As we begin this study of prosperity and how it functions
according to the Word of God, let’s read the basic scriptures on
which our whole study is founded. Let me mention here that
we are putting the Word of God first and foremost throughout
this study, not what we think it says, but what it actually says!
When we see it in the Word, believe it, and begin to act on it,
faith is created. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God” (Romans 10:17).

As you read our basic scripture text, remember Jesus said in
John 17:17, “Thy word is truth.” For a clearer meaning substitute
the Word for truth as follows: “Beloved, I wish above all
things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified
of the truth [the Word] that is in thee, even as thou walkest
in the truth [the Word]. I have no greater joy than to hear that my
children walk in truth [the Word]” (3 John 2-4).

It would be good to point out that when the Apostle John
wrote this epistle, he was an old man and had been in the
Christian walk for a long, long time—in fact, from the time of
his youth. He had walked with Jesus and watched Him closely
throughout His earthly ministry. John was a wise old man,
strong in the Lord, and he said, “I wish above all things that you
prosper and be in health.”

Through our traditional ideas, we have been lead to believe
that prosperity is bad or ungodly. However, John writes that
we should prosper and be in health and then it says in verse 11,
“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He
that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen
God.” If prosperity is evil, why would He want us to prosper?
You see, there is nothing wrong with prosperity in itself. Money
is not the root of all evil. The love of money is the root of all evil
(see 1 Timothy 6:10), and there are people committing this sin
who don’t have a dime! I want you to realize, however, that
prosperity covers much more than finances.

When John said we should prosper and be in health, he
added the phrase, “Even as thy soul prospereth.” Man is a spirit;
he has a soul consisting of the mind, the will and the emotions;
and he lives in a body. Thus, there is spiritual prosperity; there
is mental prosperity; and there is physical prosperity.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Isaiah 43:1-3
KJV—Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I
have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
When thou passest through the waters, I will
be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall
not overflow thee: when thou walkest through
the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall
the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord
thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.

AMP—Fear not, for I have redeemed you
[ransomed you by paying a price instead of
leaving you captives]; I have called you by your
name; you are Mine. When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you, and through the
rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you
walk through the fire, you will not be burned
or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon
you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy
One of Israel, your Savior.

Moffatt—Fear not, for I redeem you, I claim
you, you are mine. I will be with you when you
pass through waters, no rivers shall overflow
you; when you pass through fire, you shall not
be scorched, no flames shall burn you. For I
the Eternal am your God, Israel’s Majestic One
is your deliverer.

NIV—Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I
have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be
with you; and when you pass through the
rivers, they will not sweep over you. When
you walk through the fire, you will not be
burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of
Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 54 :14-15
KJV—In righteousness shalt thou be established:
thou shalt be far from oppression; for
thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall
not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely
gather together, but not by me: whosoever
shall gather together against thee shall fall for
thy sake.

AMP—You shall establish yourself in righteousness
(rightness, in conformity with God’s
will and order): you shall be far from even
the thought of oppression or destruction, for
you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall
not come near you. Behold, they may gather
together and stir up strife, but it is not from
Me. Whoever stirs up strife against you shall
fall and surrender to you.

NIV—In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you; you will have
nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it
will not come near you. If anyone does attack
you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks
you will surrender to you.

NAS—In righteousness you will be established;
you will be far from oppression, for you will
not fear; and from terror, for it will not come
near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will
not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall
because of you.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Psalm 23:5
KJV—Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my
head with oil; my cup runneth over.

AMP—You prepare a table before me in the
presence of my enemies. You anoint my head
with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

Moffatt—Thou art my host, spreading a feast
for me, while my foes have to look on! Thou
hast poured oil upon my head, my cup is
brimming over.

Psalm 55:16, 18
NIV—The Lord saves me…. He ransoms me
unharmed from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.

KJV—The Lord shall save me. . . . He hath
delivered my soul in peace from the battle that
was against me: for there were many with me.

AMP—The Lord will save me…. He has redeemed
my life in peace from the battle that
was against me [so that none came near me],
for they were many who strove with me.

Moffatt—The Eternal helps me…. He will…give
me peace and freedom from this strife, from
the host of foes around me.

Psalm 91:7-8
KJV—A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten
thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not
come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou
behold and see the reward of the wicked.

AMP—A thousand may fall at your side, and
ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall
not come near you. Only a spectator shall you
be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of
the Most High] as you witness the reward of
the wicked.

TLB—Though a thousand fall at my side,
though ten thousand are dying around me,
the evil will not touch me. I will see how the
wicked are punished but I will not share it.

Psalm 138:7
KJV—Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth
thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies,
and thy right hand shall save me.

AMP—Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your
hand against the wrath of my enemies, and
Your right hand will save me.

Moffatt—Though I must pass through the
thick of trouble, thou wilt preserve me; thy
hand shall fall upon my angry foes, thy right
hand rescues me.

NIV—Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life; you stretch out your
hand against the anger of my foes, with your
right hand you save me.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Psalm 44:7
KJV—Thou hast saved us from our enemies,
and hast put them to shame that hated us.

AMP—You have saved us from our foes and
have put them to shame who hate us.

NIV—You give us victory over our enemies,
you put our adversaries to shame.

NAS—You have saved us from our adversaries,
and You have put to shame those who hate us.

Psalm 57:3
KJV—He shall send from heaven, and save me
from the reproach of him that would swallow
me up…. God shall send forth his mercy and
his truth.

AMP—He will send from heaven and save me
from the slanders and reproaches of him who
would trample me down or swallow me up,
and He will put him to shame…. God will send
forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His
truth and faithfulness.

Moffatt—God send me help from heaven!
God send his love and loyalty, discomfiting
those who would trample me down!

NIV—He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me. God
sends his love and his faithfulness.

Psalm 68:1
KJV—Let God arise, let his enemies be
scattered: let them also that hate him flee
before him.

AMP—God is [already] beginning to arise, and
His enemies to scatter; let them also who hate
Him flee before Him!

Moffatt—When God stirs, his enemies scatter,
those who hate him fly before him.

NIV—May God arise, may his enemies be
scattered; may his foes flee before him.

Psalm 109:29
KJV—Let mine adversaries be clothed with
shame, and let them cover themselves with
their own confusion, as with a mantle.

AMP—Let my adversaries be clothed with
shame and dishonor, and let them cover
themselves with their own disgrace and
confusion as with a robe.

Moffatt—May my opponents be covered with
disgrace, robed in their own dishonour!

NIV—My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

Psalm 140:1, 4
KJV—Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man:
preserve me from the violent man…. Keep
me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from the violent man; who have
purposed to overthrow my goings.

AMP—Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from violent men…. Keep me, O
Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve
me from the violent men who have purposed
to thrust aside my steps.

Moffatt—From evil men deliver me, O Eternal,
save me from violent men…. Preserve me, O
Eternal, from the grip of the ungodly, save
me from outrageous men, who plan to
overthrow me.

NIV—Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; protect
me from men of violence…. Keep me, O Lord,
from the hands of the wicked; protect me from
men of violence who plan to trip my feet.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Deuteronomy 23:14
KJV—The Lord thy God walketh in the midst
of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up
thine enemies before thee.

AMP—The Lord your God walks in the midst
of your camp to deliver you and to give up
your enemies before you.

NIV—The Lord your God moves about in
your camp to protect you and to deliver your
enemies to you.

NAS—The Lord your God walks in the midst
of your camp to deliver you and to defeat
your enemies before you.

Psalm 18:43
KJV—Thou hast delivered me from the strivings
of the people; and thou hast made me the
head of the heathen: a people whom I have
not known shall serve me.

AMP—You have delivered me from strivings
of the people; You made me the head of the
nations; a people I had not known served me.

NIV—You have delivered me from the attacks
of the people; you have made me the head
of nations; people I did not know are subject
to me.

NAS—You have delivered me from the
contentions of the people; You have placed
me as head of the nations; a people whom I
have not known serve me.

Psalm 35:19
KJV—Let not them that are mine enemies
wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them
wink with the eye that hate me without a
cause.

AMP—Let not those who are wrongfully my
foes rejoice over me; neither let them wink
with the eye who hate me without cause.

Moffatt—Let not my foes rejoice over me
wrongfully, let not my wanton haters wink
maliciously!

NIV—Let not those gloat over me who are my
enemies without cause; let not those who hate
me without reason maliciously wink the eye.

Psalm 41:11
KJV—I know that thou favourest me, because
mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

AMP—I know that You favor and delight in
me, because my enemy does not triumph
over me.

Moffatt—I shall be sure thou carest for me,
when my foe fails to triumph over me.

NAS—I know that You are pleased with me,
because my enemy does not shout in triumph
over me.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries