Over the years, plenty of people have asked Kenneth Copeland that ever-gnawing question…
“So, Brother Copeland, how many hours a day do you pray?”
Sometimes people may seem a little hesitant when they ask, because in the back of their minds, what they’re really wondering is…
What’s it going to take—how much time do I have to invest—to get the kind of results you get?
And probably most people are expecting him to say, “Oh, at least eight hours a day with a little time off on weekends.”
The truth is: Real sticker shock comes when he tells them what he’s basically told people for years…
“I really don’t ever stop to pray—I just don’t ever stop praying.”
Once that sinks in, people tend to walk away even more perplexed.
How about you? How pleased are you with your prayer life? How much impact does your praying seem to have?
Maybe the real question is:
How pleased is God with the level of communication the two of you have?
During His earthly ministry, Jesus took several occasions to teach and model for His disciples what prayer was in His life, and what it could be in theirs.
Luke 18:1-7 recounts one of those occasions:
“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ‘There was a judge in a certain city,’ he said, ‘who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, “Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.” The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself…. “I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!”’ Then the Lord said, ‘Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision…. Don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night?’”
For decades, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have lived a lifestyle of prayer—of constant contact and communication with God. It didn’t happen for them overnight, but it was a way of life they saw in leaders around them and one they saw in the Word…
• “Be ever praying, ever expecting” (Luke 18:8, TPT)
• “Pray at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18, NASB)
• “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
• “Make your life a prayer” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, TPT).
So, how is it even possible to pray all the time?
Brother Copeland would tell you, simply…
• Have Jesus on your mind all the time—think about Him, talk to Him (as you would anyone else)
• Pray in the Holy Spirit all the time (which includes praying in tongues)
• Pray out of your natural order and flow of life.
If you’re wondering when enough is enough when it comes to praying, consider Brother Copeland’s personal prayer habit below that he began years ago.
When Waking Up in the Morning
After telling Gloria, “Good morning!” he says… “I head to the bathroom, where I have healing scriptures taped all over, and I go through them, praying and declaring them out loud…then I start talking to The LORD, and listening to Him, and praying. I take time to visit with Him and ask Him—‘LORD, what do You think about this situation…and what about that one?’ I seek His opinion on matters.”
Before Meals
Kenneth and Gloria typically sit down to lunch together. He says…
“We pray over our food—'Father, we’re very, very grateful, and we thank You for this food and that it is sanctified to our bodies, and we praise You for it.’
“Then, we pray for our Partners—'Father, we thank You and praise You for our Partners. We pray for their welfare, particularly in this time of inflation…that You provide everything and more that they need.
‘And, LORD, thank You for our Partners all over the world, especially those in Ukraine…. We thank You that our offices, our team and our churches in Lviv are untouched. We praise You that our Partners who have escaped to Poland are actually sending money back to Ukraine to support the ministry there…glory to You!’
“Next, we pray for people, for our government, for our authorities—according to 1 Timothy 2:1-6.
“We pray for the Church and spiritual leaders—according to Ephesians 6:18-19 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18.
Throughout the Day
“When we get in the car, before we drive off, we pray, 'Father, we plead the blood of Jesus over this car…no one will bump it, and it won’t bump anyone...’
“When I get in a plane, and I’m riding in the back, I lay my hand on the cabin wall and pray, ‘Father, I plead the blood of Jesus over this aircraft…I bind every evil spirit away from this aircraft…I declare every evil plan of the enemy is thwarted…now, ministering angels, lift us up in your hands according to Psalm 91….’
“When I get in a plane, and I’m flying it or sitting in the cockpit, I pray the same thing before I do any preflight check, and then I pray, ‘LORD, I receive the flying mind of Christ…You’re the One who called me to do this…I’ll not forget anything…I’ll not do anything unsafe….’ Then I start going through my flight checklist.”
Going to Sleep
After kissing Gloria and telling her, “Good night, my Love!” he says…
“I pray and declare my love for The LORD and my neighbor according to Matthew 22:37-39. Then, I ask The LORD to wake me up at a certain time each morning (and He does—and I haven’t used an alarm clock in 30 years). My last words before my head hits the pillow are…’and I thank You and praise You!’”
If you live this way in Him, and His Word lives this way in you (John 15:7)—ask whatever you will, and it will be done for you!
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