Joel Osteen Podcast - It's A New Season of God's Favor | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: March 29, 2024

God has new blessings prepared for you, but in order to receive them, you have to expect His favor. Start declaring His favor over your life and expect new doors to open. Believe big! Believe for more! Our March offer,This Time Next Year: Believe Big Journal, combines faith-building stories from Scripture with space to record your own reflections of the amazing things God is doing in your life. Be reminded each day that the God who breathed life into you is a more-than-enough God! Request your copy now, https://bit.ly/3IebX0B. 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.

It's so great to have you with us today. We love you guys. We're praying you're going to have a beautiful month of March and just speaking blessings in favor of each one of you. This time of year is just new beginnings, new spring seasons, and so we are believing that this will be a newness of joy in your heart. So know today we are praying for you and we love you. Well, God bless you. Always a joy to come into your homes and we come with good news. We know that. that God is on your side, and he's got a great plan and a great future for your life. And when you draw night of God, God will draw night of you. But we're so glad that you've tuned in today. And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and see us. We give you a personal invitation.

You'll love our new facility. And these people are the finest people in all of Houston, right here at Lakewood. So come be a part of one of our services. I like to start with something kind of funny, and I heard about this little three-year-old boy. he had a bad cough and his parents took him to the doctor and the doctor put him up on the table and he put his stethoscope up to his chest and he said hang still little buddy i'm just going to check and see if barney's in there the little boy said no jesus is in my heart but barney's on my underwear all right hold your bibles up and say it like you mean it ready 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 told you talk 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 believing for more of God's favor in your life. Too many people are stuck in a rut, and they're not expecting anything good. They don't expect to rise higher. They don't expect to get any breaks. Their attitude is, nothing good ever happens to me. I don't see how I could ever get out of these problems. I'll probably never get married. I'll probably never get out of debt. They go around sort of expecting to get the short end of the stick and then they wonder why nothing good ever happens to them. But the scripture

says in Isaiah 30 verse 18 that God is longing to be good to the people that are looking for his goodness, his favor and his victory. Notice God wants to be. Notice God wants to be good. He's longing to be good. He's good. Notice, is God wants to be good to you, but the only way it's going to happen is if you're looking for his goodness, if you're expecting his blessings in favor. In other words, we should actively be releasing our faith for more of the favor of God. We should go out each day expecting to get good breaks, expecting to be at the right place at the right time, expecting doors to open for us that may not open for somebody else. We have an advantage. We have the favor of God. And I believe that we've entered into a new season, a season of increase, a season of blessings,

a season where we can see more of God's favor. But if this is going to happen, we have to do our part and become more favor-minded. That means we're not only expecting good things, but we're declaring God's favor over our lives. There's a connection between speaking favor and receiving favor. It's Not enough to just think, yeah, Joel, I believe it. I know I've got God's favor. No, you've got to give life to your faith by speaking it out. And every day before we leave the house, we should just say, Father, thank you that I have your favor. Thank you that I have favor with my boss, with my clients. Thank you that my children have favor with their teachers. Thank you that your favor is bringing success into my life. I found the more favor-minded we are, expecting it and expecting it, and

declaring it, the more of God's favor we're going to receive. But some of you today, you're stuck in an old rut, and you're not expecting anything good. Well, Joel, 2005 has been a disappointing year for me. My plans didn't work out. I had some setbacks, lost a lot into hurricane. You've got to shake that junk off. That's over and done. Your attitude should be, I'm entering into a new season, a season of increase, a season of blessing, a season where I'm going to see God's favor like never before. See, you've got to have the right outlook, and you need to have words of faith and victory coming out of your mouth. Maybe you've been lonely for a long time. Well, let me encourage you, it's a new season.

And you need to start declaring the favor of God is turning things around. The favor of God is bringing good people into my life. It's a new day. Well, Joel, my finances are just so low. I don't see how they could ever get better. I've sort of topped out. No, hear me clearly, it's a new season. start declaring the favor of God is bringing me promotion. The favor of God is bringing increase.

God's favor is bringing success into my life. Or maybe you've been sick for a long time. You've struggled with your health year after year. But let these words take root deep down on the inside. It's a new season. Your attitude should be 2006 is going to be my year to get well. 2006, the favor of God is bringing health under me. The favor of God is bringing health under me. The favor of is turning every adversity into victory. Get a new attitude. Start declaring every day, Father, thank you that your favor is going before me, making my crooked places straight. I like to say, Father, thank you, that your favor is keeping my enemies from defeating me. Your favor is bringing success and victory into my life. Remember, the more favor-minded we are, the more of God's favor

we're going to receive. I like the scripture in First Peter. It says, hope to the end for the divine favor that is coming. Notice it's saying if we simply keep our hopes up, then God promises favor is on its way. May not be here yet, but that season is coming. The good news is when God's favor shows up, things are going to change. Supernatural doors will open. Negative circumstances will turn around. What was impossible will become possible when you have the favor of God. I have these friends and their son plays on a minor league baseball team. And his dream, of course, is to make it up to the major leagues. He's an extremely talented young man. But it seemed like every time he was about to get moved up to the big leagues, something odd came up and he got skipped over. And every time

I talked to his parents, they told how he was having a banner year and he was leading the league in home runs. But once again, he just kept getting overlooked. And this happened time and time again, year after year. And these parents were tempted to get discouraged. They were tempted to start thinking, you know what, this is just not meant to be. But no, they never did that. They just kept speaking God's favor over his life. They said things like, Father, thank you that your favor is opening up doors that no man can shut. Thank you that your favor is causing him to be at the right place, at the right time. Your favor is causing him to stand out in the crowd. And do you know, just the other day, they told me that young man

got skipped over again. They thought this time for sure his career was officially over. But right at the last minute, one of the star players on the major league team that this minor league team was affiliated with, this star player decided he wanted to be

traded. And it just so happened he played the same position as this young man. And so they shipped him off and it made a way for this young man to make it up to the big leagues. And now he's living out his dream playing in the major leagues. Friends, that's the favor of God making a way, even when it looked like there was no way.

God wants to do the same thing in your life. When it looks impossible, when you don't see how it could ever change, why don't you start speaking favor over that situation? Instead of sitting around getting depressed and discouraged, saying, well, I should have known it. I always get skipped over. I always get the short end of the stick. No, get out of that own negative, defeated mentality.

and start saying, Father, thank you that your divine favor is on its way. Thank you that your favor is opening up doors that no man can shut. Thank you that your favor is turning every adversity into victory. See, in your time of need, more than ever, you need to declare God's favor. And some of you today, you don't see how that situation could change. You don't see how your business could ever grow or how you could ever really get out of debt. But listen, all it takes is one touch of God's life. favor. Just one touch of God's favor and it can turn any situation around. You got a hope to the end

for the divine favor that's coming. That means don't give up. Don't get discouraged. Favor is on its way. The good news is that favor could be here this week. It could be here tomorrow. It could be here before you leave this service. When you get up in the morning, instead of getting discouraged and think, oh man, this is going to be another lousy day. I got all these problems to deal with. No, you need to put a smile on your face, get up with enthusiasm, and say, Father, I'm excited about today. I know your favor is on its way. I talked to this other gentleman several years ago, and he was so discouraged. At one time, he had had a very successful business, but over the last few years, that business had gone down to nothing. He'd lost all of his major clients. It looked like

bankruptcy was inevitable. It looked like he didn't have a chance. He was in the design and graphics business. And as we were talking, he went on and on telling me about his problems, explaining in great detail, all the people that had done him wrong, and all the setbacks he had suffered, and how impossible it was. And finally, I had to stop him and say, you know what, we've talked long enough about the problem. Let's start talking about the solution. Let's start talking about what God can do. Let's start talking about the fact that divine favor is on its way. I knew I had to get some faith into him. I had to talk him. I had to talk him. into believing. And I told him, basically what I'm telling you today, that one touch of God's favor

can turn it all around. One touch of God's favor can send your business over the top. He said, well, really, Joel, I just came to ask you to pray that God would help me to make it through this time of loss. I said, no, I'm not going to pray that way. I'm going to pray that God's favor is going to come on you and your business in a greater way, and it's going to bring you out even better off than you were before. His eyes just lit up. He said, you really think this business could turn around? I said, I don't think so. I know so. With God, all things are possible. I could see that hope filling in his heart. And so we prayed, we believed, we declared God's favor. But I told him every day and all through the day, even if it's under your breath, you need to go around saying, the favor of God

is on my life. The favor of God is bringing me new clients. The favor of God. The favor of God is bringing me new clients. of God is causing my business to prosper. And I challenged him to stay in that attitude of faith and expectancy and to just keep declaring God's favor. Well, several months later, I bumped into him. This time, he wasn't all down and discouraged. He was beaming with joy. He said, Joel, I did just what you said. I just kept declaring God's favor. I just kept believing and expecting for things to change. And he said, at my lowest moment, when it looked like I was going to lose it all, I got a phone call from a company that we had never done business with before, and they asked me to make a presentation. Long story short, this company chose him over several other major firms. He said, Joel, now with this one new client,

I will have more income than all of my other clients combined. He said, this year will by far be my most prosperous year ever. And see, I say that, I say that to say all it takes, is one touch of God's favor. Just one phone call, just one new client, just bumping into the right person, being at the right place at the right time, one touch of God's favor can turn any adversity into victory. No matter how impossible it looks in your life, no matter how much money you need, or no matter how negative the report was, why don't you stop talking about the problem and start talking about the solution? Why don't you start talking about the fact that divine, favor is on its way. My bank account may not look too good, but that's okay. Favor is on its way.

My child may not be doing right, but I'm not going to worry about it. I know God's favor is coming. See, the scripture tells us that we need to speak to our mountains. It's not enough to just pray. It's not enough to just believe. You've got to talk to your mountains. The Bible says, let the weak say I'm strong. Let the oppressed say I'm free. You need to declare God's favor over those situations. And I found if you don't talk to your mountains, your mountains will talk to you. Your problems will keep you up all night, worried,

full of fear, negative, depressed, if you allow them to. When you get up in the morning and those old discouraging thoughts come telling you nothing's ever going to change, you're never going to fulfill your destiny, you're never going to be happy, you're never going to get married, man.

No, if you listen to those lies, you'll go through the day depressed and defeated. No, quit letting your problems talk to you and start talking to your problems. In other words, when you get up, no matter how you feel, no matter what it looks like, you need to just boldly declare, Father, I'm excited about this day. I know your favor is turning things around. I know your favor is bringing success into my life. Your favor is causing me to be a victor and not a victim.

Learn to speak to your mountains. Learn to declare God's favor over those negative situations. This is just what Job did. He went through a really terrible time. He lost his business, lost his health, lost his family. I'm sure he could have easily gotten discouraged. He could have started complaining and saying, God, why me? But no, in the midst of that adversity, in the midst of that dark hour, you know what he did? He looked up to the heavens and said, God, thank you that you have granted me your favor. Think about it. In the middle of his storm, he was declaring the favor of God.

He was saying, in effect, I don't care how bad I feel. I don't care how bad these circumstances look. God, I know you're a good God and your divine favor is on its way. I know your favor can turn this all around. No wonder God restored everything back to him.

No wonder he came out with twice what he had before. He was living favor-minded, expecting it, and declaring it. Some of you today, kind of like Job, maybe you're in what seems to be an impossible situation. Things don't look good in your marriage, in your health, in your finances, and you just don't see any way out. And in our times of adversity, it's so easy

to get discouraged. It's easy to get negative and go around complaining, hey, why is this happening to me? No, let me challenge you in those tough times, dare to do like Job and declare God's favor over your life. Dare to speak to those mountains. Just say, Father, thank you, that your favor is turning this around. Your favor is defeating my enemies for me. If you will continue to speak favor over your life and if you will just keep hoping to the end,

God promises favor is on its way. When that favor shows up, that's going to cause you to rise up out of those problems. The favor of God will open up doors for you that men say are impossible. The favor of God will keep your enemies from

defeating you. No matter what you're facing today, don't ever rule out God's favor, keep expecting it, keep declaring it. This is exactly what we did when we were trying to acquire this new facility, the compact center. There were so many times where it looked totally impossible. So many times we wanted to just give up and go find some more property that'd be a whole lot easier. But no, we made a decision early on that we were just going to keep hoping on to the very end. We knew deep down in here that divine favor was on its way. And so we just kept declaring it. We kept speaking to our

mountains. You know the story. The night before the main city council vote, we were still one vote shy. And this is after we'd been working on it for over a year and a half. And in the natural it looked like it was all over. Looked like it was impossible. But no,

we knew all it took was one touch of God's favor. And in our darkest hour, we just said, Father, thank you that divine favor is coming. We know that you're in control and no man can stand against you. We just kept speaking that favor. And at the last moment, in that midnight hour, one of the council members changed his mind,

and we had that last and final vote that we needed. God turned our adversity into victory. God wants to do the same thing for every one of you. And when you live favor-minded, God will defeat your enemies for you. I like the scripture in Psalm 44.3. It's talking about the children of Israel. It says, they didn't get the land. by their own strength or by their own sword, but by your right hand and the light of your

countenance because you favored them. Notice it's saying they didn't win the battle in their own ability. It was the favor of God that gave them the victory. In the same way, we're not going to win our victories in our own strength, only in our own might, our own intelligence. No, it's going to be because of the favor of God. And when you really walk in God's favor, you will win battles that you've never could have won before. God will give you victories that at one time seemed totally impossible. I like the way the message translation puts this same verse. It says, we didn't work for it. You freely gave it to us. You sent our enemies packing and you gave it to us smiling. Friends, God wants to send your enemies packing, whether it's an enemy of debt, an enemy of sickness,

an enemy of marital problems, whatever it is, God wants to pour out his favor and freely give you the victory. And notice how God does it. It says he gave it to them smiling. In other words, God does it with joy. He does it because he loves you. He does it because he wants to. There are too many people today that have the wrong concept of God. They think that God is out to get them, that God's mad at them, that God's trying to make their lives miserable. No, listen, that's not the kind of God we serve. Our God is a good God. He is for you. He wants you to live in victory. He wants to turn those negative situations around. God has divine favor coming your way. My question is, will you do your part and believe?

Will you start expecting good things? Will you start declaring God's favor? If you will get an agreement with God, he'll do the impossible in your life. No matter what it looks like. like, no matter how far in debt you may be, no matter how bad the report was, just always remember one touch of God's favor can turn it all around. One touch of God's favor and he can send your enemies packing. That sounds like God's a Texan to me, doesn't it? In Zachariah chapter four, there's a story about a man by the name of Zarubabel. He was in charge of rebuilding the temple. He was facing a lot of obstacles. It said in verse seven, who are you? O great mountain that stands before Zarubabel, you shall become a plain, a mere molehill,

and he will finish the temple shouting grace, grace to it. Notice Zarubabel had some mountains in his life. He was facing some challenges. What did he do, get down and discouraged? No, it says that he shouted grace to his mountains. Another word for grace is favor. In other words, he was declaring the faith of God over that situation. And you notice what happened. His mountains got flattened out and they became mere mole hills. The favor of God turned it around. And I love his attitude. He said, who are you, O great mountain that stands before me? He was saying, you can't defeat me. Don't you know who I am? I have the favor of God. When he looked at his obstacles, he knew they were not permanent. He knew that mountain was not immovable. He was saying, in a favor of God. He was saying, in a

you're not going to last in my life forever. I know the secret. I can speak to these mountains. I can declare God's favor and you'll become a mere mole hill. When we face challenges and difficulties in our lives, we need to have that same confidence, that same attitude. Who are you? You can't defeat me. And then let's start declaring the favor of God. As we continue to do that, I know we'll see our mountains flattened out and turned into mere mole hills. And some of you today, you're struggling in your finances. Well, you need to get that old checkbook out and do like Zaruba bell and shout favor over it. Speak the favor of God over that thing. Or maybe you have a child that's not doing right. Well, don't go around complaining about him. Start speaking favor over his life.

You have a situation at work, having a lot of trouble. Well, don't talk about your problem. Talk to your problem. Do like Zaruba Bell, look that situation in the eye and just boldly declare divine favor is on its way. Friends, God wants to pour out his blessings and his goodness in your life. And my prayer as we go into this new year that the favor that God has shown this ministry is going to flow off of us right down

onto each one of you. Just like in the Old Testament, it flowed off the priest, off the leaders, right down to the people. And you know, 2005 has been an amazing year in our ministry. God has done more than we could even ask or think. He's given us this beautiful facility.

He's increased us. He's promoted us. I can't even begin to tell you all the ways that God has blessed us. I'm really believing that same favor is going to flow right down onto each one of you. What I'm saying today is you need to get ready for a new season of increase, a new season of God's favor. Get out of any ruts. Let go of any disappointments from last year. Your plans didn't work out.

You had some setbacks. You're not where you'd hope you'd be. Listen, you've got to shake all that off. You've entered into a new season, a season of God's favor. Get that down on the inside. And stay hopeful, stay expected. It may not happen overnight. You've got to just keep being obedient,

keep being a person of excellence and integrity, and always remind yourself that the favor of God is on its way. When you're tempted to get discouraged, your child's not doing right, the business is slow, the hurricane knocked you out of town, that's okay. This is a new season. Your attitude should be 2006 is going to be my year for victory. 2006 is going to be my year to rise higher. It's going to be the year I see more of God's favor. As we go into this new year, I want to start it off by declaring God's favor over your life. I believe our words have created power.

They can help set the direction for our lives. I just ask you to let these words, take root on the inside. Let them go deep down on the inside of you, and I believe they can bring about change. But I declare right now, in the name of Jesus, the favor of God over your life in a greater way in 2006. I declare favor over your finances, favor over your family, favor over your children, favor over your marriage. I declare that you will have favor in your workplace. Favor with your boss. Favor with your clients. Favor with your coworkers. I declare the favor of God is bringing you promotion, increase, bonuses, raises. I declare God's favor is going to open up supernatural doors of opportunity. That people will be drawn to you, that they

will want to be good to you, and that you will increase in your field of work because of the favor of God in 2006. I declare the favor of God over your health. I've declared that in 2006 you'll get stronger. You'll feel better. You'll be happier. You'll be healthier. And you'll be free from sickness and disease because of the favor of God in 2006. I declare favor over your family, favor over your relatives. Those that don't know the Lord, I believe the favor of God is going to draw them in in this new year. The favor of God is going to bring good people across their path. The favor of God is going to cause them to tune in just at the right time. I declare favor over you in the social life area, especially those of you that have been single for a long time. You've been wanting to get married.

Well, I declare the favor of God is going to come on you in a greater way, and you're going to see God bring good people into your life. Some of you have been in what seems to be a time of famine, but I just declare you're entering into a new season of plenty. Some of you have been so discouraged, but I declare by faith that you're entering into a new season of joy. Some of you have had so many negative things come against you. I declare even right now the forces of darkness are being broken, and you're going to see God's favor in your life in a new way. It's a new season of favor, a new season of increase, a new season of victory. And I just speak the favor of God. over every area of your life in a greater way in 2006 in the name of Jesus.

And 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 God. born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take your

places that you've never dreamed out. It starts with just a tiny seed. From it, tender bud sprout. The miracle of new life blooms and thrives. But how do you experience the same miraculous and extraordinary growth in your own life? Sometimes our life is limited because we're believing too small. Faith is like a seed. When you believe, all things are possible. That's when you'll see new growth, opportunity, and healing. We don't have to figure out how it's going to happen. All we have to do is belief. There may not be a way in the natural, but our God is supernatural.

We'd like to send you our new, this time next year, Believe Big Journal. It'll help you to enlarge your vision and stretch your faith. Where would you like to be a year from now? Who knows what God will do in 2024 if you'll take the limits off of him and believe for the great things he's placed in your heart? Asar, thank you for your gift of any amount this month. We want to send you the this time next year Believe Big Journal, along with our new Believe Tea.

As you begin to believe big, you'll see God move in powerful ways. The impossible made possible. Growth, provision, and new opportunities will burst forth above and beyond what you can ask or imagine. Also, for the first time ever, we want to present you with our new Believe T-shirt. exclusively by our friends at CopperFit for the viewers and partners of Joe Lohsteen. We invite you to wear and declare what you are believing God for in 2024. It's a gift from Copperfit as they extend their support of the message of hope.

Many of you have watched us a long time, but you've never been to Lakewood. We have a perfect time. We're calling it Homecoming Weekend, April 13th and 14th. We'd love to meet you. I'll introduce you to my family. you can see the facility and enjoy a service, we'd be honored to have you. We'll make you feel right at home.

Remember, you can watch the services live online every Sunday, download our podcast, watch on YouTube. We'll keep you inspired and encouraged. Be sure to request your copy of this time next year, Believe Big Journal and the CopperFit Believe T-shirt as our gift of thanks today. Visit joelowsteen.com or call us toll-free.