How do we prosper?
Many people are seeking the answer to
this question. And 3 John 2 gives us crucial
understanding of the subject. It says, "Beloved,
I [pray] above all things that thou mayest
prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
prospereth." Notice when John said, "I [pray]
above all things that thou mayest prosper and
be in health," he added the very telling phrase,
"even as thy soul prospereth." In other words,
you will never be healthier or more prosperous
than your soul.
Man is a spirit, he has a soul—which is the
mind, the will and the emotions—and he lives
in a body. Thus, you should be prospering
in all three areas: spiritually, mentally and
physically.
To prosper spiritually, you must be born
again. When you accept Jesus as your Savior
and make Him The LORD of your life, your
spirit is reborn and brought into fellowship
with the Father. This puts you in a position to
receive from Him all the things promised in
His WORD.
To prosper in your soul, you must be able
to control your mind, your will and your
emotions. Prosperity of the mind comes when
you use accumulated knowledge—controlling
your mind instead of your mind controlling
you.
Second Corinthians 10:5 says you are to
cast down imaginations and every high thing
that exalts itself against the knowledge of
God (or against The WORD of God), bringing
into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ. You cannot control your mind
completely without The WORD of God being
alive and operating inside you.
You must control your will in the same way.
God doesn't want a broken will that He can
dominate. He wants your will whole and in
submission to His will so the two of you can
work together in unity. In Deuteronomy 30:19
God said, "I call heaven and earth to record
this day against you, that I have set before you
life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore
choose life." What a privilege! The choice is
yours!
When a man's soul is prosperous, his will is
in line with God's will. How can you get in line
with God's will? You can't until you know what
His WORD says. His WORD and His will are
the same! If you are in line with The WORD of
God, you are in line with the will of God.
An emotionally prosperous person can
control his emotions. Jesus had complete
control over His emotions, yet He wept at the
tomb of Lazarus! His weeping didn't cause
Him to join the grief-stricken throng. He
continued to move in the Spirit. He put His
priorities where they belonged and raised
2 4 : B V O V
Anyone Can
PROSPER
by Kenneth Copeland
