Joel Osteen Podcast - Power Thinking

Episode Date: April 19, 2020

The thoughts you think help determine the direction of your life. You can’t dwell on defeat and expect to see victory. Choose instead to focus on the promises of God. When you think thoughts of power, you’ll feel His strength empowering you to overcome any obstacle in your path.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 visit JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope 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.

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See terms and conditions at UNES. See you. It may be tough now, but keep the right perspective. Victory is in your future. Healing is in your future. Abundance, breakthroughs, freedom is coming your way. Yes, the giants may be big, but our God is bigger. The virus may be powerful, but our God is all powerful. Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. We enjoy spending this time with you. I know you're going to leave encouraged and inspired. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week and follow us on social media to stay connected. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. Enjoy the message. Thanks for letting us come into your homes. We are praying for you and your family for God's

protection, his favor, and his blessings on your life. I usually start with something funny, but since no one is here, I quit telling my jokes. So many people have emailed and asked for happened so here I go one Sunday morning the pastor was in the pulpit preaching away when he noticed a man sound asleep on the front row that made him so aggravated he started preaching louder and harder but the louder he got the more the man slept he finally stopped and said to the man sitting next to him would you please wake that man up the man said wake him up yourself you put him to sleep Well, I'm going to do my best to not put you to sleep today. Come on, 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 power thinking. It's easy to go around thinking that the obstacle is too big, we'll never get well, this virus is going to get the best of us. We wonder why we don't have any strength and why we can't get ahead. It's because our thoughts are limiting us. We draw in what we constantly think about. You can't think defeat and have victory. You can't think weakness and have strength.

Your life is going to follow your thoughts. And instead of thinking these weak, defeated, not able to thoughts, you need to think power thoughts. This sickness is no match for me. This virus can't stop my destiny. This trouble at work is not how my story ends. The forces that are for me are greater than the forces that are against me. Victory starts in our mind. Success, breakthroughs, new levels depends on our thinking.

Well, Joel, this virus has me afraid. I'm worried about my finances. I'm stressed over my children. That's drawing in more negativity. That's making you weaker, draining your strength, your energy, your passion. You'll be amazed at what will happen if you'll start thinking power thoughts.

No weapon formed against me will prosper. God has me in the palm of his hand. He's made me untouchable to the enemy. When you dwell on that, you'll feel strength rising up, courage, determination. And this is not just being positive. This is your faith being released. Proverbs 4 says, be careful what you think because your thoughts run your life. Are your thoughts helping you or hurting you? Are you thinking power thoughts, victory thoughts, well-able thoughts?

Or are you thinking defeated thoughts? I'll never get well. Never accomplish my dreams. Never break this addiction. you're choosing which direction your life is going to go. Pay attention to what you're dwelling on. Don't just think any thought that comes to mind. If it's negative, discouraging, fearful, don't give it the time of day. Turn it around and dwell on what God says about you. Thoughts whisper, nothing good is in your future. You've seen your best days.

If you dwell on that, you'll miss your destiny. tune out that defeated thought and start thinking power thoughts something good is going to happen to me favor is surrounding me like a shield goodness and mercy are following me when you're in tough times the enemy will work overtime trying to convince you that the problem is too big you'll never get out of death that child will never turn around he knows if he can keep you defeated in your thoughts then he can keep you defeated in your life. The battle is taking place in your mind. When thoughts tell you, it's never going to change. You can't take it anymore. Instead of thinking those weak thoughts, drawing in more weakness, turn it around. Yes, this problem is big, but I've been armed with

strength for every battle. I am full of can-do power. What God started in my life, he's going to finish. God said he would never let you face anything that you can't handle. He will always give you the strength, the grace, the faith for what comes your way. But if you're believing these lies that it's too much, you're dwelling on the weak, limiting, can't do it thoughts, then you're going to feel overwhelmed and you'll get stuck where you are. Pay attention to what's going on in your mind. This is what happened to the Israelites. Moses sent 12 men to spy out the promised land.

After 40 days, 10 came back and said, Moses, we'll never. defeat them. The people are huge. They look like giants. We don't have a chance. God had already promised them the victory. He had already said that was their land. But notice what they were thinking, weak, defeated, limiting, fearful thoughts. The other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, came back with a different report. They said, Moses, we are well able. Yes, the people are big, but we know our God is bigger. Let us go in at once and take that land. What's interesting is Joshua and Caleb saw the same giants as the other 10 spies. They saw the same problem, the same opposition, but instead of thinking defeated thoughts,

they chose to think power thoughts. Joshua and Caleb weren't any bigger than the other spies. They didn't have more training, more experience, more weapons. The only difference was their thinking. The negative report from the 10 spies begin to spread. throughout the Israelites camp. Before long, all two million people were afraid and worried. They said, Moses, let's go back to Egypt. Let's go back to being slaves. That's how powerful our thoughts are. Ten men infected the rest of the people. They ended up wandering in the desert for 40 years. Be careful how you think. Don't get infected and miss your destiny. Are you one of the ten spies? I can't beat this illness. I can't accomplish my dream. This being isolated, not going to work, it's going to ruin my

business. None of this is a surprise to God. You wouldn't be facing it if you couldn't handle it. Like the Israelites, God has already promised you the victory. The scripture says, thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph. Not some of the time, not most of the time, but all of the time. It may be tough now, but keep the right perspective. Victory is in your future. Healing is in your future. Abundance, breakthroughs, freedom is coming your way. Yes, the giants may be big, but our God is bigger.

The virus may be powerful, but our God is all powerful. I'm asking you to be a Joshua, be a Caleb. Think power thoughts. Think can-do thoughts. Think victory thoughts. don't look at how big the problem is. Look at how big your God is. He parted red seas. He closed the mouths of lines. He brought the dead back to life. That obstacle is no match for him. He didn't bring you this far to leave you. When you believe, all things are possible. Get your thoughts going in the right direction. The scripture says, when the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of God will raise up a barrier. You're not fighting this battle on your own. You have the most powerful force in the universe fighting for you. He's pushing back forces of darkness, keeping that sickness from taking you out, moving the wrong people out of the way. All through the day, I am well able. I will overcome this obstacle. I will defeat this sickness. I will rise out of lack and struggle. When you think like that, the creator of the universe goes to work. Miracles are set into motion.

It's significant that the 10 spies were negative and two were positive. It's about the same today. 80% of people will be negative, 20% will be positive. 80% will focus on how big the problem is, live afraid, tell you how you won't get well. If you're going to fulfill your destiny, you have to go against the grain. You can't just fit in and be afraid like everyone else.

complain like the other co-workers, be negative like that neighbor. God is looking for some Joshua's. He's looking for Caleb's, people that stand out, people that believe when it seems impossible, people that aren't discouraged by how big the opposition is. If this is going to happen, you have to guard your mind because negative news spreads faster than good news. Joshua and Caleb said, we are well able. that news didn't go anywhere. When people heard the giants were too big, that they didn't have a chance, that spread like wildfire throughout the camp. Negative thinking is contagious. All around us,

there's negative news. How bad the sickness is, how bad the economy is, analysts telling us what could happen, how it may get much worse. I'm not faulting them. They're doing their job. It's good to be informed, but you can't let that poison stay in your spirit. If you keep dwelling on that, then you're going to end up afraid, worried, panicked, thinking you're not going to make it. When you think like that, it's a negative cycle that keeps drawing in more fear, more worry, more defeat. Isaiah 8 says, do not think like everyone else. Don't be afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors will be the end of you. Do not fear anything except the Lord God Almighty.

If you fear him, you need fear nothing else. He will keep you safe. You don't have to fear the virus, fear what the economy is going to do, fear the future, just keep honoring God and he will keep you safe. He'll defeat your enemies. He'll do what medicine can't do. He'll turn that child around. This says don't think like everyone else.

Don't think like the 10 spies. When the majority is afraid, worried, negative, you have to be on the offensive and say, no, I'm not falling into that trap. I'm not going to think weak, defeated thoughts. I'm going to think power thoughts. I know my God is still on the throne. I know him being for me is more than the world being against me.

Out of these two million people, the only ones that ever made it into the promised land were Joshua and Caleb. It's not a coincidence that they were the only ones that thought power thoughts. You can't reach your destiny thinking negative limiting thoughts. I was out riding my bike the other day and I had this same path that I traveled down. It takes about an hour. Most of the route is flat, but there's this one very big hill. You have to dig down deep and really push to.

make it up that hill. I like to exercise and I always get prepared for this hill and enjoy the challenge. But this particular day, I was tired. I'd worked out hard earlier and I'd been traveling a lot, not had much sleep. Now, about 10 minutes into my ride, I started thinking, I don't want to go up that hill. I don't feel like it. I don't have the strength. I don't want to have to push. On and on, I kept dreading it, telling myself how hard it was going to be, and wondering if I could make it up it. At one point, I received a phone call, and I put it on speaker, and I started talking as I was riding. We talked and talked. About 20 minutes later, I hung up. I got my mind back on my bike ride, and I thought, okay, I don't want to go up that hill. When I looked around,

I realized I had already gone up the hill. I rode up it while I was talking, but because I was distracted, not thinking about how hard it was going to be, not convincing myself that I couldn't do it. I made it up the hill with no problem. My legs weren't burning. I wasn't winded. I didn't feel any more tired. I don't even remember going up it. I wonder how many times we're telling ourselves what we can't do. I can't stay at home for a month and teach these children. I can't deal with these unfair people at work. I can't handle this challenge in my health. It's going to be too hard. We're dreading things. Think in these weak, defeating thoughts when the truth is you have already been equipped to handle it. You have strength for all things. When God created you,

he put in you everything you need to fulfill your destiny. Now quit telling yourself what you can't do and how it's not going to work out. All that's doing is draining your strength. When you get to that hill, you're going to discover like I did. It's going to to be easier than you thought. You're going to have strength that you didn't know you had. Just like when your car is going up a hill and the extra cylinders kick in to give you more power, when you need it, God's grace is going to kick in and help you do what you didn't think you could do. Now, the key is don't cancel it out with weak thinking. Every morning when you wake up, you need to power up. Get your mind going in the right direction. This is going to be a,

good day. I can handle anything that comes my way. I am strong. I am confident. I have the fever of God. Angels are watching after me. I'm excited about my future. At the start of the day, you need to set your mind for victory. Don't let just any thoughts play. You have to think thoughts on purpose. If you wake up and just think whatever comes to mind, thoughts will tell you, you have too many problems. You're too tired. You'll never overcome this obstacle. Nothing good is going to happen today. If you don't set the tone for the day, negative thoughts will set them for you.

Before you check the phone, before you read your email, before you see what the weather is like, you need to think on purpose, power thoughts, victory thoughts, abundance thoughts, can-do thoughts. Psalm 125 says, God will be good to those

who are in tune with him. Notice you can be in tune with God or you can be out of tune. The way you get in tune is by thinking victorious, overcoming, faith-filled thoughts. If you go around thinking, I'll never get well, this depression, this anxiety, this addiction is going to hinder me all of my life. Unfortunately, you're not in tune with God. You can't find anywhere in the scripture where God says, I'm weak, I'm discouraged, I'm a afraid. The enemy's getting the best of me. God says, I am all powerful. I spoke worlds into existence. I flung stars into space. Moses asked God what his name was. God said, my name is I am. He was saying,

I am everything. I am strength. I am healing. I am provision. I am protection. I am abundance. I am favor. When God said let there be light, it came at a hundred 186,000 miles per second. One angel in the Old Testament destroyed 185,000 of the enemies of Israel. If you're going to get in tune with God, you can't think little, weak, defeated, get by, hope this works out thoughts. You have to think bold thoughts, favor thoughts, abundance thoughts, healing thoughts, victory thoughts. Yes, the opposition may be much bigger, much stronger. just agree with what God says. Lord, you said, when the enemy comes against me one way,

you will defeat them and cause them to flee seven different ways. When thoughts tell you, you'll never get well. Get in tune with God. Lord, thank you that you're restoring health back into me. Thank you that the number of my days you will fulfill. The thought comes, this shutdown over the virus has ruined your year financially. Just accept it and wait for next year. Lord, thank you that the economy is not my source, that you are my source. You said you would make rivers in the desert, that you would supply all of my needs according to your riches. You have that thought, you'll never have a baby.

You heard the experts. It's not possible. Father, you said, what's impossible with people is possible with you. You said you'd make the barren woman a happy mother of children. So, Father, thank you that my baby is on the world. way. The way to get in tune with God is to think what he says about you. Not what you feel, not what the experts say, not what the economy says, but what the most high God has spoken over you. The scripture says, whose report will you believe? What the 10 spies are saying, the negative

report, telling you what you can't do, how it's too tough, or what Joshua and Caleb are saying, how you are well able. When my father went to be with the Lord and I stepped up to pastor the church, every thought told me that I couldn't do it, that I wasn't qualified, didn't have the training, I was too quiet.

If I would have believed that report, I would have missed my destiny. That's why the scripture says, be careful what you think. It gives us a warning. Your thoughts are setting the limits for your life. All that came to my mind were fear, intimidating, negative thoughts. I did what I'm asking you to do. I didn't just think those thoughts

because they showed up. I didn't dwell on them and think they were the truth. I tuned them out and got in tune with God. On purpose, I thought I can do all things through Christ. I am strong in the Lord. I've been raised up for such a time as this. Father, thank you that I'm equipped, empowered, and anointed. Thoughts told me, nobody's going to listen to you, Joel. You don't have anything to say. Instead of believing those lies, I said, Father, thank you, that your favor is causing me to stand out, that people are going to like me. They're going to be drawn to me. When they turn me on, they can't turn me off. If I had not got in tune with God and thought these power thoughts, I wouldn't be here. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they were in the Garden of Eden,

They ate the forbidden fruit that God told them not to eat. Then they ran and hid. God came looking for them, said, Adam, where are you? Adam said, we're hiding because we're naked. God said, Adam, who told you you were naked? God knew the enemy had been talking to them. God is saying to you, who told you you're not qualified? Who told you you you've made too many mistakes?

Who told you that you come from the wrong family, that you'll never be successful. Those are the wrong voices. You need to tune that out and get in tune with God. When thoughts tell you, you're just average, there's nothing special about you, get rid of that defeated thought

and think power thoughts. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am a masterpiece. I have royal blood flowing through my veins. I am crowned with favor. I will leave my mark. If you'll get in tune with God, He'll open doors that no person can shut.

He'll take you where you can't go on your own. When thoughts tell you, you've been through too much. You lost that loved one. The business didn't make it. That friend walked out on you. Nothing good is in your future. Don't believe those lies. Father, thank you that you have beauty for these ashes.

Thank you that what was meant for my harm, you are turning to my advantage. When you're in tune with God, he'll pay you back for the wrong. Isaiah said, God will give you double for the unfair things that have happened. Instead of thinking you've seen your best days, Lord, thank you that double is coming, thinking that my latter days will be better than my former days. In the scripture, there was a young man named Maphibibchewish.

He was the grandson of King Saul and the son of Jonathan, David's best friend. Mephishchev was born into royalty, destined to one day take the throne. but at five years old his grandfather and father were killed in a battle when word reached his house the maid that took care of him picked him up and took off running

afraid that the enemy army was going to come after them in her haste she accidentally tripped and dropped Mapheth both of his legs were broken he became crippled for life sometimes well-meaning people

can drop you This nurse had good intentions. She was trying to help him, but she dropped him. Years past, Mephishev ended up living in exile in a city called Lodabar. It was one of the poorest, most run-down cities of that day. The name Lodabar means without pasture. It had no greenery, no place to grow crops. It was like a wasteland.

Here Maphethibov was the grandson of the king. He had royalty in his blood. but he was living in the slums, barely surviving. One day, King David was thinking about his friend Jonathan. He asked his men if there were any of his relatives still alive so he could be good to them. David's men went out and searched through the slums of Lodabar and finally found Maph.

Now he was a grown man. They had to carry him back to the palace. I'm sure Maphibovishv was afraid, thinking David was going to pay him back, for his grandfather, King Saul, trying to kill him. But it was just the opposite. David was incredibly kind to him. He said, from now on, you're going to live in the palace with me. Every night, you're going to have dinner at my table. I'm going to give you all the land that belonged to your grandfather, King Saul. Maphibov was overwhelmed. He couldn't believe what was happening.

But the way he answered shows us why he was living in Lodabar all those years. years. He said to David, why would you be so kind to a dead dog like me? Notice his thoughts, weak, defeated. I don't deserve to be blessed. I've had too many bad breaks. People dropped me. I wonder how many of us are doing like Maphibibchep. We are sons and daughters of the most high God. We have royalty in our blood. We're destined to rain in life. But because somebody dropped us, we went through wrongs, disappointments, things that weren't fair, or we made mistakes. We got off course, brought the trouble on ourselves, and now we're living in Lodabar, thinking we don't deserve to be blessed. We just have to sit on the sidelines, except that our dreams will never come to pass. Can I encourage you,

get rid of that dead dog thinking. Nothing that's happened to you has to keep you from your destiny. No mistake you've made is too much for the mercy of God. You may have had some bad breaks, gone through some failures, but that didn't stop God's plan for your life. Now, you have to do your part and quit thinking limited, defeated, unworthy thoughts, and start thinking victory thoughts, abundance thoughts, favor thoughts.

Put your shoulders back. Hold your head up high and remember who you are and whose you are, a child of the most high. Get in tune with him. Like David's men went searching through Lodabar, God is looking for you today. He's saying, I'm about to do a new thing. I'm about to pay you back for the wrongs.

I'm about to open new doors, turn negative situations around. you're going to be amazed at the goodness of God. I'm asking you to pay attention to what you're thinking. You are drawing in what you're constantly dwelling on. Your thoughts are running your life. Is what you're thinking about? What you want?

Are you thinking weak, defeated? I can't do it thoughts. Are you thinking power thoughts? I am well able. God is fighting my battles. Something good is in my future. Don't be like the 10s, the 80% that are negative, stand out in the crowd. Be a Joshua, be a Caleb, and think victory thoughts.

If you'll do this, I believe and declare like God did for them, you're going to make it end to your promised land. You're going to see God show out in your life. Like Maph, everything you've lost, God is about to restore the health, the finances, the dreams. They're going to come looking for you in Jesus name. And if you receive it, can you say amen? Well, I'd like to give 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. If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to give you some information on your new journey of faith. Just text the number on the screen. I encourage you to get into a good Bible-based church.

Keep God first place. Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. Help us to continue to share the message of hope with those all around the world. Visit Joel Osteen.com or click the link in the description to partner with us today.

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