other people and if they are the vessels He’s chosen to bring correction to you, but you’re intentionally tuned out, you’ll miss it. There’s value in hearing the outside perspective of other wise and godly people whom God has placed in your life.

Now, you don’t just listen to anything anyone in the world says, but there is wisdom around you. Find it and heed it. Get around God-fearing, God-seeking people, and let their experience speak to you.

The Holy Spirit is leading and guiding all the time. It’s not hearing Him that’s the problem. That’s why if you’re mindful of your flesh all the time, you’ll only believe what you feel or what you see. That gives Satan access to your innermost counsel, because all he has to do is stir up your feelings a little bit, and you’ll follow that. And at that point, God can’t get a word in edgewise.

Correction, direction, protection and perfection all come from putting God’s Word first place in your life. When you see something in the word, you obey it.

Arriving at your destination starts with hearing and responding to continual course corrections. That’s when you’ll be prepared to hear the divine direction of the Lord for 2022!

2. 2022 Is a Year of Direction

“He will show you which path to take.” –Proverbs 3:6

Are you at a crossroad in your life?

Where do you go? What do you do? Which job should you take? Is it time to end a season or begin a new one?

We all face times when we have a choice to go one direction or another. The answers are not always so simple, and if we really want to stay on the path God has for us, we need to seek the wisdom of God for His direction. Once you’ve received His correction, you’ll be primed to receive His direction. He will show you what to do, where to go and who to talk to. He will help you avoid these common pitfalls.

• Moving too quickly. The enemy likes to use the ticking clock to pressure believers into making hasty (and often wrong) decisions. Don’t take the bait! Brother Copeland encourages you to “never underestimate a delay” and the power of right timing—even if it isn’t the timing you expected.
• Taking the wrong turn. Proverbs 14:12 (ESV) says, “There is a way that seems right to a man….” If you haven’t heard from the Lord, don’t move. Follow the cloud and the pillar of fire. That’s where you are safe.
• Being Led by Emotion. Believer, you are called to be led by the Spirit, not your emotions. Feelings are terrible advisors. Before you decide to move in one direction or another, be sure that fear, frustration, hurt or bitterness have no part in your decision.
• Following the World’s Ways. There are a lot of successful and wealthy people in the world, and they could tell you how they got to where they are. There are many ways to get rich, but only one that will add no sorrow. The wisdom of God is the only way to find wealth and success without sacrificing everything else.

3. 2022 Is a Year of Protection

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High….” –Psalm 91:1

Receiving correction and direction paves the way to protection. If God can’t correct you or direct you, He can’t protect you, either. To live in the shelter of the Most High, you must be completely yielded to God’s correction and direction.

A child who won’t listen to a parent instructing him to not run in the street will be in far greater danger than one who listens and obeys. Consider what happened to a faith-filled woman who called into a ministry for prayer.

She had just been hit over the head and mugged on the street. Now, she was on the other end of the line, sobbing.

“How could this happen to me?” she asked. “I confess Psalm 91 protection over myself every day!”

Maybe you’ve felt the same. You’ve confessed a scripture, and then seen the opposite results and wondered why.

The man on the other end of the line was a young Keith Moore. He didn’t immediately have the answer to her question until he heard the Holy Spirit quicken it to him. The Holy Spirit told Keith to ask her why she had been where she was that day.

“Well, I was just running some errands in that part of town. I did have a check in my spirit about going there that day,” she recalled.

The idea that you can ignore God’s correction and direction and just confess scriptures over yourself is a grave misstep. This woman was standing on a scripture while ignoring the warning God gave her—the direction for her protection.

Everything God instructs you to do is for your protection or for your benefit. It doesn’t always make sense to the natural mind, and it isn’t always what we want to hear, but if we want to stay safe and increase in BLESSING, we’ll yield to His direction.

4. 2022 Is a Year of Perfection

“Love…is the bond of perfection.” –Colossians 3:14 (NKJV)

Many Christians have fallen into the trap of following after perfectionism. They have somehow come to believe that they must be perfect in every way, that they must clean up their act before Jesus will love them or bless them. Jesus never demanded perfection—not while He was on earth and not while He sits at the Father’s right hand. He loves us. Period. He loves us so much that He gave His life, so we could be reunited with our heavenly Father. That’s an eternal, extravagant love, and it’s yours!

The way we reach the perfection referenced in Colossians 3:14 is by loving God and loving others. First John 4:16-17 says it this way:

“God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him. In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us…because as He is, so are we in this world” (AMPC).

The Apostle Paul prayed “that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection)” and that “enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, 15, AMPC).

Perfection is the completion of correction, direction and protection. That can only be achieved through the wisdom of God, which is a direct result of receiving God’s love and mercy and then giving that love and mercy outwardly to others.

When God’s love and mercy flow through you, you will move from victory to victory on a continual basis. The only thing that can stop you is a lack of love in your life.

Love never fails. That means if you’re walking in love, you can’t fail! That’s a simple (though often challenging) recipe for success!

You’ll Know What to Do

What’s in store for 2022? The Lord is speaking! In 2022, you’ll know what to do. Take the word of the Lord and begin applying it, expecting every part of it in your life. Make seeking and receiving the wisdom of God for every part of your life a priority. Then, you’ll see correction and direction bring you to a place of protection and perfection—a place of realized dreams and goals and fulfilled purpose in your life—spirit, soul and body; in finances; and in your church and government.

Related Articles:

How to Receive Direction From God

It can be frustrating.

You’re reading the Word every day. You’re making the right confessions. But…something isn’t working. You aren’t seeing results.

The temptation is to think, Maybe I just need more faith. Here’s food for thought: What if you don’t? What if your faith is just where it should be, but you’re missing another key ingredient?

Pastor Nancy Dufresne recently raised that question while ministering at Eagle Mountain International Church. She likened it to baking a cake, saying, “When you bake a cake, you need the right amount of each ingredient. If you don’t have eggs, you can’t just add more flour and think it’s going to turn out right. The same is true of faith. If something isn’t working, you can’t just double up on faith. Faith needs something added to it.”

Where is the recipe for faith that works?

Second Peter 1:5-7 lists the 7 companions of faith—the things that keep us on course and cause our faith to work. Faith itself is not a substitute. Nancy Dufresne says, “If something isn’t working, you can’t just throw more faith at it.” You need all seven of these companions of faith to see a manifestation and victory in your life!

1. Virtue Is a Companion of Faith

“Add to your faith, virtue” –2 Peter 1:5 (NKJV)

Virtue in this verse is translated as moral excellence. You know, the world mocks morality, but God is a moral God. The government may legislate things as acceptable, but if God doesn’t call it moral, it doesn’t matter who else does. You can legislate sin all you want, but it’s still sin.

We go to the Word, not the world, to find our standard of moral excellence.

A lot of people want to give Jesus their heart but stop short of giving Him their lives. If He’s Lord of your life, He wants to have something to say about how you live—what you say, what you do, who you fellowship with. All those things matter to Him. YOU matter to Him.

Having virtue doesn’t mean you’re perfect. It means you’re putting in effort and making progress. It means you’re producing fruit. It is who we are when no one is looking.

Sin puts us right into the devil’s territory, and when we’re in his territory, he has a right to attack us. Sin binds people and takes them captive. Jesus came to make you free. Virtue won’t ever willingly participate in anything that is going to hold you captive.

So, how can you get free from sin?

Nancy Dufresne says, “You can get free from any sin if you decide to hate it.” She shares how you choose to hate sin by faith. Your flesh may really like it, but you can make a decision to hate that which you think you like. That’s important because she says, “You’ll keep everything you’re OK with.”

You don’t get free from sin by willpower. For every opposition we face, we have something in the spirit that exceeds that opposition. Romans 8:13 says, “Through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature.”

That’s why the devil will keep you occupied with trying to get rid of it. He knows you can’t get rid of it by struggling in your own ability. You get rid of it by pouring in the Word that washes it out. Quit trying to remove what’s wrong from your life. Just pour in what’s right and flush it out.

Honor and integrity—virtue—will keep you from having weak spots in your life. When you’re living in moral excellence, there is no place for the devil to get in.

2. Knowledge Is a Companion of Faith

“Add to your faith…knowledge.” –2 Peter 1:5 (NKJV)

Faith is not compatible with ignorance. So, if you are without the right knowledge of the will of God, your faith won’t be supported. Ignorance doesn’t mean stupid—it means untaught or not being a good student.

Faith is only compatible with knowledge. That’s why the devil is counting on our ignorance to work his plan. Knowledge of the will of God is an important support to the bridge of faith.

How do you get knowledge? By the renewing of your mind.

You may listen to teachings every day, and ministries are wonderful, but the most important thing is for you to renew your mind every day by reading the Word. No one else can do that for you. Kenneth E. Hagin used to say, “Your mind doesn’t stay renewed any more than your hair stays combed.”

Stay in the Word every day!

3. Self-Control Is a Companion of Faith

“Add to your faith…self-control” –2 Peter 1:5-6 (NKJV)

Faith is going to have a tough time of it without self-control. That’s because God designed self-control to keep us safe.

Your body was never designed to lead your life. But you have to allow your spirit to take the lead and remind your flesh to back down. That’s why we have to give ourselves spiritual, mental and physical boundaries. But just like anything else, we can’t do this through human ability. We have to have the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Nancy Dufresne says, “Your faith won’t work right when you let your body do whatever it wants. Your greatest defense against the devil is a submitted body and a renewed mind.”

A very important part of self-control is not letting our mouths say whatever they want to say. “Just because you think it doesn’t mean we need to hear it,” she reminds us.

You can make all the faith confessions you want but undo every bit of what they could accomplish by what you say. That’s why Proverbs 13:3 says, “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives” (NIV).

Beyond controlling your body and words, it is important to exercise self-control in our thought lives, as well. Worry will weaken the support of temperance in your life. Bitterness, unforgiveness, fear and anger are all the result of an uncontrolled thought life, and these things will hinder faith.

4. Patience Is a Companion of Faith

“Add to your faith…patience.” –2 Peter 1:5-6 (NKJV)

Patience is what keeps your faith going. Gloria Copeland sums it up this way, “Without patience, faith will quit.”

It is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12). If we’re not patient, we’ll settle for the wrong thing. We’ll accept something that comes quicker to satisfy us. We’ll accept the wrong spouse because we’re tired of waiting, or we’ll accept the wrong job because we didn’t want to wait for the right one.

Patience is not a calendar watcher. Real faith ignores the calendar because it is fixed on what God says, not what the calendar shows. Sometimes people blame the devil for things that were caused by stepping out of patience with God.

When we’re ready, He will bring us into the things that He has put in our hearts.

5. Godliness Is a Companion of Faith

“Add to your faith…godliness.” –2 Peter 1:5-6 (NKJV)

Godliness is God-likeness in all we do. If He wouldn’t think it or say it or do it, neither should we. Godliness is being interest in His plan and His will. If we’re going to be like God, we have to be interested in His plan, not just our plans.

Godliness is doing the will of God with joy—being glad to do what He wants you to do. That is a critical companion of faith. The further you go with God, the less you’ll care about your own preferences. You’ll prefer what God prefers.

Godliness is also consecration—it is an intentional keeping away from anything that will rob you of what God makes available to you.

The willing and the obedient will inherit the land (Isaiah 1:19), and godliness will strengthen your faith to get there.

6. Brotherly Kindness Is a Companion of Faith

“Add to your faith…brotherly kindness.” –2 Peter 1:5-7 (NKJV)

There is a distinction between love for our brothers in Christ and love for all men. There’s a divine order in things, and we find that order in Galatians 6:10, which says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (NIV).

The way you treat the Body of Christ matters more than how you treat a stranger at a store. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter how you treat strangers, but there’s a divine order to things.

For example, of course you’ll be kind to the neighbor children, but you’ll show even greater love for your own children. The same needs to be true in the Body of Christ.

We’re not walking in love if we’re volunteering for secular activities when we aren’t serving the local church, or if we’re giving to the homeless but not tithing. It’s not right to give to random people when you aren’t giving to your assigned location.

Walking in brotherly kindness will undergird our faith and keep it working!

7. Love Is a Companion of Faith

“Add to your faith…love.” –2 Peter 1:5-7 (NKJV)

Love is perhaps the greatest companion of faith. Galatians 5:6 tells us faith won’t work without it!

If you’ve been feeling stuck in your spiritual life—not seeing manifestations of what you’re believing for—your love walk is a critical place to check. You’re stalemated, and if you’re not walking in love, your faith won’t work.

To take love to the next level and walk in love as God has commanded, you will put others’ interests ahead of your own, and you won’t be touchy and easily offended. This is the divine love gauge. As long as you take account of the evil done to you, you’re not walking in love. This might seem difficult at first (it takes practice!), but the reward is great.

As you put these 7 Companions of Faith into action, your faith will flourish, and you will always receive what you need. Second Peter 1 doesn’t just list the seven companions of faith, it also tells us, “If anyone lacks these things, he is blind” (verse 9, TPT.) It’s tough to fight the fight of faith with a blindfold on. So, make sure the companions of faith are always at your side!

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You’ve been watching the pages of the calendar turn one after another.

And it still hasn’t happened.

Standing. Speaking. Sowing. Believing. What else can you do?

During the 2021 Word Explosion Military Salute, Bishop Herbert Bailey shared a powerful word about how to put your faith in action. If you’re believing God for something, here’s why it’s time to pick a date!

1. Picking a Date Stirs Up Your Faith

“This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand.” –1 Samuel 17:46 (NKJV)

Have you ever met people who are eternally engaged? You ask when they’re getting married, and they say, “Oh, well, we haven’t set a date yet.” They’re not serious! If you’re serious, you pick a date. There’s something about picking a date.

Picking a date says you mean business. That’s what David did when he faced Goliath. He picked a date when he said, “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand.” He said it by faith. And what happened? David got manifestation of his confession on the date he said it would happen!

Picking a date stirs up your faith. It puts pressure on your faith to perform, to expect and to receive.

Think about July 4th. We celebrate on that day, but that isn’t the date when America actually acquired independence. That was the day the Founding Fathers declared independence. They picked a date. The manifestation came later, but the declaration set their faith in motion to receive.

If you’re believing for something that seems to be dragging on with no timeline attached to it, you need to draw a line in the sand. You need to put your foot down and pick a date according to your faith. Now, we aren’t talking about presumption. Bishop Bailey says, “Presumption gets ahead of God, fear lags behind God, but faith moves with God.”

When you pick a date, you include God in your plans. You choose a date with God and by the Spirit of God. Proverbs 19:21 says, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”

When you pick a date, you’re making a faith declaration like David did concerning Goliath when he said, “This day!” Job 22:28 tells us we can do that: “You will also declare a thing and it will be established for you” (NKJV). When you declare something—pick a date—by faith, heaven will back you up. Jesus said it this way: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18, NIV).

It’s empowering to pick a date because it gives you something to point your faith toward. Picking a date makes you get aggressive in your faith.

2. Picking a Date Determines Your Behavior

“Elisha replied…‘About this time tomorrow.’” –2 Kings 7:1 (NIV)

When you get a bill in the mail with a due date, or worse, a date when they’ll cut off service if it isn’t paid, it’s going to stir you to action much more than if the bill came with no deadline!

That’s what picking a date does for you in your faith life—it determines your behavior and gives you a healthy push toward acting on your faith. It’s time for you to pick a date for the things you’re believing for.

Pick the date, speak the date, believe the date, receive the date. We already talked about how David picked a date for Goliath’s taunting and terror to end, but Moses picked a date, too. In Exodus 14:13 (NKJV), the Israelites had the enemy army behind them and the Red Sea in front of them. Moses responded by saying, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today.”

When you pick a date, you’ll speak the date. You’ll say, “God is going to deliver us today. God is going to defeat our enemy TODAY.” Then, stick to your confession. Don’t change it; don’t weaken it; don’t start making excuses about it. Stick to your confession!

Elisha also picked a date. He said, “About this time tomorrow” the whole economy is going to change (2 Kings 7:1, NIV)—within 24 hours. Did you know your whole situation can change in 24 hours? It’s time to hype your faith up to believe God for things eye has not seen and ear has not heard!

3. Picking a Date Gives You Strategy

“The battle is not yours but God’s.” –2 Chronicles 20:15 (NIV)

For every warfare, there is strategy. For very financial need, there’s strategy. For every sickness, there’s strategy.

Picking a date will give you that strategy. While you’re trying to figure it out, God has already worked it out. But when you pick a date with God, you’re bringing Him into your situation instead of trying to do it all on your own.

That’s what Jehoshaphat did in 2 Chronicles 20 when a vast army was coming against him. He sought the Lord and God gave him a strategy for victory. God will give us strategy of things to do that don’t always make sense to the world.

Maybe it seems like everything and everyone is against you. God already has a strategy in mind. And the best part is, you will not need to fight this battle. God will fight it for you. Stop looking at who’s against you and see the salvation of the Lord.

When Jesus wanted to feed the 5,000, the disciples didn’t know where they were going to get enough food. However, Jesus had already had a plan. He had a strategy.

God already has a plan for your deliverance. God already has a plan to reverse your lack or your health. God already has a plan for your marriage and for your children.

Pressing into God is how you find that strategy, and picking a date puts you in a place where you need to press in!

4. Picking a Date Calls Your Faith Higher

“About this time next year…Sarah your wife will have a son.”—Genesis 18:10 (NIV)

God picked the date for Abraham and Sarah to have a baby, but they had to believe the date. Abraham and Sarah know this: Picking a date calls your faith higher!

God is a covenant-keeping God. We have to continually call our faith higher to receive all He has promised. Throughout the Bible, and in the lives of believers, we’ve seen dates including “today,” “24 hours,” “by the end of this year” and “by this time next year.”

Will you dare to believe that next year at this time you’ll be out of debt? Will you dare to believe that by this time next year you’ll own a home?

God remembers what He said. He remembers His covenant, and He will do what He said!

Will you still have faith, or will you have given up, and use a credit card? Will you have faith, or will you have given up, and quit on your dream?

It’s never too late. When man says no, God can still say yes. God is still in the blessing business. Picking a date calls your faith to a higher level. It says, “I still believe God!”

If things haven’t worked out like you thought, shout out, “God, I still believe You!”

God appoints set times—not just seasons, but specific dates. He picked a date for Jesus’ birth. “When the time arrived that was set by God…” (Galatians 4:4). The Lord also appointed a time when He would bring a plague upon the Egyptians. “The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing” (Exodus 9:5, ESV).

It’s time for you to say, “The Lord will do this thing!”

This is why it’s time to pick a date for what you’ve been believing for. If you’ve been tolerating it this long, being taunted this long by opposition, what do you have to lose by picking a date? Pick a date with God, and watch Him work!

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