← Joel Osteen Podcast
Joel Osteen Podcast
Thank God In Advance | Joel Osteen
00:30:51
Most of the time, God's promises don't come to fruition overnight. You have to do your part and water the seed.
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Joel Osteen
Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoyed today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend? We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes. We love you and if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in and thank you again for coming out. I'd like to start with something funny. I heard about this. Husband and wife were driving down the road and they saw this sign that said Nacogdoches. 40 miles ahead, they began to argue over how to correctly pronounce the name Nacogdoches. The husband got so upset he finally said, when we get to town, I'm going to stop and prove to you that I'm right. They drove silently for the next 30 minutes. When he got to town, he pulled into the first fast food restaurant he could find. They both marched up to the counter. He said to the young lady working behind it, my wife and I have been arguing for the last 30 minutes. Can you please tell us very slowly and very clearly how to pronounce the name of this place? The young girl's eyes got real big. She leaned over the counter and said, burger King. Hold up your Bible. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about thanking God in advance. We all have dreams and goals that God's placed in our heart. Things we're believing for, situations we're praying to turn around. These promises start off like seeds. They don't come to pass overnight. There's always a period of waiting involved. And from the time we pray till the time we see it come to fulfillment, that's called the trial of our faith. This is when many people get discouraged and give up. They start believing the negative thoughts. It's never going to happen. It's taken too long now. That seed is lying dormant. It's still alive. It still has potential. But you have to do your part to and start watering the seed the way you water it is by thanking God in advance. You can't wait till you receive the promise. You have to thank God that the answer is on the way. Maybe you're struggling in your health. The medical report doesn't look good. Don't talk about how you feel. Say, father, thank you that I'm healthy. Thank you that I'm strong. Thank you with long life. You're satisfying me. That's not just being positive. That's watering the seed in your finances. Maybe you're struggling. Business is slow all through the day. Father, thank you that whatever I touch prospers and succeeds. Thank you that I'm coming out of debt. Thank you that your favor surrounds me like a shield. When you thank God in advance for the answer, it not only waters the seed, but that strengthens your own faith. This is what Abraham did. God placed the seed in his heart that he would have a baby. 24 years went by. There was no sign of a child. It looked impossible. Abraham and Sarah were nearly 100 years old. Every voice said it wasn't going to happen. They could have easily talked themselves out of it. But the scripture says Abraham grew strong in faith. Praise to God. Notice when you give God praise, it gives you strength. When you thank God in advance for the answer, that's what keeps you encouraged. You're not going to stay strong in faith by complaining. You're not going to stay determined if you're talking about how bad it is. Well, God, you promised me this baby, but seems like I'm too old. God, you said you wanted me to be blessed, but my business is so slow. God, you said you'd bring me out of this trouble, but these people are so much more powerful than me. No switch over into praise. Business may be slow, but Lord, I want to thank you that you prosper me even in a desert. These people may be powerful, but Lord, I want to thank you that you're all powerful. Praise makes you strong. Praise keeps you moving forward. So often we think, I'll give God praise after the problem turns around. I'll thank God after business picks up, after I see the solution. No, if you don't learn this principle to thank God in advance, you won't have the strength you need to wait for the promise. What keeps us strong is getting up in the morning saying, father, thank you that my dreams are coming to pass. Thank you that this problem's turning around. Thank you that you're bigger than this obstacle. I'm sure Abraham got up many mornings, was tempted to be discouraged. The negative thoughts came, saying, come on, Abraham, you're an old man. It's not going to happen. You've been waiting 5 years, 10 years, 20 years. You must have heard God wrong. If Abraham would have dwelled on those thoughts, went around worried, thinking, maybe I am too old. Maybe I did hear God wrong. Maybe I'm wasting my time. He would have given up the way he stayed in faith day after day, month after month, for 24 years is he would get up each morning and say, father, thank you for the son you promised. Thank you that Isaac is on his way. Thank you that Sarah will conceive. Thank you that you are true to your word when you give God praise. God gives you strength to keep believing that what he promised will come to pass. Now, all through the day, just like with Abraham, negative thoughts will come to try to get us to abort our dreams. Here's the key. Every time you're tempted to worry, let that be a reminder to thank God that the answer's on the way. When the thought comes saying, you're never going to get well, instead of worrying, turn it around, Father, thank You, you are restoring health back unto me. When you do that, you're getting stronger. Your faith is being built up. The thought says, you've made too many mistakes. God will never help you. There's nothing good in your future. Turn it around. Father, thank you that your mercy is bigger than any mistake I've made. Thank you that the path of the righteous gets brighter. Thinking that my best days are still out in front of me. This is how Abraham stayed in faith. He thanked God for the promise long before he saw the promise. When you give God praise, God gives you strength to keep believing. When we were trying to acquire this facility, my mind was bombarded with negative thoughts saying, joel, it's impossible. The city's not going to let a church have it. You're just wasting your time. For three and a half years, every morning, the same discouraging thoughts would come. When I would give in and start thinking about them, I could feel myself getting weak, discouraged, losing my joy. I did what I'm asking you to do. I would catch myself. Instead of worrying, I'd turn it around all through the day. Father, thank you that you've given us that building. Thank you that it already has our name on it. Thank you that you're bigger than any obstacle. That thank you, Lord, that you're fighting our battles for us. That's what kept me strong those three and a half years when I didn't see anything happening. God wants to bring the promise to pass, but he's looking for people that will thank him before the walls fall down, before Isaac shows up. Thank him before the building is theirs, before the healing comes, before the legal situation turns around. The mistake we make so often is when these thoughts of worry come and doesn't look like it's ever going to change. We start begging, God, God, please help me, God, I'm begging you to give us that building. God, please give me that baby. No, Begging doesn't get God's attention. Once you pray and ask God to bring the promise to pass, you ask God to heal you. You ask him to restore a relationship. From then on, you don't need to ask God one more time. He heard you the very first time. Now every time you think about it, you should thank God that the answer is on the way. I know people, and they're good people. But they ask God for the same thing, the same way, year after year. God, please get my children back on track. God, please cause them to straighten up. They're sincere, but the right approach. Instead of asking for the same thing, the Same way year after year is switch over into praise. Lord, I believe you heard me the first time. And I want to thank you that my child is straightening up. Thank you that they'll fulfill their destiny. Thank you that they're making good choices. That's what Abraham did. He didn't grow strong in faith. Praying every day, God, please bring this promise to pass. God, I'm begging you to give me this baby. He prayed once and he spent the rest of the time thanking God. In the scripture, there was a lady that came to Jesus and started begging him to heal her daughter. She said, please, Jesus, my daughter is so bad. Would you please, I'm begging you to heal her. Jesus was normally so compassionate throughout the scripture, he went around healing everyone. A blind man said, jesus, have mercy. And Jesus went over and healed him. Soldier came up and said, my daughter is sick. Will you come to my house? Jesus went out of his way again and again to heal so many different people. But what's interesting is this lady that kept begging and begging, Jesus ignored her, give her the time of day. After a while, she realized begging wasn't going to do her any good. The scripture says she fell at Jesus feet and started worshiping him, started thanking him, started giving him praise. All of a sudden, Jesus stopped what he was doing, looked at the woman and said, you, daughter is perfectly well. You can go home. Everything is okay. What begging won't do, praising will do. I'm asking you, don't be a beggar, be a believer. Once you pray, switch over into praise. None of this, year after year, God, please heal me. God, please give me that promotion. God, I'm just begging you. No, zip that up. All through the day, Father, thank you that I'm healthy. Thank you that my business is blessed. Thank you that promotion is coming. When our son Jonathan got his driver's license a couple of years ago, we bought him a used car. Our daughter Alexandra is 13 years old. A few months after he got that car, Alexandra came up and said, daddy, when I get my driver's license, are you going to buy me a car? She wanted to get this on record. Early on, I said, yes, Alexandra, I'm going to buy you a car. She said, you promise? I said, I promise. Do you know, since I have given her my word, she has not asked me one time to buy her that car. She is totally convinced that I will do what I said. So much so that she talks about that car as if it's already hers. She has no doubt that car is coming. But how would I feel as a father if she came up every day, daddy, please get me that car. Daddy, I'm begging you. When I get my driver's license, please get me a car. It would make me feel bad. I would say, alexandra, don't you believe what I said? You don't have to keep asking me. You certainly don't have to beg me. Just believe that I'll do what I said. This is how God must feel when we ask him again and again for the same thing. When we beg Him, God says, don't you trust me? Don't you have the confidence that I will do what I promised? When Alexandra goes around talking about that car, dreaming about what color it's going to be, excited about what's in her future, that brings a smile to my face. From time to time, she'll come up and put her arm around me, long blonde hair, blue eyes, as beautiful as can be. And she'll thank me for that car that is to come. She'll tell me how much she loves me and how proud she is to be my daughter. When she does that, I think, do you want one car or do you want two? Thinking does a whole lot more than begging. When you're constantly giving God thanks, telling him how much you love him, how great he is, how proud you are to be his child, that causes God to want to go out of his way to be good to you. But if we go around thinking, oh, man, life's hard, God, can't you see I'm struggling? God, I'm asking you, I'm begging you, God, just help me get through this. That doesn't get God's attention. Praise gets his attention. Thanking him in advance for the answer, acting like it's on the way. That's what brings promises to pass. One time, Daniel prayed and asked God to help him. Day after day went by, nothing got better. It looked like that God didn't even hear his prayer. But on the 21st day, an angel showed up and said, daniel, the first day you prayed, God heard you and dispatched me with the answer. But it took me 21 days to fight through the forces of darkness. What I want you to see is the first day you prayed, God heard you. The first time you asked, God set the miracle into motion. The very first day, the answer was on the way. That's why you don't have to keep praying about the same thing, begging God, asking again and again, the answer is already on the way. The promise is already in motion. The breakthrough is already en route. The right person is already in your future, the victory is already up ahead of you. You prayed about it. Now switch over into praise. Start thanking God that it's coming. Start thanking him in advance for the healing, the restoration, the promotion, the vindication, the dream. It's headed your way. Even Jesus, when he was on the earth, he thanked his heavenly Father for the answer before it came. His friend Lazarus had been dead for four days. Jesus stood at the tomb, looked up to the heavens and said, father, I want to thank you that you have heard me, past tense. Lazarus was still dead, yet Jesus was thanking his heavenly Father that he was alive. If Jesus thought it was important enough to thank God before the answer came, then we should certainly get in a habit of not only asking, but not only making our requests known. But let's take it one step further and start thanking God for the answer even when we don't see any sign of it happening. I mean, Lazarus was still wrapped up in grave clothes, been dead for four days. I'm sure the people around Jesus must have thought Jesus had lost his mind. Here he's thanking God for life when the man was still clearly dead. This is what faith is all about. You can't just look at it with your natural eyes. Some of you today have situations that look dead. Your health, finances, a relationship, a dream. Your mind tells you it's impossible, no use even believing. But would you dare be as bold as Jesus and say, father, I want to thank you in advance that you have a resurrection coming. God, I know you can bring things back to life. You have the final say. I may not see a way, but I want to thank you in advance that every promise you've spoken over me will come to pass. This is what Elijah did. There had been a drought in the land for three and a half years. People were struggling, barely making it. But Elijah didn't complain. He didn't start begging. He understood this principle. He went on the top of Mount Carmel and started thanking God for the rain that was coming. He thanked God that the answer was on the way. He thanked God that the clouds were already starting to form. Six times his assistant went out to check for rain, came back each time, said, no rain, not a cloud in the sky. Elijah didn't get discouraged. He didn't start begging. Come on, God, I've been asking you again and again. No, he just kept saying, lord, thank you for the rain that's coming. I may not see a way in the natural, but I want to thank you that you're a supernatural God. You know the story on the Seventh time, that assistant came back and said, I saw a cloud up in the sky. This time Elijah said, you better get ready. I can hear the sound of the abundance of rain. And as he kept thanking God, before long the heavens opened up. The promise came to pass. You may be in a drought today. Don't complain about it. Don't keep begging God to change it. Don't ask again and again for the same thing. Do, like Elijah, switch over into praise. Every time you're tempted to worry, tempted to get discouraged, tempted to complain, you've got to dig your heels in and say, father, thank you for the rain that's coming. Thank you for the healing that's coming. Thank you for the favor that's coming. Thank you for the restoration that's coming. Lord, I want to thank you. Not for just a little bit, not for barely get by, but like Elijah, thank you for the abundance that you have in store. Now, you may not see anything happen for a week, a month, a year, or like Abraham, for many, many years. The question is, what are you made of? Anybody can quit. Anybody can get discouraged and give up. Here's the key. As you keep thanking God, your faith is getting stronger. If you'll keep thanking him in advance, then, like Elijah, you won't get discouraged. Even though you don't see anything happening, sometimes it is difficult. You may not feel like doing it. Jeremiah said, if you will offer up the sacrifice of praise, that means if you'll do the right thing when it's hard, then God will cause the captivity of the land to be reversed and the fortunes to be restored. This is saying, if you'll thank God in advance even when you don't see anything good happening. If you'll offer up that sacrifice of praise, then two things are going to take place. God is going to reverse negative situations and he's going to restore what should have been yours. This doesn't happen by complaining, doesn't happen by begging. It happens when you get up in the morning and say, I don't see how this could ever change. But Lord, I want to thank you that the answer's on the way. Thank you that healing is coming. Thank you that the problem's turning around, thinking that my children will fulfill their destiny. If you live like that, you might as well get ready. God is going to reverse and he's going to restore. He's going to reverse finances that were going down. He's going to reverse a business that was slow. He's going to reverse a bad medical report. He's going to Reverse a legal situation. Not only that. God is going to restore what should have been yours. He's going to restore the years you've lost because somebody did you wrong. Unfair situation. He's going to restore a relationship, restore a dream. It's going to happen because of your praise, because you're thanking God in advance. Friends, don't lose your praise. The battle may be tough, but keep praising. People do you wrong. Keep praising. The report doesn't look good. Keep praising. Finances go down. Keep praising. As long as you have praise coming out of your mouth, then it's not over. I've learned God won't let a praiser be defeated. Don't lose your praise first. Samuel 17. The Philistines were on one side of a mountain. The Israelites were on one side of another mountain. There was a valley in between them that they were fighting over. The scripture says the valley belonged to Judah. It belonged to the Israelites. Judah means praise. Every morning and every evening for 40 days, Goliath would come out and stand on the Philistine side of the mountain, this huge giant. And he would shout threats and insults toward the Israelites, trying to intimidate them, bring fear, cause them to panic. First thing they heard in the morning was Goliath shouting, your days are numbered. You don't have a chance. The last thing they heard before they went to bed was, I'm so much bigger than you, you might as well give up. The enemy works the same way. Today when you first get up, you'll hear his threats. You're not going to make it. You don't have the money. Your health is not good. Your children are never going to straighten up. Last thing you hear before you go to bed. It's not going to work out. Too much is coming against you. For 40 days, the Israelites couldn't sleep at night. They were intimidated, worried, living in fear. But one day, a young man showed up named David. He had a secret weapon. He came from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Praise. David knew the valley they were fighting for didn't belong to fear, didn't belong to discouragement, didn't belong to intimidation. He knew that valley belonged to praise. His attitude was, I may be in a low spot, I may be in a tough time. I don't see a way out. But I know this valley doesn't belong to discouragement. Intimidation is not going to keep me up at night. Goliath, you're not coming into my valley. This valley belongs to praise. I can imagine. David began to thank God. Done in the past. And then he switched over and started thanking God for what he was about to do. He said, goliath, this day I will defeat you and feed your head to the birds of the air. He was saying, lord, I want to thank you for the answer that's coming. Thank you that things are changing in my favor. David went on to conquer that enemy. When you're in a valley like David, fear will try to occupy that valley in the morning. Anxiety will try to come into that valley at night before you go to bed. Stress, doubt, intimidation will try to keep you up at night. But know this, that valley doesn't belong to the enemy. It belongs to praise. Now you've got to take your valley back. All through the day, when the thoughts come saying, it's not going to work out, the problem's never going to turn around. Don't dwell on that. Don't let that occupy that valley. Turn up your praise. Father, thank you that you're still on the throne. Thank you that you're bigger than this obstacle. Thank you that you're fighting my battles. Thank you that the answer is already on the way. When you learn to give God praise in the valley, you will defeat every giant. Doesn't matter how big that obstacle is. You and God are a majority. He will always cause you to triumph. And really, any of us can give God praise when we're on the mountaintop. That's easy when everything's going our way. But it takes a man or woman of great faith to say, God, nothing's going my way. I don't feel well. I'm tired. These people are doing me wrong. Business is slow. I could easily be discouraged. I could easily complain.
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Joel Osteen
But I know a secret. This valley belongs to praise. So, God, I want to thank you that I'm coming out. I want to thank you that you're restoring and reversing. I want to thank you that things are changing in my favor. You do that and you won't stay in the valley. Praise causes God to go to work. Praise breaks chains that are holding us back. Praise opens up supernatural doors. Praise causes things to fall into place. Some of you have prayed about the situation long enough. You got to switch over into praise. Get up every morning, Father, thank you that my dreams are coming to pass. Thank you that healing is coming. Thank you that promotion is on its way. That's what's going to keep you strong. Not begging, not praying again and again. No. Remember, like Daniel, the first day you prayed, God heard it and set the miracle into motion. Already on the way as you keep giving God praise, He's going to keep giving you strength to believe. And yes, sometimes it's difficult. You may be in that valley, but don't you dare let fear occupy that valley. Don't let intimidation in that valley. Don't let doubt and complaining come into your valley. That valley belongs to Praise. If you'll dig your heels in and offer up that sacrifice of praise, God promises he's going to reverse and restore. Like Abraham. You'll see the dream come to pass. Like David, you'll defeat every giant like Elijah. The drought will come to an end. I believe and declare you will see the abundance of rain, abundance of joy, abundance in your health, abundance in your finances. Abundance of God's goodness in Jesus name. If you receive it, can you say Amen today? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take you places that you've never dreamed of. It's easy to feel stuck in life, wondering why things aren't changing and worrying if it'll ever happen. But there's a better way to wait. I'd love to send you my new resource called Pray It Forward. This book is a collection of prayers and promises from the scripture to help you pray boldly to strengthen your faith while you're waiting. It's important to keep your mind filled with hope and expectancy when you pray in faith. Believing what God promised, that's what moves the hands of God. And that's when you'll see doors open, healing begins to come, breakthroughs in your family. Don't let doubt hold you back.
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Joel Osteen Ministry Announcer
Pray it Forward as our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount, we'd love to send you a copy of Pray It Guided Prayers for faith and breakthrough inspired by real life answered prayers. Pray It Forward will help you speak God's prayer promises over your life and over the people you love. Trusting that when you ask in faith, God is already at work preparing victory ahead of you. You can take these prayers and scriptures and pray them forward. They'll build a momentum of faith that carries you past obstacles and into the promises God has spoken over your life. As you meditate on these truths, you won't be tossed back and forth by finances health challenges or relationship struggles. Instead, you'll be able to boldly pray with faith that is immovable and strong, and you'll be filled with peace, assurance and joy. Don't let circumstances control your future. Pray the truth of God's Word forward in faith and watch the mountains in your life begin to move.
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Joel Osteen
When you pray, the promises what God has spoken over your life. Those are powerful prayers and that's when God shows up and does what only he can do. Thanks so much for being with us. Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day and we appreciate your prayer and support. Your generosity helps us take this message of hope to people around the world. A special thank you to our Champion of Hope partners for all you do to make the ministry possible. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one. But until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you.
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Joel Osteen Ministry Announcer
Be sure to request your copy of Pray It Guided Prayers for Faith and Breakthrough, available this month by simply visiting us@jolostein.com or call 888-567-JOEL. You can also receive the Pray It Forward Companion Prayer Journal designed to help you engage in scratch, personalize faith filled prayers and put God's promises into action. With an additional gift, you can receive the Pray It Forward Prayers Essential Collection that centers around a prayer bowl with scripture cards Designed to help you physically release what's been weighing on your heart, this collection creates a powerful prayer rhythm for your life, helping you focus your thoughts, speak God's Word boldly, and stay anchored in hope when circumstances try to shake you. You can request these inspiring resources by calling 888-567-JOEL or logging on to jolostein.com today. Call or click anytime 24 hours a day.
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