Clothe Yourself. (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature]…”
(Romans 13:14, AMPC

TODAY’S WORD:

Is there something in your life that you would like to put a stop to today? Maybe it’s a certain behavior, addiction or bad attitude that isn’t pleasing to God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed in the garden, the first thing God did was to put clothing on them. They needed to be covered. In the same way, you and I need to be covered today. What should we cover or clothe ourselves with?

When you “clothe yourself” with the Lord Jesus Christ, you will be protected and able to stand strong against temptation. How do you clothe yourself with Jesus Christ? First of all, when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are covered and cleansed by His blood. You are restored and renewed. Then, just as you get dressed daily, you have to daily “cover” your mind with the Word of God. That means you cover every point that has access to your thoughts. Cover your ears by listening to the Word. Cover your eyes by watching only what is pleasing to the Lord. Cover your mouth by speaking the Word and encouraging those around you. As you cover yourself with Christ, you’ll be strong against temptation, you‘ll walk in victory, and you’ll experience the good things He has in store for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to redeem me and restore me. Thank You for making me new and covering me so that I can stand strong against temptation. Today, I submit every area of my life to You and invite You to have Your way in me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Empowered by His Presence. (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
(Acts 4:13, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD:

God wants to empower and strengthen you to overcome every obstacle in this life. He wants to give you confidence, wisdom and boldness to pursue the dreams and desires in your heart. He wants to give you supernatural insight so that you can be a witness of His goodness. In scripture, Peter and John were supernaturally equipped. Everyone around them marveled at their boldness, at their ability. They knew Peter and John didn’t have any formal training. They knew there wasn’t anything special about them. This power and wisdom could have only come from one place—the presence of Jesus.

Friend, when you spend time with Jesus, people will see it. You’ll be energized by His anointing and equipped by His grace. That’s why it’s so important to take time every day to be in His presence. No matter where you are on this earth, His presence is only a prayer away. Scripture says He is near to all who call upon His name. It says that He inhabits the praises of His people. Make your relationship with Him your number one priority and be empowered by His presence each and every day!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You giving You all that I am. I surrender every area of my life to You and invite You to have Your way in my heart. Empower me with Your love as I daily set my focus on You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Times of Refreshing. (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
(Acts 3:19, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD:

God promises in His Word to bring you times of refreshing. He doesn’t want you to live overwhelmed, in despair, or weighted down by burdens in this life. Scripture says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. That means He wants you to live without pressure. He doesn’t expect you to figure everything out because He already has a plan for your good, and whatever He asks you to do, He equips you for it.

One of the ways people feel heavy and overwhelmed in this life is by carrying unnecessary burdens or taking on responsibility that God never required. When we get out of step with God, when we go against His Word, things become more difficult. Condemnation and guilt can creep in and cause us to try to “work harder” the next time.

If you’ve found yourself in this cycle of works, or if you know you are out of step with Him, today is great day to find your new beginning! He wants to refresh you. He wants to empower you with His strength. Why don’t you turn to Him with an open and humble heart? Repent, let go of the past, and start moving forward. Receive His love and grace and enjoy times of refreshing with Him!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father God, I come to You with an open and humble heart. I choose to submit myself to You and surrender my ways to Your ways. I make the choice to change and thank You for empowering me and refreshing me today in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Live Forward. (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
(Philippians 3:13, NLT)

TODAY’S WORD:

Have you made the decision to forget the past? Many people don’t fully understand what that means. They wonder, “How can I forget something that’s happened to me?” But one definition of the word forget is to disregard intentionally or to overlook. In other words, you have to choose to disregard your past so that it doesn’t keep you from moving forward. That means the good and the bad. Sometimes our past victories keep us from rising higher as much as past failures. If we don’t let go of the old, we’ll never be able to embrace the new.

It doesn’t matter what’s happened in your history, it’s time to forget what lies behind. Today, make the choice live forward. Trust that God has a better future in store for you. Trust that He’s working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you forget what lies behind and press forward, you’ll move forward. You’ll see increase and blessing and live the abundant life He has in store for you!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father in heaven, today I choose to forget the past. I don’t want anything to hold me back from what You have in store for my future. I choose forgiveness. I choose peace. Help me, by Your Spirit, to press forward into the life of blessing You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Post by Joel Osteen on August 11, 2017

Committed People

Post by Joel Osteen on August 11, 2017

I have a friend who had an idea for a business, but he was turned down by thirty-one banks. Thirty-one experts told him it wasn’t a good idea, it was a waste of time, and he would never make it profitable. But this young man wouldn’t give up despite the closed doors. He believed in his idea, and he expected to make it a reality. When God puts a dream in your heart, it won’t go away. You can push it down and try to ignore it, but that seed is still alive. Banker number thirty-two said he liked the idea, the funding came through, the business took off and has expanded all over the world, more than he could ever imagine.

My question is, what would have happened if he had stopped at banker number thirty-one?

Is there something you’ve been tempted to give up on, to take the easy way out, to slack off of—a dream, a relationship, a job? You may have a good reason to walk away, to back off and not be your best, but God is saying, “Stay committed, stay determined, keep doing the right thing.” Committed people stick with a marriage even when they have a right to walk away. Committed people go the extra mile and do more than they have to. Committed people show up at church when they don’t feel like it. Committed people see God open doors they could never open and dreams come to pass.

He Will Deliver You! (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
(Psalm 34:19, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD:

No matter what “troubles” you may be facing today, God has promised to deliver you! Notice today’s verse doesn’t say He’s going to deliver you from “some” of your troubles as long you say and do everything perfectly. No, if you are righteous today, then God promises to deliver you from all of your troubles.

How do you know if you are righteous? When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, when you accept His forgiveness and choose to believe that He is working in your life, then you are righteous. The Bible says in Romans 4, that “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Your faith in the goodness of God is His righteousness at work in your heart!

If you are facing troubles today, expect that God has a way of escape for you. Expect that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Meditate on this verse and let it sink down deeply into your heart. Know that God is good, and He is your Deliverer today!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Heavenly Father, thank You for making me righteous by the blood of Jesus. I receive Your promises and choose to believe that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf. Thank You for being my Deliverer today and always in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Switch Over. (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines…yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

(Habakkuk 3:17-18, NKJV)

TODAY’S WORD:

We all face challenges and obstacles in this life. We all have dreams in our hearts, and at times, it looks like they’re not going to come to pass. During these difficult seasons, we have a choice. We can get negative and discouraged and talk about how things are not going to work out, or we can switch over into praise and thanksgiving which opens the door for God to move on our behalf.

A lot of times people think, “I’ll have a good attitude as soon as I get over this health issue.” “Joel, I’ll give God praise when I get through these tough times.” But that’s not how faith works. As long as we’re negative, discouraged and focused on our problems, it limits what God can do. You’ve got to give God praise first, and then the breakthrough will come. You’ve got to change your focus first, and then things will change in your favor. Praise always precedes the victory.

Today, if you’ve been dwelling on the wrong things and focusing in the wrong direction, switch over into praise and thanksgiving. Begin to declare that God is good. Declare that He is faithful. Declare His praises and open the door to victory in every area of your life!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father God, today I humbly come before You, lifting You up and magnifying Your holy name. Thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness in my life. I bless You and honor You for Your goodness in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Flourishing Finish. (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you…to give you hope in your final outcome.”
(Jeremiah 29:11, AMPC)

TODAY’S WORD:

God desires to see you flourish in this life. He wants to see you come out of setbacks stronger, wiser, increased and promoted. He wants to give you hope in your final outcome and see you come to a flourishing finish.

When my father died unexpectedly, all in our family was not well. We didn’t know how everything was going to turn out. We didn’t have all the answers, but we understood the principle that God never ends on a negative. Instead of getting stuck on that page, we just kept moving forward little by little, doing our best, being faithful, being good to people. When I look out today, I can see the faithfulness of God. I can say like David, “Look what the Lord has done!”

Remember, when you encounter adversity, know that God isn’t finished yet. He never ends on a negative. He has more in store for you if you will keep pressing forward. Don’t let your thoughts get stuck on the circumstances. Instead, lift up your eyes to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Trust that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf, and He will lead you into a flourishing finish!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, today I humbly come to You ready to receive Your favor, grace and mercy. I cast my cares on You. I cast my questions on You. I put my hope in You knowing that You will bring me to a flourishing finish in Jesus’ name! Amen.

God’s Value System. (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“Keep me as the apple of your eye…”
(Psalm 17:8, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD:

In this day and age, people are considered to be important for so many different reasons—titles, position, possessions, where you go, what you drive. But God’s value system is very different from the value system of the world. God cherishes and values you so much simply because He made you. You are His beloved creation—the apple of His eye; the center of His world!

If you’ve ever thought that God has too many other important things on His plate to be concerned with you and your life, know this today—you are God’s number one priority. And, there’s nothing you can do to be more important or less important to Him. He values you today, and your value will never change. You are significant. Your life is significant. The things that concern you, concern God. He carefully watches over every detail of your life, and there is nothing too big or too small for His attention.

Today, find peace and security in God’s love for you. Don’t be afraid to take your concerns and cares to Him. He loves it when you come to Him, and He’s ready to receive you with open arms because you are the apple of His eye!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father in heaven, thank You for loving me today. Thank You for keeping me the apple of Your eye. I open my heart and mind to You and cast every care on You. I receive Your love for me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

He’s Working on Your Behalf. (Written By: Joel Osteen)

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
(Romans 8:28, ESV)

TODAY’S WORD:

No matter what you may be facing, no matter what trial you may be going through, God has a plan to turn things around in your favor. He is working behind the scenes, and He is working for your good!

Are you a believer in Jesus? Do you love Him? Then you are called according to His purposes. Right now, He is orchestrating the right people to come across your path. Right now, He is orchestrating the right opportunities to open up to you. Right now, He is arranging things in your favor. You may not see it in the natural, but look with your eyes of faith today. Show your love for the Father by obeying His Word. Come before Him with an open and humble heart and trust that He is guiding you. Keep standing. Keep believing. Keep hoping. Keep declaring His Word and meditating on His goodness, knowing that He rewards the people who seek after Him!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness in my life. Thank You for working all things together for my good. Give me Your strength and peace today and fill me with Your faith which overcomes the world in Jesus’ name. Amen.