Joel Osteen Podcast - Having Now Faith | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: October 3, 2024

It's good to have faith for the future, but God wants to do something amazing in your life today. Learn to expect His favor daily. Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visitJoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.Good things are en route to you! But if you’re holding on to the old, there’s no room for the new. Our October offer will teach you how to make room for God to bless you in ways you never thought possible! It's time to Empty Out the Negative and be filled with blessings! https://bit.ly/3XE45Nf   Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks so much for listening to the podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. We believe you're going to have an awesome 2024, healthy, productive, and favor-filled. God bless you today and enjoy the message. Well, God bless you. It's always a joy to come into your homes. We love you. We know God has great things in store for each one of you. If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you, we'll make you feel right at home. Thanks for tuning in today, and thanks again for coming out this morning. I like to start with something funny each week, and of course, this is not doctrinally correct. It's just to make us laugh, but I heard about these three men, a Baptist, a Catholic, and a charismatic.

They died on the same day and went to heaven. St. Peter said, I'm sorry, men, but your rooms are not ready yet. He didn't quite know what to do, so he decided to call Satan to see if he would keep them for a little while. Satan reluctantly agreed. A few hours later, Satan called back and said, Peter, you've got to come get these guys. The Baptist man is saving everybody. The Catholic man is forgiving everybody.

And the charismatic has already raised enough money for air conditioning. All right, 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 having now faith. So often we have faith for the future. We believe one day God's going to do something great. One day we'll get a good break. One day we'll start to feel better. One day we'll see a problem turn around. And it's good to have faith for the future and believe that God's going to take care of us, but we can become so future-minded that we lose sight of the fact that God wants to do something great in our life today. Today, God wants to show you his favor. Today, God wants to amaze you with his goodness. He's called the great I am, not the great I was or the great I will be. God is always in the

present. And some of you have faith for the future, but you need to start releasing your faith for right now. The scripture says, now faith is. The faith that's really alive and active is the faith that you have for today. Every morning, we should get up with the attitude. Something good is going to happen to me today. In other words, today I could get the contract on the property I'm trying to sell. today I could see the legal situation turn around. Today I could meet the person of my dreams. Today I could have a breakthrough in my health. Second Corinthians 6-2 says,

Now is the time for God's favor. Notice not next week, not next month, not 20 years from now. No, now is the time God wants to amaze you with his goodness. And I know we're all believing for an Ephesians 320 decade, where God is going to do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond. We have our faith out there, but don't just live in the future. Don't just think, yeah, and the sweet by and by. I know something great's coming.

I know God's going to be good to me. What I'm saying is God wants to be good to you today. Get up every morning and say, today can be in Ephesians 320 day. When you have this now faith, it creates an expectancy in your heart. You'll go out each day like a little child thinking, I can't wait to see what God's going to do today. Today I could get a good break. Today I could be a blessing to someone in need. That's your faith being released.

But if you just make the mistake of living with this future faith, where you know God is good, you know he's going to take care of you, the problem is very often you won't expect anything right now. And God meets us at the level of our expectation. when you get up in the morning saying, Father, I know now is the time for your favor. I know you are the great I am, not the great I will be. So I want to thank you that something good is going to happen to me today. When you have this now faith and you go out with expectancy, then you will see the great I am show up in amazing ways. David understood this principle.

He said in Psalm 118, this is the day. Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. We quote that often. But the next verse is very interesting. He followed it up by saying, O Lord, I beseech you, send prosperity now. He could have said, send it tomorrow, send it next week, send it God, at least by December when my taxes are due. No, David lived with a now faith. He was bold. He had a lot of nerve. He said, God, I'm asking you to do it for me today. I wonder how many of us have never once prayed that prayer. Joel, I can't be that bold.

I can't ask God to do it right now. I can't put my timetable on it. Surely God wouldn't do it today. No, you have not because you ask not. And if it's not God's best, you don't have to worry. Our asking is not going to override God's plan. But if we never ask, how do we know it's not, happening because we're not asking. I found it's better to be bold and say, God, these are the

dreams you placed in my heart. This is what I'm pursuing toward. And I know you're a now God. So God, I'm asking you to give me favor today. Some of you have been standing in faith for a long time, believing for a child to turn around, believing to get well, believing to get out of debt. You have the faith that one day it's going to happen. One day you're going to see that breakthrough, but it's always in the future. You need to come over into the present. Switch back to a now faith. Be bold like David and say, God, I'm asking you to send prosperity now, send healing now, send vindication now, send restoration now. Well, you say, Joel, that's kind of far out asking God to do it right now. No, the now faith is what gets God's attention. I can imagine

God says to the angel Gabriel. Look at Mary down there at Lakewood. Look at Robert. Look at Susan. Look at Maria. They believe I can turn the situation around right now. Even though the economy is low, they're asking me to send prosperity now. Even though the medical report doesn't look good, they believe that I can send healing now.

They've got their faith out there. So let me prove to them once again that I am the great I am. and do what they're asking me to do. Friends, it's okay to be bold like David and say, God, I'm expecting something great today. One time in the scripture, Jesus was walking through a city and a man came up and said, Sir, my good friend is very sick.

Would you please come and pray for him? Jesus said, yes, I'll come to your home. He said, I'm a captain in the army. I have a lot of authority. When I speak, my men quickly obey. Jesus, you don't need to come to my home. Just speak the word only. And I know my friend will be healed.

This man had that now faith. He was saying like David, God sinned healing now. You don't even have to travel to my home. It's interesting. Jesus didn't get offended and say, boy, you got a lot of nerve asking me to do it right now. Boy, you sure are bold believing that I can speak. something and cause it to happen. No, he's just the opposite. Jesus looked at him and said, I have not seen this much faith in all of Israel. You can go home. Your friend is totally whole.

That's what happens when we have the boldness to say, God, I'm asking you, do it for me today. A lot of people live with this future faith, and they believe that one day something great is going to happen, but it's always off in the future. If you could just learn to switch back over into a now faith. And like this man, say, God, I'm asking you to send healing, not tomorrow, not next week, send healing now, send favor now, send prosperity now, send breakthroughs now. When you release that now faith, you're going to see a now God show up and do amazing things in your life. Now is the time for God's favor.

But if you never ask God to do it now, the reason it's not happening could be because you're not releasing your faith for the present. You're living with this future faith. But God has now blessings for people that will dare to have a now faith. Well, you say, Joel, what if I'm bold and I do like David? And I ask God to send favor today and send prosperity today. but it doesn't happen it now. Then you get up tomorrow and say, God, I'm asking you

to send prosperity now. You stay in the now. You do it again. That's what's going to help you to not get discouraged and not give up. When you believe that this could be the day you get that new position, this could be the day you meet

a new friend, you overcome an obstacle. That's not only your faith being released, which allows God to work, but that is going to create expectancy in your own heart. The anticipation that something good is going to happen to me today, that's what gives you the drive, the passion to keep pressing forward. The truth is, we're all going to have to wait.

I'm certainly not saying everything's going to happen in a 24-hour period. It's through faith and patience that we inherit the promises. But the key is we have to wait the right way with expectancy. believing that it could happen today. Not next week, not six months from now. No, this could be the day. You get the break you need. See, what I'm saying is even though we're waiting, we're still in the now mode. We're on the lookout, knowing down deep it could happen today. I read about a man. He was an explorer. He lived off the coast of Florida. Back in the year 1622, he discovered that a Spanish ship had sunk somewhere off the Florida Keys. He and his men set out to find this ship. They searched and searched month

after month, year after year, with no success. Most people would have given up. Most would have gotten discouraged, but not this man. Every morning before his crew went out, he would call them together, look them in the eyes, and say very passionately, very confidently, men, today is going to be the day we find this ship. While some of the crew went around disappointed, discouraged. This man always had a spring in his step. He lived with great expectancy knowing that any moment

he was going to discover that buried treasure. Over the years, he had plenty of doubters. Plenty of people tried to talk him out of it, tell him he was just wasting his time. He would always answer back, no, today is going to be the day. Sixteen years later, he noticed something unusual on the bottom of the ocean floor,

called in for more equipment. Sure enough, they discovered that Spanish ship that had sunk. It was still full of gold, silver, all kinds of buried treasure. He was greatly rewarded for those 16 years. How do you stay in faith when it's taken a long time?

You don't see anything happening. Doesn't look like it's ever going to work out. Just like with this man, every day tell yourself, this could be the day it turns around. This could be the day I start to feel better. This could be the day the property sales. This could be the day I get the phone call I've been waiting for. You wait with expectancy knowing that it could happen today. That's what we did with this

place, the former compact center. A company filed a lawsuit to try to keep us from moving in. We were told by our legal experts that it could take between eight and 10 years for this legal battle to resolve. We weren't even guaranteed that we would win. It was very easy to get discouraged. It was easy to think, this is never going to work out. But we did just what I'm asking you to do. Every morning, I got up month after month and said, Father, I want to thank you that today could be the day it turns around.

I said, like David, God, send favor now, send breakthroughs now, send deliverance now. I was waiting with expectancy. A year and a half later, you know the story. We got a phone call from the other side, and they were worried. willing to settle and we were able to move into our beautiful facility. But I think about what David said, what would have happened if I had not believed to see the goodness of God? I wonder, would we still be tied up in a legal battle if we had not gotten up each morning with this now faith, believing that this could be the day? Would we still be in our old facility that was much too small? And we would have not

seen the growth and increase in favor that we've seen in the last five years? I'm convinced there are times that we delay God's goodness. Things don't happen as quickly as they should because we're not living with this now faith. We get discouraged because it's not happening. Instead of being like this man and believing this could be the day, we switch over into that future faith. Thinking, well, maybe one day I'll get out of this lawsuit. Maybe one day I'll accomplish my dreams. Maybe one day we'll be able to have children. Now you've got to switch back over into the now faith. Understand, every time you say, God, send favor now, send healing now, send breakthroughs now. In the unseen realm, God releases a new wave of his goodness. You may not see anything happening,

but that doesn't mean God is not working. The scripture says, the moment you pray, the tide of the battle begins to turn. That very moment, God sets the miracle into motion. It may not show up for a week, a year, or 10 years, but if you will stay in faith, one day, suddenly you will see what God's been doing behind the scenes. Last week, Victoria and I had the opportunity to talk to a young couple. They had been believing to have a child for many, many years with no success. But instead of being discouraged, they were, would come up each week to our support group that we have for parents that are trying to have children. It's called the Hope Group. They pray and encourage each other. And this couple has the

attitude that I'm talking about. This could be the day that we conceive a baby. This could be the day that God blesses us with a child. Month after month went by and they didn't see anything happening. Two years, three years, four years. They just kept declaring, Father, send that baby now. Send healing now, send favor now. Five years later, after being told by the doctors they couldn't have children, they brought the most beautiful baby girl for us to dedicate last week. But I wonder, would they have that baby today if they would have just sat at home thinking too bad for us? Just our luck. It's not meant to be. No, they had the attitude, today is the day. Nothing happened the first month. Didn't matter. Today is the day. Nothing happened the first year. They weren't moved.

They kept believing today is the day. Those five years didn't look like anything was happening. They were hardly making any progress, but they knew down deep. God was working behind the scenes. And suddenly, she was able to conceive. It's easy to get discouraged and think, my marriage is never going to change. I'm never going to get well. I'm never going to accomplish my dreams. I understand. God is a God of the suddenlies. He can suddenly turn any situation around. He can suddenly get you out of debt. He can suddenly cause you to conceive. He can suddenly bring a dream to pass. Here's the key. While we're waiting for the suddenlies, it's important that we keep this now faith. Down deep, you've got to know it could happen today. In the scripture,

there was a man that was crippled. For 38 years, he had been lying by the pool of Bethesda. Whenever an angel would move the water, the first person that got in would be healed. I can imagine the first few months that he was there. He had a great expectation thinking, this is going to be my day. I'm going to be the one that gets healed today. He was passionate. He had this enthusiasm, but a month went by and it didn't happen. He didn't happen. He was, gets a little bit discouraged. And then three months, and it still doesn't happen, and he's more discouraged than a year, than five years.

Now, 38 years later, he's still lying by the pool, totally convinced that it's never going to happen. One day, Jesus came by and asked him a question. He said, sir, do you want to get well? In a sense, that was an odd question. Of course, he wanted to get well. He'd been lying by the pool 38 years hoping to get him. No, Jesus wanted to see his attitude.

The way he responds shows us what his problem was. Instead of saying, yes, I want to get well, he began to make all these excuses. He said, Jesus, I don't have anybody to help me get in the water. I've tried and failed year after year. You know, my legs don't work and it's just so unfair. It's just not right. Here, Jesus, the son of God, the one that has the power to heal him is standing right there, but this man is just so focused on all the reason that it's not going to work out.

See, I found you can be at the right place in the wrong frame of mind and miss what God wants to do. And some of you have been praying for years and years for a loved one, but it looks like it's not doing any good. You've been standing in faith for a marriage to be restored, to accomplish a goal, but it seems like one set back after another. Now you've lost your enthusiasm. You've lost your passion. But I believe, just like in this situation, God is passing by your way today.

You are at the right place. The real question is, are you in the right frame of mind? Do you know that this could be your day? Don't miss your moment. It may look impossible, but how do you know that God is not just, about to turn it around. It may seem too late, but how do you know? God is not just about to open a new door, just about to bring somebody new into your life, or just about to thrust you to a whole new level.

Don't do like this man and sit around 38 years making excuses as to why you can't get well, why you can't be happy, why you can't be successful. No, God doesn't want to hear our excuses. He's saying today, do you want to be blessed? Do you want to be victorious? Do you want to live his abundant life? Then you've got to shake off the self-pity, shake off the disappointment, rise up and say, hey, you know what? Today is my day.

It may not have happened in the past, but I know now is the time for God's favor. Now is the time for healing. Now is the time for breakthroughs. God, I'm asking you to send your goodness now. You got to get back over into the now zone. I can look back in my own life and see situations where at one time I was believing for change, believing for increase, believing for favor. But a month went by, nothing happened, then a few months, then a year, then a couple years.

I found myself not actively believing anymore. I had become complacent, kind of thinking, oh, this is the way it is, and this is the way that it's always going to be. wasn't anything bad. I just wasn't releasing my faith. The back of my mind I thought, well, maybe one day it'll change. Maybe one day that will happen. Oh, I've made up my mind. I'm going to come back over to now faith. I'm going to get up every morning and start saying, Father, send favor now, send increase now, send breakthroughs now. I'm expecting to see God's goodness in greater ways. I'm expecting to see dreams and goals that I push down.

a year ago, five years ago, 20 years ago, I'm still expecting them to come to pass. And some of you like me, at one time, you were believing to accomplish a goal, believing to overcome an addiction, believing to get back in shape. But it didn't happen. And as time went by, you just put it on the back burner. Now you think it's never going to happen. But I'm asking you to come back over with me to that now faith. Get your hopes back up.

believe all things are possible. You don't know, today could be your day. Stay in the now. That's what allows God to do amazing things. And even if it doesn't happen today or next week or next year, don't be like the man by the pool and become complacent. Keep your faith stirred up. In fact, the scripture tells us to be prisoners of hope. That means we are chained to hope. We just can't get away. In other words, we should be discouraged. It's taken a long time. I don't see anything good happening, but I just can't help it. I still believe God can turn it around. I still believe today could be my day. That thought comes that you're never going to get out of debt. Business is too slow. You're probably going to go under. Just answer back, yes, it doesn't look good in the

natural, but you don't understand. I'm in prison. Not physically, but mentally, I'm in a prison. not of defeat, not of discouragement, not of self-pity, I'm in a prison of hope. I'm in a prison of expectancy. I know now is the time for God's favor. I know he's working behind the scenes whether I can see anything or not. I still believe today can be my day.

Well, what if it doesn't happen today? No big deal. I'm in prison. I can't get out. I just can't help but believe in for increase. I can't help but believing for good things. I know suddenly God can turn any sense. situation around. It's okay to be in prison. Just make sure you're in the right prison, a prison of

hope. That's what a young lady did in the scripture. For 12 years, she suffered with the bleeding disorder. She had spent all of her money, gone to many different doctors, received treatment, but continued to get worse. She could have been like the man at the pool and thought too bad. I tried. Just my luck. It wasn't meant to be. No, she didn't sit around in self-pity. This lady had been coming to Lakewood. Her attitude was, today is my day. It may look impossible. It may be taken a long time.

But God, I'm asking you to send healing now. She had this now faith. One day she heard that Jesus was coming through her city. She thought, if I can just get to him, I know I'll be made whole. And she began to press her way through the crowd. I can imagine her saying, excuse me, I don't mean to be rude. I don't mean to be pushy, but you're going to have to move out of my way. Today is my day.

This is my time. Just as Jesus was about to go off, she was able to reach out and touch the edge of his robe. The scripture says immediately she was made whole. Jesus stopped and said to his disciples, who touched me? They said, what do you mean, Jesus? Everybody's touching you. It's packed around here. He said, no, somebody touched me with such faith, which says,

such expectancy that they drew the miracle working power right out of me. About that time, Jesus' eyes met this woman's eyes. He smiled and said, daughter, your faith has made you hold. Go in peace. Notice, it wasn't God's faith. God has all the faith in the world. But when we rise up and say, today is my day, God, send healing now, send favor now, send breakthroughs now, when we release our faith,

it can cause the most high God to stop in his tracks and release his power in amazing ways. I'm asking you to do like this woman and have a now faith. Get up every morning and say something good is going to happen to me today. Friends, today is your day. Now is the time for God's favor. As you go out this week, be expecting God's goodness. Don't just have faith for the future. God wants to do something great in your life.

life today. He is the great I am, not the great I will be. Stay in the now. That's what's going to give you the passion to keep pressing forward. If it doesn't happen today, don't get discouraged. Don't be like the man at the pool and sit around 38 years

and give up on your dreams. Be a prisoner of hope. May be taken a long time, but suddenly God can turn any situation around. Now, I want to pray over you what David did in Psalm 118. this by faith. Father, I'm asking you for every person under the sound of my voice to send

prosperity now. Father, send favor now. Send restoration now. Send healing now. Send vindication now. Send vindication now. Send breakthroughs now. God, send favor now. Lord, we know you are a now God. So we release this now faith. And we want to thank you in advance that we will see your goodness in amazing, unprecedented ways in the future. We believe it. We receive it. We declare it. In Jesus' name. And if you agree, can you say amen?