I must be about my Father’s business (Luke 2:49).

God does not want us to be slothful in conducting
our business. He has honored us by giving it to us. We
have to honor our obligation to Him by running that
business or doing that job to the best of our abilities to
do it in faith.

I’ll give you an example. God has given me this
ministry. He has given me the calling to minister. I
have to honor that call and duty. I made a decision
that I am going to live responsibly and honorably. I
know Jesus wants me to do that, so I am determined
to do it.

I promised God that any time I was called on
to preach or minister, I would be ready; I would be
prepared. That does not mean I want to all the time.

It does not mean I am constantly, consistently prayed
up and ready to go just on a second’s notice. Most
of the time I know in advance when I am going to
preach. I promised the Lord that I would never take
time for myself and my own wants during the periods
I should be preparing to minister to other people.

I am responsible for a prophetic ministry. When
I travel from place to place on behalf of the Lord,
I don’t sightsee. I have been all over the world and
have hardly seen anything but airports, hotels and
convention centers. I don’t go for pleasure or relaxation.
I don’t go to visit or fellowship. I go to do business.

I take seriously Jesus’ instructions to His disciples
as He sent them out to minister. He said, “When
you find a worthy house, stay there” (Matthew 10:11,
author’s paraphrase). I don’t run all over town. I
come prepared, ready to settle down and attend to
business—my Father’s business.

I learned this originally from Oral Roberts; then I
found it in the Word of God. Later, I saw it in Kenneth
E. Hagin and in other anointed men of God.

I have certain time limits that I just won’t violate. I
may be in your presence sometime, look at my watch
and say, “Excuse me, it’s time to go.” I do that because
I am determined to have God’s anointing on me. It is
only with the anointing that I can, in turn, be of help
to you at all. It is only through the anointing that I
can minister effectively to others.

That is the reason all of my children are in the
ministry. That is the reason there is romance in our
family: between Gloria and me, our children and their
mates and our grandchildren. My family and I honor
the business—the ministry—that God has given us. We
honor one another, uplifting one another at all times.
As a result we enjoy the blessing of God upon us.

Kenneth Copeland Ministries