05/07/24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

Today’s Scripture
At last we have freedom, for Christ has set us free! We must always cherish this truth and firmly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.
Galatians 5:1, TPT

LET FREEDOM RING
Today we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which marks July 4, 1776, as the day our Founding Fathers declared our freedom as a nation. What’s interesting is that it wasn’t until 1783 that our nation actually experienced freedom. There were battles raging, but the people were celebrating their decision to fight for freedom. They declared their freedom first, then they stood their ground until they had the victory to live as free men and women.

There may be some opposing forces that you’re fighting today, things that you want to get free from—freedom from an addiction, an anxiety, a lack, a fear. No matter what battle you are facing, let this be the day you declare your freedom, because victory is on the way. You may have to stand and press through for a little while, but know that freedom is yours the day you declare it. Let freedom ring loudly in your life and embrace the victory He has in store for you, for he whom the Son sets free is free indeed!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that it was for freedom that Christ set me free, and whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Thank You that I can take my stand on Christ’s finished work on the cross and press through on the freedoms I am battling for. I declare the victory through Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

Beloved, it is vital for you to receive the gift of no condemnation because that is what will give you the power to overcome your weaknesses, destructive habits, and addictions. If you believe that God condemns you for your failures, would you run to Him for help?

Look at how Jesus gave a sinner the power to sin no more. He defended the woman who was caught in adultery.

He looked tenderly into her eyes and asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:10–11).

You see, the Ten Commandments, in all their pristine holiness, cannot make you holy and cannot put an end to sin. The power to stop sin from destroying your life comes from receiving the gift of no condemnation from Jesus.

Your Savior, who has fulfilled the law on your behalf, says to you, “Where are those who condemn you? NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU. Now, go and sin no more.” This is grace, my friend. This is His unmerited favor!

The law says that God will not condemn you only if you stop sinning. However, Grace says, “I have taken your condemnation on the cross. Now, you can go and sin no more.”

Romans 6:14 says that “sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace [unmerited favor].” If you are still struggling with sin, it is time to stop depending on the law. Fall upon His unmerited favor like the apostle Paul did.

When you know that Christ has made you righteous apart from your works, and that He has perfected you by His unmerited favor, that will give you the ability to overcome every sinful temptation, habit, and addiction in your life!

Right now, when you reach out to your Savior Jesus, God sees you as perfect in Him. He does not condemn you for your past, present, and even future mistakes because all the mistakes that you will make in this life have already been nailed to the cross. You are now free to sin no more, experiencing victory and success over every sin and bondage in your life!

04/ 07/ 24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

Today’s Scripture
Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”?
1 Corinthians 1:27, MSG

NOBODIES AND SOMEBODIES
You may think you can never accomplish your dream because you feel limited by what you don’t have or by what you didn’t get. But God is not bound by natural laws, by company policies, by people’s prejudices. He controls the universe. The dream He put in your heart is not dependent on you having all the qualifications, the experience, the training, or people being for you. Sometimes God will let the odds be against you on purpose. He’ll let you be over your head, at the back of the line, and the least likely. That’s a setup. That’s a sign that a reversal is coming. “God chooses the nobodies to confound the somebodies.” He loves to take the unqualified and cause them to excel. He loves to take disregarded people and cause them to shine. He can change people’s minds. He can cause them to want to be good to you. They may not even know why. It’s God shining His favor on you, pushing you into your purpose. Get ready for some reversals. Things are about to shift in your favor.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You that You’re a God who reverses the order, a God who can make the last the first. Thank You for doing what only You can do, for taking me where I can’t go on my own. If others discount me, I know You count me, and You are the only One who really matters. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

First the blade, then the head, and then the full grain in the head of wheat. Just as a seed takes time to sprout and grow, it may take some time before your healing manifests fully. And just as a new farmer may see a thirty or sixtyfold yield before he sees a hundredfold yield, it may take some time before you experience 100 percent wholeness (Mark 4:8 NLT).

My friend, don’t say, “Why is my healing taking so long?” and give up. Press on toward the hundredfold. As you get 30 percent better, trust God for the 60 percent, and then the 100 percent.

Don’t lose sleep over when or how the full manifestation of your healing will happen. Be like the farmer—go to sleep! Rest, and leave the how and when to God.

Beloved, the Lord will give you strength to persevere. Your hundredfold is on the way!

03/07/24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Malachi 3:10, NIV

OPEN THE FLOODGATES
If you put God first in your life, the blessings He has for you cannot be contained. You may be limited, but God is unlimited. Take the limits off God and take the limits off yourself. Who says you can’t do something great? Who says you can’t start your own business? Who says you can’t get well? Who says you can’t go where no one in your family has gone? God is calling you to be a trendsetter, a difference maker, a barrier breaker. Quit looking at what you lost, at what you don’t have. The odds may be against you, but the Most High God is for you. You’re not on your own. You and God are a majority. Nothing can stop what He has purposed for your life. Now get in agreement with God. It’s amazing what happens when you enlarge your vision. You have to believe big, pray bold prayers, and dream great dreams. Give God permission to open the floodgates of Heaven and get ready. He’s about to do something that you’ve never seen.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that the floodgates of Heaven are open as I put You first place in my life. Thank You that You are pouring out so much blessing that I won’t have room enough to store it all. I declare that I am taking the limits off You and off myself and expecting greater things than I’ve ever seen. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

What is the value of seeing Jesus? How does this put money in your bank account and food on your table? How does this help your children in their studies?

Believers who have asked me these questions think that they are being pragmatic, but they don’t realize that miracles happen when they keep their eyes on Jesus. Look at what happened to a fisherman called Peter, who was one of Jesus’ disciples, in Matthew 14:22–33.

When his boat was in the middle of a lake, the most practical thing for a seasoned fisherman to do was to stay in the boat. Science tells you that when you step out into the water, you will sink!

But the greatest miracle that Peter experienced happened one night when he stepped out of his boat in the middle of a storm at Jesus’ word. That night, the winds were boisterous, but as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he did the impossible—he walked on water.

Jesus was walking on the water and when Peter looked at Jesus, he became like Jesus and did the supernatural. God’s Word declares that “we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Beloved, as Jesus is, so are you in this world. When you keep your focus on Jesus, you are transformed into His image from glory to glory.

You are transformed by beholding, not by working. When you see that Jesus is above the storms of your life, you will effortlessly rise above those storms.

No amount of self-effort could have helped Peter walk on water. When he did, it happened simply because he was looking at Jesus.

Let me share with you a testimony from a lady in our church. She went for a mammogram one morning and the doctors found some lumps in her breast. They told her to return to the clinic in the afternoon so that they could perform further tests to determine if the lumps were cancerous. But this lady was fresh from hearing me teach that as Jesus is, so are we in this world.

So before she returned to the clinic for the biopsy, she actually wrote on her medical report, “Does Jesus have lumps in His breast? As He is, so am I in this world.” That afternoon, she went for further tests and guess what! The doctors told her that there must have been a mistake—they could find no lumps!

Do you know why? Because as He is, so is she!

You have just seen the power of looking to Jesus. If you think that simply looking to Christ is impractical, I am challenging you today to see that it is not.

In fact, it is the most practical thing you can ever do. Keep your eyes on Jesus and you will become more and more like Him—full of health, strength, wisdom, and life!

02/07/24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
Deuteronomy 1:31, NIV

IN THE FATHER’S ARMS
When God brought the Israelite nation out of Egypt after being in slavery for ten generations, they were not prepared to survive in the wilderness. There was no food, and water was scarce, yet for forty years they never went without either. God gave them manna every morning and brought water out of a rock when they needed it. He supernaturally protected them against enemies and kept them from sickness on their way to the Promised Land. The whole time He was carrying them, sustaining them, as a father carries his children.

On the way to your promised land, to where God is taking you, there will be detours, people who do you wrong, times when you don’t see how it can work out. You don’t have the provision, the dream looks impossible, the obstacle too big. You’ll be tempted to worry, to live stressed out. No, stay in peace. Just as God did for them, He’s carrying you all the way until you get to your destination. You’re in your Father’s arms. He’s holding you tightly. Nothing can snatch you away.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for loving me so much that at times You take me into a wilderness place to show me who You are. Thank You that no matter where I go or what I go through, You wrap Your arms around me and carry me. I believe that You are bringing me to where You want me to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

All Christians probably believe that God has the power to bless, heal, protect, prosper, and make someone a success. However, we know that not all Christians believe that God is willing to do all that for them.

Matthew 8:1–3 records the story of a leper who came to Jesus for healing. He said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” The leper did not doubt Jesus’ ability to heal him, but he was unsure if Jesus was willing to heal him, a leper who was ostracized by all.

In other words, he believed in God’s omnipotence, but was not sure if God’s heart was one of love and unmerited favor toward him. I am sure that you know believers who are like that.

They may believe in God’s power, but they are unsure of God’s heart toward them. They know that God can, but they are not sure if He is willing.

My friend, don’t be like that leper who completely misread Jesus! Let’s see how Jesus responded to him. This is important because it would be the same response that Jesus would give you if you approached Him today.

Matthew 8:3 records that “Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.'” Can you see how personal Jesus’ ministry is?

He did not touch every person that He healed. At times, He simply spoke and the sick were healed.

But in this case, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the leper tenderly. I believe that Jesus did this to heal him not just of his leprosy, but also of the emotional scars that he had received from years of rejection.

Leprosy was a highly contagious disease and the law forbade lepers from coming into contact with anyone. This meant that for years, this leper had been shunned by everyone who saw his condition, even his own family members. He probably stank of decaying flesh and neglect, and his appearance must have been repulsive.

But without flinching, Jesus touched him, giving him the first human touch he had since he contracted the disease. The Bible tells us that immediately, his leprosy was cleansed and the man received his healing.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). Whatever breakthrough you are believing Him for, He says to you, “I AM WILLING.”

Don’t doubt His heart of love for you any longer. Stop being occupied by your own disqualifications and be completely absorbed in His love and grace (unmerited favor) toward you!

01/07/24

Is there no suffering in the body of Christ today? My dear reader, none of the protection truths found in God’s Word negates the fact that we are called and given the privilege to suffer persecution for His name’s sake as the apostle Paul states in today’s scripture.

Furthermore, Paul tells his protégé, Timothy, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12 NLT). Jesus Himself said that those who follow Him will be persecuted for His name’s sake (Matt. 10:22). Be clear that this persecution doesn’t involve terminal illnesses, tragic accidents, or premature death.

But Pastor Prince, wasn’t Job a righteous man who experienced terrible suffering?

I have preached a full message on Job and it is not the focus here to cover the full spectrum of Job’s suffering. (You can find this audio message in your Joseph Prince app library as a free sermon.)

For now, I want you to see that what happened to Job is not something that will happen to you who are IN CHRIST today. You see, one of Job’s complaints was this: “If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together” (Job 9:33 NLT).

Now, read these powerful words spoken by Elihu in Job 33:23–24, which describes this mediator: “If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man His uprightness, then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit; I have found a ransom.'”

Elihu’s description of a mediator foreshadows what 1 Timothy 2:5–6 tells us, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” Job experienced his sufferings because he didn’t have a mediator.

But today, you and I do—in the person of our Lord Jesus, who died at the cross to atone for our sins and made us righteous before God. He became our ransom (the Hebrew word for ransom comes from the root word kaphar, which means “to make an atonement”).

Beloved, the atoning blood of Christ has canceled all the legal rights that the enemy had against you and your family. When you receive all that His perfect sacrifice at the cross has accomplished for you, you don’t have to live afraid that you will be like Job.

Unlike Job, you have a mediator—Christ Jesus. In Him you can look forward to a future full of His promises, blessings, and protection (Ps. 23:6)!

30/06/24

I would like to share this testimony from a key pastor in our church. He and his wife were planning for a short vacation in Hong Kong to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They had set their eyes on a particular hotel in the city.

However, no matter how hard they tried, they were unable to secure a room. Frustrated and disappointed, they had no choice but to change their plans.

Sometime later, that hotel was all over the newspapers. It turned out that in the very same week that they had originally planned to stay there, there was an outbreak of a deathly disease.

Someone who was staying at the hotel had died of a highly contagious virus, triggering a lockdown. All hotel guests had to be quarantined and some were found to have contracted the virus as well.

What had initially been a disappointment for this couple turned out to be God’s hand of protection upon them. Who is to say that angels weren’t working overtime on their behalf to thwart their travel plans and prevent them from being at the wrong place at the wrong time? After all, Psalm 91 promises that no plague would come near their dwelling.

My friend, I pray, according to today’s Scripture, that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened, that you may know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.

I pray that like Elisha, you will be able to see beyond that which is in the natural realm, and see the legions of angels that are poised to minister for you. The Bible tells us that “the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).

Today, we might not physically see angels, but we know they are here with us. The Lord has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He has promised that His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives (Ps. 23:6).

Our confidence is not in what we see but in His promises that are everlasting, and as you put your trust in the Lord, I pray that you will experience every blessing that the Lord Jesus has purchased for you on the cross of Calvary!

29/06/24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
Today’s Word

Today’s Scripture
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
Psalm 32:3, NLT

DON’T COVER IT UP
In today’s Scripture, David is talking about what happened to his health during the year that followed his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the killing of her husband to cover it up. He lied to himself about what he’d done, buried the guilt and shame, and pretended that nothing was wrong. But the problem with burying negative toxins is they make your soul unhealthy and eventually come back up and poison your physical health as well. In Psalm 51, David finally got honest and said, “God, forgive and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart.” The beauty of our God is that He’s merciful. He forgave David, restored his soul, and gave him his health back.

Don’t let guilt and condemnation from something that you’ve done wrong in the past keep your soul unhealthy, hold you back, or weaken you physically. Get honest with yourself and get the toxins out. Go to God as David did and ask Him to forgive you, to cleanse your heart, to restore your soul and your health. Receive His mercy.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that I can receive Your forgiveness and have a clean heart today. Thank You that I can be honest about any sin and any mistake and get the toxins of guilt and bitterness out of my soul. Help me to walk in the joy of my salvation and in the fullness of health. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

SECTION TWO

Some people have the impression that angels look like little babies dressed in white togas, flying about with bows and arrows. The passage above tells us they are strong—they “excel in strength.”

Do you know how strong angels can be? When Sennacherib, the evil king of Assyria, laid a siege around Jerusalem, Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and the Lord sent one angel to the Assyrian camp.

Just one angel. In one night, the Bible tells us that “the angel of the LORD went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers” (2 Kings 19:35 NLT).

Here’s something else about angels: they “do His word.” They do not operate outside the boundaries of God’s Word.

And we have seen in Psalm 91:11–12 that the Lord has given His angels charge over us. The Amplified Classic version says that His angels will “accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways” (boldface mine). I don’t know about you but that gives me such assurance that I am covered under His wings of refuge and protection!

The Word of God also tells us that when the archangel Lucifer fell, one-third of the angels fell with him. That means that two-thirds of the angels are still on God’s side!

Hebrews 12:22 tells us of an “innumerable company of angels.” There are so many angels that they cannot be numbered. We may not be able to see them, but they are all around us, ministering for us.

So don’t be one of those believers who are more conscious of demons than angels. Remember, those who are with us are more than those who are with them (2 Kings 6:16)!

In the Garden of Gethsemane, when the Roman soldiers came to arrest our Lord, He said, “Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will immediately provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53 AMPC).

According to the Amplified translation, twelve legions is more than 80,000 angels! All Jesus had to do was pray and those angels would have been activated. But He did not do so because He had already chosen to go to the cross and to die the death that we deserved.

He gave up His protection so that today, you and I can claim all the promises of His protection. And as joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17), each one of us can summon twelve legions of angels! May you be encouraged as you see His desire to protect you as well as His provision of angelic protection over your life.

28/06/24

JOEL OSTEEN MINISTRIES
TODAY’S WORD

Today’s Scripture
King Jotham became powerful because he was careful to live in obedience to the LORD his God.
2 Chronicles 27:6, NLT

KEEP BEING YOUR BEST
What God has planned for you is much bigger than anything you’ve ever dreamed. If God were to show you right now where He’s taking you—the favor, the promotion, the influence—it would boggle your mind. You may not be the most qualified or talented. That’s okay. God’s anointing on you is more important than your talent, your education, or your hard work. You may not see how this can happen. It doesn’t seem possible. But you don’t have to go after the right people, good breaks, contracts, ideas, resources, and influence, trying to make something happen in your own strength or talent. You don’t have to figure it out.

If you just keep being your best right where you are, getting to work on time, doing more than you have to, being a person of excellence and integrity, the right people will find you and the right opportunities will track you down. Keep honoring and obeying God, and you will come into favor, wisdom, and promotion bigger than you ever imagined. Seek God, and the blessings 8will seek after you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
“Father, thank You that if I keep being my best and living to honor You in all my ways, You have an abundance of blessings that will track me down. Thank You that I don’t have to live my life trying to make things happen on my own. I declare that I am going to seek You and Your kingdom first. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

SECTION TWO

Whether you know it or not, there is a battle for our minds. The enemy sows lies and negative thoughts in our minds to get us discouraged and defeated. But God has given us a powerful weapon to win over the enemy’s mind games!

As you meditate on Bible promises that proclaim God’s truth over your life, you are already beginning to win the battle for your mind. It’s not a coincidence that Jesus was crucified on Golgotha, which actually means “Place of a Skull” (Matt. 27:33). Your breakthrough has to begin in your mind first.

This battle for your mind is not waged externally. Our weapons in this battle are not physical or tangible. Our weapons are the weapons of right believing, and they are mighty in God for pulling down strongholds that have kept us bound. These are strongholds that can only be utterly torn down by rightly believing in the truth of God’s Word.

The devil can only sow wrong thoughts in your mind, but he cannot control what you believe! When you start to believe right, every lie and wrong thought will melt away like butter on a hot, sunny day.

Lies can imprison and defeat you only to the degree that you don’t allow God’s truth to come into your situation to liberate you. Listen closely to what Jesus said: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32). What this means is that whatever stronghold you are trapped in today, truth from Jesus will set you free!

Strongholds are wrong thoughts and lies that have been perpetuated in your mind over weeks, months, or even years. These entrenched wrong beliefs cause you to live in bondage to addictions and in a state of fear, guilt, anxiety, or chronic depression.

God’s Word tells us in no uncertain terms that the warfare takes place in our minds and is won by us “pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:4–5).

The place where the enemy launches his attacks against you is in your thoughts and imagination. I believe that once you are aware that there is a war for your mind, and that it is between wrong beliefs and right beliefs, you have already won half the battle!

Keep hearing, keep believing, and keep renewing your mind with the truth of God’s grace and love for you. And whatever stronghold you may be trapped in today, the truth from His Word will set you free!