Kenneth Hagin
Kenneth Erwin Hagin (1917–2003) stands as one of the most compelling historical figures to illustrate the Way of Fire framework. Over a 70-year ministry, Hagin demonstrated every core principle of the Way of Fire—from radical obedience and supernatural authority to healing and deliverance—establishing both a personal legacy and an institutional legacy (RHEMA Bible Training Center) that continues to impact faith communities globally.12
The Foundational Crisis: From Deathbed to Divine Authority
Hagin's pathway exemplified the principle that extreme obedience emerges from complete desperation before God. At age 15, bedridden and partially paralyzed with a deformed heart and incurable blood disease, he was not expected to live.
The Three Descents
In April 1933, during a dramatic crisis, his spirit left his body three times, each time descending to the gates of hell before returning. In that moment of absolute hopelessness, Hagin prayed for Christ's forgiveness and was born again—experiencing a profound sense of peace and divine connection.34
Healing Through the Word
What followed demonstrates the Way of Fire principle that obedience to God's revealed Word produces supernatural manifestation. Still bedfast, Hagin began intensely studying Scripture. He read Mark 11:23–24, which became the cornerstone of his entire ministry:
"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
Rather than waiting for external circumstances to change, Hagin applied this principle. He began confessing his healing in faith, speaking it into existence despite visible paralysis.5
Within three days, he was walking. Within weeks, his doctor confirmed that no abnormality could be found in his heart.34
This was not positive thinking—it was radical obedience to God's Word spoken aloud.
Heavenly Encounters and Revelation of Authority
Between 1949 and 1963, during a critical 14-year season of ministry development, Jesus appeared to Hagin eight times in heavenly visions. These encounters were not mystical experiences but strategic revelations that clarified the believer's position and authority in Christ.67
Three Realms of Authority
According to Hagin's account, Jesus showed him the keys of authority and the protocol of heaven itself. Jesus revealed three realms where believers must walk in authority:89
- Authority over circumstances — through faith-filled confession
- Authority over sickness — because healing was purchased at the cross
- Authority over the demonic realm — because Christ crushed the enemy beneath His feet
This revelation became the theological underpinning of Hagin's teaching on the Believer's Authority—a cornerstone doctrine that influenced millions.8
Heaven Responds to Faith
More significantly, these visions revealed to Hagin that heaven itself responds to believers who speak God's Word in faith. Jesus showed him:710
- How angels move in response to faith declarations
- How the heavenly court recognizes confessions of God's covenant
- How believers seated in heavenly places have the legal right to enforce Christ's victory on earth
This understanding parallels the Way of Fire principle that obedience opens access to supernatural power: unused authority is surrendered to the enemy.
Daily Disciplines for Sustained Authority
While many today teach about authority, Hagin embodied a critical truth from the Way of Fire: the supernatural normal requires disciplined spiritual practice. He was not a man who experienced occasional miracles; he maintained daily practices designed to keep the fire burning.
Morning Prayer Protocol
Hagin taught a seven-rule framework for morning prayer:11
- Beginning with thanksgiving
- Surrendering the day to God's will
- Confessing God's Word aloud
- Seeking divine direction
- Interceding for others
- Requesting protection
- Closing in faith
This was not religious ritual but deliberate alignment with heavenly authority. By beginning each day with explicit verbal confession of God's promises and sovereignty, Hagin positioned himself and those he taught to operate from a posture of victory rather than victimhood.
The Power of Spoken Words
Central to Hagin's practice was the principle that "the word in your mouth is authority." He taught that faith is not passive belief but active declaration:121314
- Saying God's Word aloud
- Doing what it prescribes
- Then receiving the promise
When healing prayer occurred, it was never a plea for God to act someday; it was a command spoken in the Name of Jesus with the authority of heaven backing it. This aligns precisely with the Way of Fire principle that believers must "speak boldly to release heaven's power."
Fasting and Consecration
Hagin practiced extended seasons of fasting—21-day fasts for divine direction, 40-day fasts for significant spiritual breakthroughs. This discipline was not self-punishment but consecration—setting oneself apart for heightened sensitivity to God's voice and authority.15
Key Teachings
Stop Trying to Get Healed
As referenced in How to Receive a Miracle:
"Stop trying to get healed and accept that you were healed 2,000 years ago."
Hagin taught that healing was already purchased at Calvary. The believer's job is not to convince God but to receive what's already provided.16
Confess Then Possess
From The Power of Declaration:
"It is not that you possess and then confess. It is that you confess and then you possess."12
This teaching forms the foundation for understanding how faith declarations work—saying it is how you have it.
Heart-to-Mouth Connection
Hagin taught:
"The heart conceives, the mind reflects, and the mouth operates. But you must not try to reverse the order."
You can't skip the heart and go straight to the mouth. The Word must be internalized before it can effectively be spoken.13
Persistence in Faith
Hagin shared testimonies where nothing seemed to change for weeks, but the person refused to back off their stance:
"I have it now. I received it when I prayed. I'm not moving from this position."
And then the breakthrough came. This reflects the truth vs facts principle—revelation knowledge supersedes sense knowledge.5
Miracles as Supernatural Normal
Hagin's healing ministry was extraordinary not because miracles occasionally happened, but because they became his operational normal. After launching his healing ministry in 1949, he traveled extensively conducting healing crusades where people were regularly healed of cancer, paralysis, deafness, and demonic oppression.316
What distinguished Hagin's approach was his theological conviction that healing is not the exception—it is the believer's covenant right. He taught believers to declare their healing as already accomplished through Christ's atonement, enforcing that victory through faith-filled words.
Institutional Legacy: RHEMA Bible Training Center
Perhaps most significantly, Hagin did not keep the Way of Fire to himself. He established RHEMA Bible Training Center in 1974 specifically to transfer this fire to the next generation.1718
Global Impact
The institution was designed around his three-step formula: Say it, do it, receive it.
- Over 100,000 students have graduated from RHEMA globally
- The school operates in over 50 countries
- 300+ training centers worldwide
- 60+ million books distributed117
This reflects a crucial aspect of the Way of Fire: it is not an individual phenomenon but a movement. Just as the preface notes that "there is absolutely an opportunity for everyone to gain citizenship in what we call the Nation of Fire," Hagin created the infrastructure for thousands to learn, practice, and demonstrate the Way of Fire in their own contexts.
Breaking Religious Chains
Hagin's ministry was explicitly counter-cultural to institutional Christianity. He taught that much of what passes for Christianity today is lukewarm religion that God will reject, and he challenged believers to move beyond religious tradition into direct encounter with God's power.19
His emphasis was never on denomination, liturgy, or ecclesiastical hierarchy—it was on the direct relationship between an individual believer and God's Word, resulting in demonstrated power.
Why Hagin Matters Today
Kenneth Hagin's life becomes a comprehensive case study in apostolic authority:
1. Radical Obedience: From his deathbed conversion onward, Hagin exemplified complete surrender to God's revealed Word.
2. Heavenly Encounters Confirming Authority: Eight visitations from Jesus gave Hagin unshakeable revelation of the believer's position and power.
3. Miracles as Manifestation: For 70 years, Hagin operated in a realm where healing, deliverance, and breakthrough were expected outcomes of faith.
4. Practical Disciplines Sustaining the Fire: Daily prayer, confession, fasting, and consecration were not peripheral practices but the foundation of his authority.
5. Community and Legacy: Rather than hoarding his revelation, Hagin built institutions (RHEMA, ministries, publications reaching 100+ nations) to multiply the Way of Fire globally.
6. Breaking Religious Chains: He consistently challenged believers to abandon powerless religion for supernatural faith.
Kenneth Hagin did not merely teach the Way of Fire—he lived it for seven decades with consistency, humility, and documented results.
"The age of miracles has not passed. When believers walk in the Way of Fire as Hagin did—with complete obedience, supernatural authority, and unwavering faith—the Book of Acts continues."
Related
- Smith Wigglesworth
- John G. Lake
- Lester Sumrall
- Faith Declarations
- Truth vs Facts
- Healing
- The Way of Fire
- How to Receive a Miracle