Joel Osteen Podcast - Speaking The Blessing | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: April 25, 2024

We all have people in our lives that need our blessing. Your words of encouragement can change the lives of those around you. 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.Your words have the power to change your life. When youSpeak the Blessing,you wake up dreams and unleash divine favor. Our April offer will show you the keys to speaking faith-filled words that invite the transformation you are looking for. Request your copy today, https://bit.ly/3TSkDQU. 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.

Always great to have you with us on the podcast and have a new book out called Speak the Blessing. Talking about speaking words of faith and hope and victory over your life. I know you'll enjoy it. But blessings to you today and enjoy the podcast. Well, God bless you. Always a joy to come into your homes. We love you and we know God rewards the people that seek after him. 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. But thanks so much for tuning in. Thank you again for coming out today. And I like to start with something funny each week. And I heard about this husband that died and he left his wife $20,000. After the funeral, the wife told a friend that she was totally broke. She said, what do you mean you're broke? I thought you had $20,000.

She said, well, I spent $5,000 on the funeral and I spent $15,000 on the memorial stone. The friend said, wow, that was some stone. How big was it? She held up her finger and said, three and a half carous. 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 speaking the blessing. Every one of you has people in your life that need your blessing. They need your approval. When you look at your children and say, I'm proud of you, you're going to do great things. You just spoke the blessing. You just release favor into their future. When you say to your spouse, I'm so glad you're in my life, you mean the world to me. You just gave them the blessing. When you tell one of your employees or one of your students, you amaze me with your ability. You have such a bright future.

Those are not just nice compliments. You're not just being kind. You are speaking the blessing over their life. The moment you speak it, the blessing releases God's favor into their future. Just like you pull back a bow and shoot an arrow, you're releasing wisdom, protection, favor, God's abundance. you can literally help shape their destiny by speaking the blessing. One word of encouragement, one word of approval can be what helps them to really step up to who God created them to be. And that's what's happened to me.

Victoria, ever since I met her, has spoken the blessing over my life. She's constantly telling me how great she thinks I am and how I can do anything. Even 10 years before my father went to be with the Lord, we would sit on the front row while my dad was ministering. She'd say, Joel, one day you're going to pastor this church. I can see it in you. You've got what it takes. You're going to do great things. She might as well been saying back then, I was going to fly to the moon. I no more believed I could do this. I thought I was too quiet and reserved. I didn't think it was in me. But in 1999, when my dad died, that was one of the main reasons I could step up and do something that I'd never dreamed of. I'd had had it spoken over me for more than 10 years. Let me

ask you, are you speaking the blessing over your children, over your spouse, over your students, over anyone that looks up to you? Well, you say, Joel, I told my wife I loved her 27 years ago when we got married. No, she needs to hear it again and again every single day. I know husbands that never give their wife their blessing. He's always pushing her down, finding fault, telling her what she's doing wrong. It's one thing to be criticized from someone you don't really know and you're not in close relationship with. But when it comes from an authority figure, like a parent talking down to a child or a husband talking down to a wife, those ones are. We're not in close relationship with. Those words do much greater damage. There are women that have sunk deep into depression and even had

nervous breakdowns, all because they never received the blessing from their husband. They never felt his sense of approval. The scripture says, a wife is the reflection of a husband's glory. Husbands, if your wife is always beaten down, discouraged, no joy, you need to check up and make sure you're doing everything you can to lift her spirits. Are you honoring her? Does she feel your approval? Are you telling her how beautiful she is? Does she know what she means to you? She is a reflection of your glory. It does terrible things to people when we withhold our blessing. There are people listening right now that still struggle with their sense of value, with their self-esteem, all because they never got the blessing from their parents.

They never felt like they measured up. They just weren't quite as smart as their sister. Didn't play ball as well as their brother. No, parents, don't let that be you. Speak the blessing over your children. Make sure you verbalize how much you love them. How proud you are of them. Your words have creative power.

They help release God's favor into their future. And it's easy to get in a rut where we, just correct our children, tell them to clean the room, do the homework, take the trash out. We have a responsibility to make sure they feel our sense of approval. And on a regular basis, look at your children and say, I love you. I'm proud of you. You're a gift from God. You're going to do amazing things in life. Maybe your children are older. They're grown and gone and you didn't really know to give them this blessing. The good news is it's never too late to start. You can pick up the phone today and call them and say, hey, have I told you lately

how proud I am of you? Have I told you how much I love you? Those simple words can help thrust them to a new level. You may think, well, Joel, my children don't need my approval. They're successful. They're doing just fine. No, there is a God-given authority that you have only as a parent that will complete something in your child. They may not admit it, but they still crave your body. blessing. I have a friend named Robert. He grew up with an alcoholic father. He lived out in the country, and his dad was known as the town drunk. Robert was a star football player. He made the high school All-American team, went on to play college. Football was his life. But as far as he knew, his father had never seen him play one single football game. Never encouraged him, never told him how great he was. Robert so longed for his father's approval. He found out years later that his dad had come to some games, but he would stay way over to the side because he was so embarrassed about being the town drunk. After Robert's college football days, he went to seminary, became a great pastor, great leader. One day he got a call saying that his father

had a heart attack and might not make it. He rushed to the emergency room, went in there to see his father. His father was a little disoriented. He was coming in. He was coming in. and out of consciousness, and he thought Robert was the doctor. He said something to Robert that forever changed his life. He said, hey, Doc, have I ever told you about my son Robert? I am so proud of him. He was a great football player, and now he's a pastor of a great church. He's so smart and talented. Doc, I just wish you could meet my son Robert. That day, Robert heard the words that he had longed to hear for more than 35 years. He received the blessing from his father.

It was like a void was filled on the inside that only his father could fill, like a healing bomb going all through him. We have to understand a blessing is not a blessing until it's spoken. The fact is, the father had the blessing on the inside, but he never released it. He never verbalized it.

He thought, oh, Robert, he didn't need a. hear from me. He's successful. He knows how great he is. No, there is a blessing that you can give only as a parent. That's why some of you need to pick up the phone today. Better yet go by and visit that son or daughter and say, hey, I am proud of you. You are the light of my life. When I think of you, a smile comes to my face. When you do that, that approval, your affirmation not only increases their confidence and self-esteem, but you are declaring favor into their future. Now, I know some people weren't raised to be affectionate, to be expressive with their feelings. You may say, Joel, we don't do that in our family. We don't talk. We don't hug. We don't kiss.

We don't compliment. Listen, you need to break out of that rut. Just because it hasn't been done in the past doesn't mean that it's the right thing. Your attitude should be, I may not have seen being loving and being expressive, modeled in my home growing up, but this is a new day. I'm going to draw that line in the stand. I'm going to start telling the people God put in my life, I love you, I'm proud of you, I believe in you, I'm going to start speaking the blessing. In the Old Testament, the people understood the power of the blessing. Jacob wanted his father's blessing so badly. He deceived his father into giving it to him instead of his older brother, Esau.

In those days, the firstborn son received a double portion. Isaac, the father, was way up there in years and nearly blind. And so Jacob pretended to be Esau. And the father, Isaac, he spoke the blessing of the firstborn son over him. In a few minutes, Esau came in and said, Dad, I'm ready for my blessing. When Isaac realized that he had been deceived, he was heartbroken. Esau said, that's okay, Dad.

Just give me the blessing anyway. Isaac said something very significant. Genesis 27, verse 33. He said, in effect, no, Esau, I have already spoken the blessing, and I cannot take it back. Jacob will be blessed. Notice how powerful the blessing was.

Once those words of favor and increase were spoken over Jacob, they could not be stopped. When you speak the blessing, over your spouse, over your children, over your students, those are not just nice words. They carry God's supernatural power. They release favor, ability, confidence,

God's goodness in extraordinary ways. I don't know about you, but I'm on a mission. I'm going to speak the blessing into as many people as I possibly can. I love the fact that with our words, we can release favor into somebody else's life. I heard a story about a small girl that had a cleft lip. Her lip was a little bit crooked and it made her smile awkward. She was in the second grade and because she didn't look like the other students, nobody really wanted to play with her. She grew up with these incredible insecurities. She just shrunk back, stayed to herself, didn't really have any friends.

One day the school was conducting hearing test. The way they would do it is the teacher would have the student come to the death. and then have the student walk slowly toward the classroom door, while the teacher whispered very quietly. And the student would have to repeat out loud in front of the whole class what the teacher was whispering. For most students, the teacher would say just general statements like, the sky is blue, there's a cat outside, today is Tuesday. The student would repeat that out loud, and it was proved that they could hear properly. When it came time for this little girl, she got up in front of the class so timid, so afraid. As she started to walk away from the teacher's desk,

the teacher said to her, I wish you were my little girl. When she heard the teacher's approval, when she heard this blessing being spoken over her, it did something on the inside. It gave her a new sense of confidence, a greater self-esteem. Not only that, when the other students heard how much the teacher loved this little girl, it changed their attitude. Now they all wanted to be her friend. They made sure to sit by her at lunch. They started inviting her over to their home after school. What was that?

The blessing being spoken, not by a parent, but by an authority figure, and it released God's favor in her life in a greater way. That young lady told how that day was a turning point in her life. But I think about what if the teacher would have withheld the blessing? What if she would have just said something ordinary? Who knows where that young lady would be today? See, it's so simple, but it can have such a huge impact. That's why we should get in a habit of speaking the blessing every chance we get. I think about how many times my parents told me how proud they were of me,

how they loved me, how they thought I could do anything. I must have heard that thousands of them. of times. They were not just encouraging me. They were declaring favor into my future. And every time they said it, God released a little more of his goodness. That's the way the blessing works.

It's interesting. The last thing I ever heard my father speak to me was a blessing. He was 77 years old. He called me very early one morning, around 4 o'clock, and he asked me to take him to the clinic so he could have dialysis. normally when he got all hooked up, I would come back home and go to bed

because he'd be up there for three or four hours. But this day, for some reason, I felt like I should stay there with my father. So I went and got us some breakfast, came back and sat together and we visited for a while. About 8 o'clock that morning, I took him home. I was in my parents' kitchen about to leave. Out of the blue, my father stopped me and said, Joel, I just want you to know you're the best son a father could ever hope to have. I am so proud of you. Gave my dad a hug and I left. Those were the last words that I ever heard my father speak to me. At 77, he was still speaking the blessing over his children. That's the way I want to end my life, speaking the blessing, speaking faith into somebody else. Not complaining, oh,

life's so hard. I just don't feel good. No, my prayer is that every one of us, even in our final breath will be speaking the blessing over someone. We won't be negative and bitter. We'll be looking for somebody we can encourage, somebody we can lift up, somebody we can tell, I'm proud of you, I love you, you mean the world to me. Friends, you have a blessing locked up on the inside that somebody desperately needs. Dare to release it, not just once, but again and again. We need to learn to live blessing-minded. Not how can I? I get a blessing today, but where can I speak a blessing? When you wake up in the morning, tell your spouse, I love you.

I'm glad you're in my life. Before your children leave for school, give them a big hug. Tell them, I'm proud of you. You're going to be great today. When you do that, you're not only releasing favor into their future, but you're releasing favor into your own future. Because when you help someone else rise higher, that's a seed that you're sowing. and God will make sure someone is there to help you rise higher.

Well, you say, Joel, my children are off course. They're doing things that they shouldn't be doing. I'm not going to tell them I'm proud of them. In fact, I'm not even going to talk to them until they straighten up. You've got it backwards. Your blessing, your words of acceptance can be the very thing that helps them to turn their life around. Think about this.

Jesus chose 12 disciples. He handpicked these men. They were not perfect people. They had false, shortcomings, weaknesses. Peter was hot, tempered, and loud. He liked to fight. Thomas was a doubter. That means he was skeptical, cynical, cynical, negative. Matthew was a tax collector. They were known for being dishonest, crooked, manipulative. Yet Jesus, look these men in the eyes and said, you are the light of the world. You are the salt of the earth. He spoke the blessing. He was saying, in effect, I'm proud of you, man. You are something special. You're going to do great things. You're going to even impact the whole world.

He was speaking it by faith. He was calling forth their potential. The fact is, in the natural, they weren't anything special. They were fishermen, carpenters, tax people, just ordinary folks. But here's what happens when you speak the blessing. those 12 men rose to the level of what Jesus prophesied. They became what he declared. They not only impacted their generation,

but what they did is even impacting us today. What am I saying? When you speak the blessing, when you call forth the potential, when you look at someone and say, I don't see just what you are, I see what you can become. And you speak words of life and faith and victory

those words can help shape their destiny. They will rise to the level of what you are prophesying. Your faith-filled words release God's favor, ability, confidence, creativity. You can help set them down a whole new course. So don't ever use the excuse. Well, I'm not going to say it until I see it. No, you've got to say it and then you will see it. You've got to call it forth.

Your words have created power. We have a good friend by the name of Norville Hayes. He's an older gentleman now, but years ago, when his daughter, Zona, was in her late teens, she got off course. She started staying out all night and living a very wild lifestyle. Norville came down on her real heart. He threatened her and he chewed her out.

When she got back late, he'd be there just to let her have it. This went on month after month. Didn't seem like anything was getting even better. Matter of fact, it was getting, worse. Norville's a minister. One day he is praying. He said, God, when are you ever going to help me with my daughter, Zona? He heard God say something to him, not out loud, but right down in here. God said, Norville, I'm going to help you as soon as you start loving her. He said, God, what do you mean? I do love her with all my heart. God said, well, then quit harping on her, quit threatening her,

and start showing her that you love her. From that day forward, Norville never said another harsh word to his daughter. He started telling her, Zona, I love you. I believe in you. I'm proud of you. I know God has something great for you to do. He started speaking the blessing. It didn't happen overnight, but over the next several months,

Zona totally turned her life around. She rose to the level of what he prophesied. The blessing coming out of your mouth, as a parent, as an authority figure, it has incredible power. You can help shape the destiny of your children's life. I love the story my brother Paul told about their son Jackson. He and his wife, Jennifer, have the cutest little boy.

He's always smiling, always so much fun. This was several years ago when Jackson was maybe three or four years old. Every night when Jennifer would take him to bed, she would tell him a story, pray with him. And then right before she would leave, She would say, now, Jackson, let me remind you who you are. And she would go through this long list of superheroes. Jackson, you're my Superman.

You're my rescue hero. You're my power ranger. You're my buzz light year. You're my lightning McQueen. Jackson would just lay there with a big smile taking it all in. You know what Jennifer was doing in her own unique way? Speaking the blessing into Jackson's life. She was saying, Jackson, you're special, you're valuable, you're going to do great things.

Those words coming out of a mother's mouth are going into his future like arrows being shot from a bow, releasing protection, wisdom, favor, God's goodness. It's funny, one night Jennifer was in a hurry and she just tucked him in, prayed real quick, and left. She didn't have time to go through all the superheroes. In a few minutes, she heard this cry coming from upstairs, Mama, Mama. Jennifer ran up as fast as she could. Yes, Jackson, what's wrong? He said, Mama, you forgot to tell me who I am.

Here's what I've learned. If we don't tell our children who they are, somebody else will. If we don't rise up in our God-given authority and speak the blessing to help set the course for their life, then the television will tell them who they are or the Internet will define them. I don't know about you, but I'm going to help set the course

for everyone that God has given me authority over. My children, my family, my staff, this congregation, with my words, I'm going to shoot arrows of favor, arrows of wisdom, arrows of deliverance, arrows of increase. I believe in the position God's given me as pastor. I can even speak words that will help set the direction for your life. My declaration for every one of you is you will fulfill your God-given destiny. you will have wisdom to make great decisions. You will live debt free.

You will be healthy, whole, and strong. You will accomplish things that you've never thought possible. You will see your whole family come into the kingdom. You will be free from every addiction, every bad habit. God is going to take you places that you've never even dreamed up. Now, you may not be there right now, but if you'll let that seed take root, then the blessing will cause supernatural doors to open. The blessing will put you at the right place at the right time. The blessing will help your gifts

and talents come out to the full. There's incredible power in our words, and that power is multiplied when it's being spoken by someone that has a God-given authority over us. I heard an amazing story about a five-year-old boy named Michael. His mother just found out she was pregnant with a little girl. Michael was so excited, he could not wait to see his baby's sister. All during the day, he would come over to his mother's tummy and sing to his little sister. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Week after week, month after month, he just continued singing hundreds and hundreds of times. The mom finally went in to have the baby, but there were some complications with the delivery. Unfortunately, the little baby did not share well.

The doctor said there was very little chance that the baby would survive. The mom and dad, of course, were distraught and heartbroken. They took the baby to the neonatal intensive care unit. All the while, Michael didn't know what was going on. He just kept asking, when am I going to get to see my baby's sister? The doctors came back with the grim news that the baby probably would not make it through the night. The mother realized that if little Michael didn't get to see his sister right away, he might not ever see her alive.

And even though there were no children allowed in the intensive care unit, when the head nurse wasn't watching, the mother snuck little Michael in. And for the first time, he got to see his baby sister. He was taken aback by all the cords and tubes going in and out of her. About that time, the head nurse saw him and said, hey, what's that child doing in here? That's against our policy. He needs to leave right now.

All the sudden, without the mother saying a word, little Michael started singing to his baby sister once again. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. The head nurse noticed that the baby's rapid heart rate begin to slow down to normal. She said to Michael, keep singing. He continued, you are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away. After singing for several minutes, the nurse just stood there and watched in amazement.

The baby's heart rate came down to normal. The pale blue color in the face began to go away. Instead of being jittery and shaky, the little baby began to be just as calm and peaceful as could be. It was like the words from this five-year-old big brother were releasing health and healing and wholeness into his baby sister. long story short against all odds several days later the baby went home perfectly normal friends there's incredible power in our word when you speak the blessing over your children over your family over your students supernatural things begin to happen I'm asking you today

to get in a habit of speaking the blessing over everyone that God has put in your life when you speak that blessing. You're not just releasing favor into their future. You're releasing favor into your own future. And I realize some of you never got the blessing from your mother or father. Now they're gone. It seems like it's too late. But I want to encourage you that does not have to stop your destiny. God said he would be a father to the fatherless. Your earthly father may not have given you his blessing, but your heavenly father is saying, I'm proud of you. I love you. I love you. I love you. You. I love you. You. you are amazing, you are talented, you are beautiful, you're going to do great things in life. You know what I just did? I released favor into your future. Now, why don't you go out this

week and do the same thing for somebody else? If you will learn to live blessing-minded, speaking the blessing whenever you can, you'll not only help others to rise higher, but God will help you to rise higher. You will accomplish your dreams, overcome your obstacles, and you will live that life of victory. He has in store. Amen. Do you receive it today? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you, my Lord and Savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good church. Keep God first place.

He'll take your places that you've never dreamed up. When God created the world, he did it specifically with you in mind. He used his words. He spoke everything into existence. Light. Oceans and dry land. Plants. Sun and stars.

Animals. Man and woman. Your words have that same creative power. If you want to know what you're going to be like five years from now, listen to what you're saying about yourself. You are prophesying your future. Too often, we don't realize we're defeating ourselves with our words. I'll never get healthy.

I'm not attractive. This dream's impossible. Instead of limiting your future, why don't you start blessing your future? If you'll change your words, you can change your world. I have a new book called Speak the Blessing. It will help you to speak positive, faith-filled words. There are declarations in it that you can change. make over your family, your health, your finances, and your future. When you get your words aligned

with what God says, you'll see his favor in greater ways. Asar, thank you for your gift of any amount to the ministry this month. We want to send you speak the blessing. Send your words in the direction you want your life to go. You can begin to enjoy a life filled with freedom, joy, health, success, and creativity as you discover the authority and power. of speaking God's word. Yes, speak the blessing will unlock life-changing possibilities that are unlimited. When you declare what God says about you, I'm strong, I'm healthy, I'm favored, you are blessing your life. I hope you'll request your copy today. Remember, you can watch the services live online every Sunday, download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, listen on

SiriusXM. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. Be sure to request your copy or of Speak the Blessing today. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888-567, Joel.