Real Help

These principles are how Ken and I laid a foundation for the prosperous life—and also how we maintain it.

— Gloria Copeland

1. Walking in truth. This means walking in the light of God’s Word, according to His ways, His wisdom and what He says is right. I’m not talking about just reading scriptures about prosperity. You prosper when you have a lifestyle of walking in all the words God says to you.

2. Faithfulness. Be faithful to continue meditating onthe promises in the Word until they overtake your life.

3. Diligence. The Word repeatedly says we are to diligently seek God, listen to what He says and obey His commands. Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says when you do, blessings overtake you, because “he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). And as Proverbs 10:4 says, “The hand of the diligent maketh rich.”

4. Tithing. Tithing is a covenant transaction that gets God involved in what you are doing. The first 10 percent of your income—the tithe—belongs to God. It’s devoted to God, and goes to support ministries that feed you spiritually. Tithing is how you honour God with your money. It makes a way for Him to bless you supernaturally.

5. Sowing. After we tithe, we are to sow according to what the Lord lays on our hearts, with the right attitude. The Hebrew word for offering comes from a root word that means “to draw nigh.” We draw nigh to God with our offering. Second Corinthians 9:6 says: “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” The Scripture plainly says you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). If you desire to be a receiver, you have to be a giver.

6. Believing. The Bible says several times, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Abraham was blessed because he lived by faith. He believed God. We’re supposed to live the same way: “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” (Galatians 3:9).

7. Saying. Faith must be in two places—in your heart and in your mouth. “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach” (Romans 10:8). Believing in your heart and saying with your mouth produce the operation of faith. Jesus said, “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” (Mark 11:23).