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Donald Trump Hangs With Christian Prosperity Teachers, Televangelists Paula White And Kenneth Copeland — Is Prayer Keeping Him On Top In GOP Race? [Video]

By Charisse Van Horn
Published on: 03:16 PST, Nov 24, 2015

Donald Trump is on top in the GOP race for a presidential candidate, and many are wondering how, after so many controversial statements, he has retained that place. Now, one must ask if it’s the power of prayer keeping the billionaire in the lead.

Donald Trump has made numerous controversial claims regarding Muslims, the Islamic faith, women, and the status and rights of Mexican immigrants in the United States. It’s interesting to note that Donald Trump has been close friends with Christian prosperity teacher and televangelist Paula White. He was caught on video at a prayer session where a number of notable televangelists, prosperity teachers, and Christian evangelicals prayed for his success in the GOP race.

Charisma News discussed a prayer session where Christian televangelist and prosperity teacher Kenneth Copeland and wife Gloria Copeland, Paula White, Jentezen Franklin, TBN founder Jan Crouch, Clarence McClendon, and Messianic Jewish Rabbi Kirt Schneider, among other Pentecostal preachers, laid hands on Donald Trump, rallied behind him, prophesied, and prayed over him to not only become the presidential GOP nominee, but the next POTUS.

Kenneth Copeland can be seen in the video praying for Donald Trump to become the next President of the United States.

“No man can be successful as president of the United States without Your wisdom. And so we ask You today to give this man Your wisdom, boldly. Make sure and certain that he hears. Manifest Yourself to him. And we thank You and praise You for a bold man, a strong man and an obedient man.”

Exactly what Donald Trump believes about Christianity and his own personal faith remains a bit of a mystery. Though Donald Trump has stated he believes in the Bible, he has yet to quote his favorite verse, according to a report by CNN. Additionally, Donald Trump has made past remarks about being a Presbyterian Christian. Trump’s parents were members of the Protestant Reformed church Marble Collegiate located in New York. Trump has stated he holds tremendous respect for Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, who authored the book The Power of Positive Thinking and led Marble Collegiate, but the church issued a statement to CNN saying Trump wasn’t an active church member.

“Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking was my pastor. To this day one of the great speakers I’ve seen. You hated to leave church. You hated when the sermon was over. That’s how great he was at Marble Collegiate Church.”

Marble Collegiate issued a statement regarding Donald Trump’s affiliation with the church.

“Donald Trump has had a longstanding history with Marble Collegiate Church, where his parents were for years active members and one of his children was baptized. However, as he indicates, he is a Presbyterian, and is not an active member of Marble.”

So how would a Presbyterian Christian end up in a room surrounded by prosperity teachers and self-proclaimed prophets being prophesied over, blessed, and having hands laid on him?

There is a great deal of similarity between the positive thinking message preached by Norman Vincent Peale and the prosperity teachings found in Word of Faith churches. And if you think this was Donald Trump’s first foray associating with prosperity teachers, think again. Paula White and Donald Trump have a long history, and he has appeared on her show Paula White Today multiple times. Some refer to the prosperity teaching method or Word-Faith teachings as “name it and claim it.”

There are many similarities between the teachings of The Secret and Word Faith teachings taught by Christian televangelists such as Paula White and Kenneth Copeland. Both believe that if you desire something, set your heart after it, focus, meditate and believe in it, create a positive vibe or energy around the thing you want (refusing to speak anything negative about it), and it will come to pass. The only difference between many of these teachings is that those in the Word-Faith movement or prosperity teachers use the Bible to back up their positive thinking, believe that God wants to bless all Christians like Abraham was blessed in the Old Testament, and that because Jesus Christ died on the cross, they are saved, redeemed, and have access to God’s wealth. Prosperity teaching is a far cry from traditional Christianity and certainly different from Presbyterian teachings. It is, however, very much in line with Norman Vincent Peale’s classic book The Power of Positive Thinking, though there are differences.

It was Paula White who set up the laying on of hands prayer session for Donald Trump with Christian televangelists, prophets, and preachers at the Trump Towers. As Kenneth Copeland and Messianic Jewish Rabbi Kirt Schneider prayed over Donald Trump, Paula White too offered a blessing, according to Charisma News. Paula White prayed Isaiah 54 over Donald Trump.

“We just secure him right now by the blood of Jesus. We thank you that no weapon formed against him will be able to prosper. And any tongue that rises against him will be condemned, according to the Word of God.”

So far, the prayers seem to have worked. Donald Trump has angered numerous people while his poll numbers keep rising. Some have now questioned if his latest remarks regarding a Black Lives Matter protester who appeared at his event and was beaten by supporters will have those in the Word-Faith movement and Pentecostal churches rethinking their support of Donald Trump, regardless of which Christian televangelist endorses him.

Click below for videos of Donald Trump on the Paula White Today show back in 2008.

[Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images]

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