God's Gracious Hand of Favor | Victoria Osteen

Summary

Podcast Summary: Joel Osteen Podcast Episode: God's Gracious Hand of Favor | Victoria Osteen
Release Date: May 17, 2025
Host: Joel Osteen, featuring Victoria Osteen
Platform: SiriusXM

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Introduction

In this inspiring episode of the Joel Osteen Podcast, Victoria Osteen delves deep into the profound concept of God's favor and how it plays a pivotal role in achieving extraordinary success and overcoming life's challenges. Through biblical stories and personal insights, Victoria encourages listeners to embrace the advantages bestowed upon them by divine grace.

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Embracing God's Favor

Victoria begins her message by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and accepting God's favor in one's life. She challenges listeners to move beyond self-imposed limitations and to trust in the divine plans laid out for them.

Victoria Osteen [01:46]: "This is our year of acceleration. Let's believe that as we go into this year of acceleration that God is going to do extraordinary things in our life."

She highlights that often, individuals hinder their own progress by focusing on their perceived shortcomings rather than acknowledging the strengths and blessings provided by God.

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Biblical Examples of Divine Favor

To illustrate her points, Victoria recounts the stories of several biblical figures who exemplified unwavering faith and experienced God's favor despite significant hardships.

Joseph's Journey

Victoria narrates Joseph's tumultuous life, from being sold into slavery by his own brothers to rising as the second-in-command in Egypt.

Victoria Osteen [06:25]: "Through Joseph's ups and downs, he still believed he had the anointing of God. And do you know Joseph ended up being second in command of all of Egypt?"

She underscores that Joseph's success wasn't a result of his own efforts but rather God's gracious hand guiding his path.

Moses' Leadership

Victoria discusses Moses' early life, his time in the wilderness, and his pivotal role in leading the Israelites out of bondage.

Victoria Osteen [07:15]: "Moses wasn't even supposed to make it to 3 years old. He wasted 40 years in the wilderness. How did that happen?"

She points out that Moses' eventual triumph over immense odds was a testament to God's unwavering support and favor.

Nehemiah's Reconstruction

The story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days serves as another powerful example.

Victoria Osteen [08:50]: "Nehemiah did it in 52 days. It was acceleration for Nehemiah. What was that? It was the gracious hand of God's favor in their lives."

This rapid achievement, beyond what seemed humanly possible, was made achievable through divine assistance.

Esther's Destiny

Victoria recounts Esther's rise from an orphan to the queen who saved her nation, illustrating how God's plans often transcend human expectations.

Victoria Osteen [09:30]: "Esther was born an orphan. She should have never made it. But she ended up being the queen of the land. And she had tremendous influence. And she saved an entire nation."

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Personal Application: Receiving God's Favor

Transitioning from biblical narratives to personal application, Victoria encourages listeners to actively seek and accept God's favor in their lives.

Victoria Osteen [10:10]: "God is looking for men and women who will truly believe that they have the favor of God in their life. Don't fall into the trap of, well, I don't have the resources. I don't have the ability."

She advises adopting a mindset that prioritizes faith over self-doubt, assuring that with God's favor, individuals can achieve greatness beyond their imagination.

Victoria Osteen [11:00]: "You are a queen on the inside. You have the royal crown on your head. If you get up every morning and you say, God, I receive this favor... it's not in my own ability, but I'm here to honor you."

Victoria reinforces the idea that embracing God's favor transforms self-perception and empowers individuals to navigate life's challenges with confidence and resilience.

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Conclusion: Living a Life of Victory

Victoria wraps up her message by reminding listeners that accepting God's favor leads to a victorious life, filled with purpose and accomplishments that honor divine intentions.

Victoria Osteen [12:00]: "Know today that you can accomplish extraordinary things in your life. I know you're probably a lot like me at this point. And you can look back over your life and you can say, God. It has been the gracious hand of favor that's brought me to where I am today."

She encourages continuous faith and reliance on God's strength, assuring that every step towards recognizing divine favor paves the way for remarkable achievements.

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Additional Insights from Joel Osteen

Towards the latter part of the episode, Joel Osteen shares insights about his new book, "101 Great Things that God Says About You," aimed at helping individuals discover their true identity through God's perspective.

Joel Osteen [10:41]: "God says you're blessed. You're chosen, you're forgiven. You have seeds of greatness. Your future is bright."

Joel emphasizes the importance of aligning one's self-view with God's affirmations to unlock potential and live a life of purpose.

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Closing Remarks

Victoria and Joel Osteen express their gratitude to listeners, encouraging them to share the message and continue supporting the ministry. They reiterate the transformative power of God's favor and the importance of faith in achieving personal and spiritual milestones.

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Key Takeaways

• Divine Favor Over Self-Limitation: Embracing God's favor allows individuals to break free from self-imposed limitations and achieve extraordinary success.

• Biblical Inspirations: Stories of Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, and Esther serve as powerful examples of how faith and divine favor can lead to remarkable outcomes.

• Active Acceptance: Believing in and accepting God's favor is crucial for personal growth and overcoming life's challenges.

• Identity Through Faith: Understanding and internalizing what God says about oneself fosters a positive self-image and readiness to embrace life's opportunities.

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This episode serves as a potent reminder of the limitless possibilities that unfold when one recognizes and leverages the gracious hand of God's favor in their life.

Transcript

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[Joel Osteen]

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry.

[Victoria Osteen]

If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend?

[Joel Osteen]

We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life.

[Victoria Osteen]

We love you guys so much. Thank you for being here. This is our year of acceleration. Let's believe that as we go into this year of acceleration that God is going to do extraordinary things in our life. Let's don't limit God because of our own ability, because of our resources, because we don't feel like we have what it takes to do something extraordinary. See, God has designed you and created you to be special, to be different. He's placed something on your life that gives you the advantage. Too often we limit God because we only look at ourselves. We don't look at God, we look at ourself. I've fallen into this trap before wanting to pray a big prayer, wanting to believe for something spectacular in my life, but stopping at the moment of faith because I look at myself and wonder, could that really happen to me? Could I really accomplish something like that? See, our victories are not going to be won by our own strength. Our victories are going to be accomplished by God's favor. His gracious hand of favor on our life is what's going to bring about the extraordinary in our life. I think about Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, Esther, just to name a few. They believed that they were anointed, and they believed they were called by God to do great things. Now, in the natural, on paper, they didn't hold a great position. They didn't have plenty of resources. They didn't necessarily come from the right family, but they believed this one thing, that God had anointed them to do something great. Think about Joseph. He was a young boy doing great things, having an enjoyable life, when he realized his brothers despised him so much that they threw him in a pit and they sold him into slavery. His brothers despised him so much they threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. Let me ask you something. Have you ever heard yourself say, my boss doesn't like me, that's why I can't get the promotion. Oh, my in laws, they're pushing me down. My sister reason I'm the way I am is because she's always been so ugly to me. Oh, my husband, he never encourages me. Have you ever heard yourself say something like that? Maybe make up an excuse why you couldn't do something? Well, Joseph was sold into slavery. He ended up coming into Potiphar's house. Potiphar's wife accused him falsely of doing something he did not do. He landed himself in prison. See, through Joseph's ups and downs, he still believed he had the anointing of God. And do you know Joseph ended up being second in command of all of Egypt? He was the one that was running the show. How could that have happened? How could that have happened? His brothers threw him in a pit. He became a slave. How did that happen? Moses, he was not even supposed to be alive. He was supposed to be killed as soon as he was born. You see, some people say this, our generation is never going to do anything. Because you know what? There's too much evil out there. There's too many things going against them. This Internet, these evil people, this generation will never make it. Well, Moses was never intended to make it. The king had planned to kill every child under the age of Two. And Moses was that child. Moses tried to do something good, turned out bad. And he found himself wondering in the wilderness for 40 years. 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Some people think they've wasted their life. They think, man, I just haven't done anything. Nothing's happened for me. Well, Moses probably felt the exact same way. But he knew this. He had the anointing of God on his life. He persuaded Pharaoh to let them go. He talked them in to letting them escape from their bondage and slavery. And just about the time he wrapped them up and was headed out, he found himself up against the Red Sea. He looked behind him. The enemy's army was coming on horses and chariots. They were way overpowered. The Israelites were on foot, maybe had a few little wagons with them, taking their children, their older folks with them. They look behind them, and here's these young bucks coming with swords and spears, going to take them down. All of a sudden, Moses raises his rod and this big body of water, that big obstacle, just split in two. Was as if the winds just blew it back and those people walked through on dry ground and got to the other. What is that? If you read that in the paper today, you'd say that's sensationalism. That couldn't have happened. Moses wasn't even supposed to make it to 3 years old. He wasted 40 years in the wilderness. How did that happen? Nehemiah. He was a cupbearer in the king's house. He served wine to the table of the king, but he had a desire in his heart to see the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt where his ancestors were, they were in shame. They were in shambles. He was a cupbearer. He didn't have the resources. He didn't have the money. He didn't have the influence. He wasn't a cabinet member, but he went to the king. And the king, he not only granted him the time to take off, to go, but he sent with him the resources, the timber, and he was able to round up the mighty men to rebuild those walls where that wall should have taken a year or two. Nehemiah did it in 52 days. 52 days. It was acceleration for Nehemiah. What was that? Esther. She was born an orphan. She should have never made it. She had no family, no support. But she ended up being the queen of the land. And she had tremendous influence. And she saved an entire nation. The Jewish nation. What was that? It was the gracious hand of God's favor. It was the gracious hand of God's Favor in their lives. And you too have the gracious hand of God's favor in your life. Don't ever forget it. When God breathed breath into you, he gave you more than resources, ability. He gave you more than friends and the right connections. He gave you an advantage. He gave you his favor. His favor. God is looking for men and women who will truly believe that they have the favor of God in their life. Don't fall into the trap of, well, I don't have the resources. I don't have the ability. Take yourself out of the equation if you have to. Don't tie the hands of God because you can't believe. Look at Almighty God and realize it's God's strength that's gonna bring these things to pass. It's his gracious hand of favor in my life. Every day you have to get up and you have to be willing to receive this favor. There will be days you get up and you're doubting yourself. I'm sure Joseph did, Moses did. I know Esther did. But listen, you're a queen on the inside. You have the royal crown on your head. If you get up every morning and you say, God, I receive this favor. It's not what I feel like. It's not in my own ability, but I'm here to honor you. I'm here to accept the free gift that you've given me. The advantage to live a life of victory. I receive your favor. And I believe through the ups and downs, God, you're going to get me to exactly where I need to be. You see, when you have an attitude like that, it is possible for you to do the most extraordinary things. And can I tell you this? It is never too late to get started. You have not wasted your life. Moses thought he did, but God brought him back and gave him a flesh flourishing finish. Know today that you can accomplish extraordinary things in your life. I know you're probably a lot like me at this point. And you can look back over your life and you can say, God. It has been the gracious hand of favor that's brought me to where I am today.

[Joel Osteen]

Each week I stand on this stage and remind you of what God says about you. Because it's easy to be defined by who people say we are or. Or by our own negative thoughts that we're not talented or problems too big. The key is to go back to who God says you are. I'd love to send you my new book, 101 Great Things that God says about you. I'll help you discover your true identity. God says you're blessed. You're chosen, you're forgiven. You have seeds of greatness. Your future is bright. When you get in agreement with God and declare his promises you, you'll rise higher and become all you were created to be.

As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount this month we would like to send you a copy of Joel's brand new resource, 101 Things God says about yout Faith Reminders when youn Need Them Most as you read and reflect the story of your life, the way you see yourself will radically change. It will become a reflection of God Himself and what he says about you. Use this resource to encourage your heart and remind you of who you are in Him. You are everything God says about you within these pages. So read it, experience it, and believe it. As an added bonus, you can detach the beautiful poster at the back of the book to read and declare these reminders every day. Yes, you are who God says you are. Now is your time to start believing it. Be sure to request your copy of 101 Things God says about you, visit joelostein.com or call 888-567 Joel.

As you dwell on what God says about you, you're going to see yourself for who you really are. Strong, talented, valuable, a victor, never a victim. Victoria and I want you to know that we love you and we pray for you every day. Thanks so much for your prayer and support. Your generosity is helping people around the world. Special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for your monthly support. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, listen on Sirius XM, watch our YouTube channel and the new Joel Osteen network streaming 24 hours a day until we meet again. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

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[Jerry's Heart]

And I'm Jerry's Heart.

[Jerry]

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[Jerry's Heart]

Well, Jerry, for people who have had a heart attack like us, diet and exercise might not be enough to lower the risk of another one. Okay, to help know if we're at risk, we should be getting our ldlc, our bad cholesterol checked, and talking to our doctor.

[Jerry]

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[Jerry's Heart]

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[Jerry's Heart]

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[Victoria Osteen]

Help your growing business. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.