Joel Osteen Podcast - The Shout Of Praise | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: April 18, 2024

Something powerful happens when you declare the greatness of God in the midst of your circumstances. As those shouts of praise come out of your mouth, He is working all things in your favor!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. It's always a joy to come into your homes. We love you. We know God has great things in store. If you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and see us. These are the finest people in all of Houston, Texas, right here. So come by and be a part of one of our service. Thanks for tuning in. I like to get started each week with something funny,

and I heard about these passengers on an airplane that was about to take off. The announcement came over the intercom saying, Welcome to the very first totally automated commercial flight. This airplane has no pilots. It is being completely controlled by the most advanced computers available today. It has been tested and retested. You have nothing to worry about. Just sit back and enjoy the flight.

Enjoy the flight. Enjoy the flight. 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 the shout of praise. The scripture is full of stories where

when God's people lifted up a shout, supernatural things took place. Prison doors were opened, enemies got confused, even huge walls came tumbling down, all because of a shout of praise. There's something about being vocal, being expressive, demonstrating your faith. It releases is God's power in a greater way. And it's one thing to be quiet and reverent unto the Lord. That's important. We should have a respect and a reverence. But there are times when being quiet is not enough. It's not even enough to just pray or sing or quote scriptures. The shout is what pushes you over into victory. The shout is what brings the walls down. When you lift up your voice and say, God, I bless you today. I lift your name on high. You are good. Your mercy endures forever.

When God hears those shouts of praise, he says to the angels, get busy. Send healing, send favor, send deliverance, send supernatural breakthroughs. I know some of you are like me. You're more quiet and reserved. It's not natural for you to be very expressive, very exuberant. I know I stand by Victoria during the praise in worship. She is always swaying to the music, tapping her feet. She's got her hands up in the air. I can hear her singing with her whole heart, very expressive, so full of joy. And here I'm there, quiet, calm, reserved. The other day, she looked at me and I was in deep prayer, deep meditation. She bumped me with her hips and said, come on, Stiffy, lighten up. I said, you can't bump.

me, I'm the pastor. I'm dignified. She bumped me even harder. But I'm naturally more reserved, but I've learned if you want to go somewhere you've never been, you've got to be willing to do something that you've never done. It says in Psalm 471, shout unto God with a voice of triumph. And I realize that God hears us even when we whisper, but when you let out a shout, you're not only a to God, I trust you. I believe you. I know you have great things in store. But that shout is announcing to the enemy, favor is coming. Breakthroughs are on their way. Supernatural opportunities are in my future. I know I've been at a ballgame before. And in the middle of the game, I'll go up to the concession stand to get something to eat. While I'm standing in the line, I can't see what's happening on the field.

but all the sudden I hear a loud cheer from the crowd, a huge shout. The place erupts. And even though I can't see it, I know something good just happened. We either scored a touchdown, somebody hit a home run, but the sounds of cheering, the sounds of celebration are declaring something. It's announcing to everyone around that a great victory has just taken place. It's the same way in the unseen realm. When we shout unto God, we are announcing to the forces of darkness that a great victory is about to take place. They can't see what's happening. They don't know why we're shouting.

All they know is somewhere God's opening up a new door. Somewhere a wall is coming down. Finances are turning around. Somebody's child is coming back home. Somebody's health is being restored. Somebody's getting the break they need. Those shouts of joy not only allow God to bring the vision. victory, but it's announcing to the enemy, we're coming up to a higher level. There's declarative

power in a shout. Psalm 149 talks about when we have the high praises of God coming out of our mouth. That is, shouts of joy, shouts of praise. It says that God promises he will go to war against our enemies. You may be facing an enemy of sickness today. But instead of being down, discouraged, going around complaining, you're saying, you're saying, God, I bless you. I praise you. I know you're still on the throne. When you let out those shouts, God goes to war against that sickness. Perhaps you're struggling with an addiction, but instead of thinking, oh, I'll never break this thing, Joel, I'm just not disciplined enough. No, you're shouting, Lord, you are good. Your mercy endures forever. Those high praises coming out of your

mouth are what allow God to go to war against that addiction. I know one time years ago, Victoria and I were involved in this business deal where somebody had done us wrong. They had pulled us into a big mess and now we were having to meet with the attorneys and go through the legal process. It's a big waste of time and energy and money. We came to the week where it was all going to be resolved. We're going to have this one final meeting and the outcome was going to be determined. Early that morning, we were in a parking garage downtown Houston waiting for the meeting. and Victoria said something that I'd never heard her say before.

She said, Joel, I think before we get out of the car, we need to turn on some praise music and just shout the victory. Well, it was like 6 o'clock in the morning. I didn't feel like shouting. I was barely even awake. But we turned on the Lakewood praise CD, and it just so happened, it came on at the end of the song, we have overcome.

We heard about 10 or 15 seconds, and then the worship leader came on saying, it's already done. We've already won the victory, just shouting to God. So we just joined in the celebration and we said, God, we agree. We praise you in advance for the victory. We believe it's already done. We shout unto you with a voice of trial. We had the high praises of God coming out of our mouth early in the morning in that car. And I know in the natural, it probably looked kind of foolish. After all, we had not won the victory. We were still right in the middle of the battle. But this is what

faith is all about. You can't wait to shout after the victory. You've got to learn to shout before the victory. The shout is what allows God to fight your battles for you. We got out of the car that morning, feeling 10 feet tall. We knew if God be for us, who dare be against us?

We went into that meeting and the other side got at odds with each other. They began to argue among themselves. Their head attorney got so upset, he even left the building. What had dragged on for over three years that day was totally resolved in our favor. Not only that, everything was restored back to us. Friends, when you have the high praises of God coming out of your mouth, he will go to war against your enemies. Proverbs 296 says,

evil people are trapped by their own wrongdoing, but the righteous escape by shouting for joy. when you find yourself in a situation where you feel trapped, looks like there's no way out in your health, your finances, a legal circumstance. Don't get down, discouraged. Don't start complaining. No, you have a secret weapon. Start shouting for joy.

Driving to work, in the car by yourself. Lord, I bless you today. I thank you. God, I say, Hosanna, to you in the highest. Nowadays, most people just think you're talking on your cell phone. just being animated, what they don't realize is you are shouting unto God with the voice of triumph. When God hears those shouts, he goes to work arranging your escape,

moving the wrong people out of the way, opening up the right doors, showering down his favor. And I know some people think that we're kind of loud and they wonder why everybody's so excited at our services. Why do you cheer at the end of a song? Why does it seem like a celebration, a ballgame? It's because we understand this principle. We know when we have the high praises of God coming out of our mouth,

supernatural things are happening. New doors are opening. Favors being released. Breakthroughs are coming. God is fighting our battles. Well, you say, Joel, I'm just real quiet and reserved. A little more dignified than that. That's a little far out, a little overboard, a little radical for me.

Listen, I've been in this very auditorium when the rockets were placed. in basketball. I had season tickets right over there on the fourth row. And when the rockets were in the playoffs about to win the championship, I saw the most quiet, reserved, dignified people that normally just sit there and

passively watch the game. They were up on their feet, pumping their fist in the air, yelling at the top of their lungs, acting crazy, doing the macarona. I saw ladies dressed to a tea so proper, normally just very quiet and reserved. They

we're up waving their hankies, giving high-fives to people they'd never even met. What am I saying? We're all a little radical about something. I've made up my mind. I'm going to be radical about my God. I'm going to let his high praise has come out of my mouth. I know when I shout to the Lord, new doors are open. Darriers are coming down. Healing is being released. The shout is what's sealing the deal. I know growing up certain people referred to us as holy rollers. I like what somebody said. They call us holy rollers, and yes, what they say is true. But if they knew what we were shouting about, they would be rolling too.

I love the story of Joshua. He and the people of Israel were trying to make it to their promised land. But right in the middle of their path was a huge obstacle, the city of Jericho. It had large walls all. the way around it. It stood between them and their promised land. They couldn't go around it. They had to go through it. Between you and your destiny, there will always be a Jericho, something that you cannot go around. There's no other route. You either have to defeat it, or it's going to defeat you. God told Joshua to have the people march around the city walls

for six days, one time a day. And on the seventh day, they were to march around seven times. times. And they were instructed to march perfectly silent. They couldn't say a word. No talking, no whispering, no complaining. Then on the seventh day, on the seventh time around, God said, I want you to do something different. On this seventh time, I want you to let out a shout of praise. I can imagine on that seventh day, the people were so excited. They marched around once and twice and three times. The anticipation is growing. They can't wait. They know something big is going to happen. On that seventh time after the priest blew the trumpets, the people let out this mighty shout of praise at the top of their lungs saying,

Hallelujah, Hosanna in the highest. Lord, we bless you. So loud, no doubt, it sounded like a huge airplane passing by. People could hear it for miles and miles. Now as they were shouting, the impossible begin to happen. Those huge four to five walls begin to shake and rattle and before long roll they came tumbling down the people were able to go in take the city and eventually make it to their promised land but here's the point i want you to see the shout is what sealed the deal the shout was the final straw marching around the city seven times that showed their faithfulness that proved their obedience but that in itself was not enough that was part of it, but the shout was what released God's favor in a great way.

The truth is, they could have marched around the city silently, week after week, even year after year, showing God how faithful they were, but nothing would have happened. Without the shout, the walls would not have come down. Could it be that there are walls still up in your life because you've missed the shout? You prayed, you believed, you've stood on God's word. but now it's time for your shout. God is saying, you are coming in to your seventh day. You're about to enter into your seventh lap, the victory lap.

You've been faithful. You've developed your character. Now it's time to come into your promised land. And in the coming days, as you have the high praises of God coming out of your mouth, you need to get ready. You're going to start seeing walls come down. bondages are going to be broken, supernatural doors are going to open,

enemies are going to be defeated, chains of addictions are going to be loose, limitations are going to be canceled, increase is going to come in extraordinary ways. I want you to imagine you're on the seventh day. You're about to come into that seventh lap, the victory lap. God is saying it's your time to rise to a new level.

It's your time to see favor in a new way. It's your time to go beyond barriers of the past. It's your time for divine connections. It's your time for supernatural breakthroughs. Why don't we just take 10 seconds and seal the deal? Let's let up a shout of praise just to seal it. I knew you couldn't keep it to 10 seconds. I know people are flipping through the channels right now.

When they see you shouting, celebrating, they think, what am I watching? Did Peyton Manning just throw another touchdown? Did Tiger Woods just clinch the masters? Did LeBron James just did another game-winning shot? They look a little closer and say, no, it's just those crazy people at Lakewood. They're always shouting about something. Here's why we're shouting.

We know walls are coming down. Somebody's child is coming back home. Somebody's marriage is being restored. Somebody's about to see a business take off. Somebody's about to meet the man or woman of their dreams. somebody's about to see their health restored. Somebody's about to make it into their promised land. The shout is what releases God's favor.

It doesn't take much to make y'all shout now. Listen, some of you have marched around your city walls 422 times. You're wondering when God's ever going to do something, but God's waiting on you for the shout. You don't need to march around another time. You need to start declaring God's goodness in a greater way. When you get up every morning, just imagine you're on the seventh day and you're about to enter into your victory lap. Dare to vocalize it. God, I bless you today. I thank you today. I honor you today.

Those shouts not only allow God to bring the victory, but you're announcing to the enemy, this is my time. Sickness cannot stay. I will not live a depressed, defeated life. I will not go around unfulfilled. I will not be bound by these addictions. I am coming in to my promised land. We have a cleaning product here in the States called Shout. It's a stain remover. You get something on your shirt or something on the carpet. You can spray that shout on it and it'll help remove it. I remember the commercial they had for Shout when I was growing up. It showed this little boy playing in the backyard and he falls in the mud and gets his jeans all dirty. The mom is looking out the kitchen window and she shakes her head. The announcer says to the mother, what are you going to do now that little Johnny got his jeans stained?

The mom smiles and says, I'm going to shout it out. It shows the father working on his car and he gets some grease on his t-shirt. The announcer asked the mom the same thing. What are you going to do? This time she gets the bottle of shouting. She looks in the camera and says, I'm not worried. I'm going to shout it out. Really, there's some truth to that statement.

when we face barriers in life, when the financial situation looks impossible, when the medical report says no way, when you encounter a Jericho on your way to your promised land, instead of getting discouraged, thinking, oh, these walls are too big, they're too strong, they're never going to come down. Now let's learn to do like the lady in the TV commercial and say, you know what, I know a secret, I can shout it out. I'm going to kick my praise into a new gear. What are you going to do if you get a bad medical report? Shout it out. Declare God's goodness in a greater way. What are you going to do if somebody cut you off in traffic? Don't cuss them out. Shout it out. God, I bless you anyway.

What are you going to do if you get overlooked for a promotion that you deserve? Shout it out. God, I'm not working under man. I'm working under you. I bless you anyway. That's what it says in Psalm 59. the psalmist said my enemies come against me like vicious dogs trying to destroy me. But as for me, I will shout for joy. For you are my refuge, my place of safety. Notice, in our times of difficulty, we're not supposed to get discouraged. Don't go around complaining, talking about your problems. If you want to activate God's power in a greater way, you've got to do like the psalmist

and learn to shout for joy. even when it looks bad all around you, just lift your head toward the heavens and say, God, I bless you today. I know you're still on the throne. I say, Hosanna to you in the highest. If you were to suffer some kind of setback. In the natural, you're going to want to get discouraged. Self pity will try to set in. That's when you have to dig your heels in and say, no, I'm going to offer to God the sacrifice of praise. And I'm not saying that this is some magic formula. If you shout one time, everything's going to go away. But no, I am saying, if you'll learn to magnify God and not your problems, you'll not only enjoy life more, but that's what allows God to turn negative situations around. And at the right time, on your seventh day, on that seventh trip around, the shout is what helps to bring the walls down.

I think about Jehazaphat in Second Chronicles chapter 20. He received word that three major armies were surrounding him and the people of Judah, They were quickly closing in and about to attack. The people of Judah were greatly outnumbered. King Jehoshaphat didn't know what to do. So he called them all together. They got on their knees and began to pray. Soon the word of the Lord came to them saying,

don't worry, this battle is not yours. The battle is the Lord's. When the people of Judah heard the good news, they did something very important. I believe it was one of the keys to see in the promise come to fulfillment. it right in the middle of that trouble, surrounded by enemies, looked like there was no way out in the natural. What did they do? Get depressed, complain, run and hide. No, the scripture says they begin to shout praises to God at the top of their lungs. Don't you know that looked kind of

foolish? Here they were celebrating like they had already won the victory, but the fact is they were still surrounded by powerful enemies. Nothing had changed. Nothing was different. I'm sure some people looked from the outside and thought those people are crazy. Why are they shouting? Why are they celebrating? Don't they know they're about to be wiped out? Don't they know their days are numbered? No, what those people didn't realize was the shout activates God's power. The shout brings confusion to the enemy. The shout releases God's favor. The shout is what helps bring the deliverance. Really, it's the same way today. When people see us shouting, singing, celebrating God's goodness, they think, what's wrong with those people at Lakewood? Haven't they

read the news lately? Didn't they see the medical report? Haven't they seen what their child's been doing? They're acting like they're going to prosper in spite of the economy. They're acting like they're going to get well in spite of the medical report. They're acting like they've already won the battle. see most people only shout after the victory. We've got to learn to shout before the victory. The scripture says, as soon as they started shouting, something great happened. Notice it didn't say as soon as they prayed,

as soon as they believed, as soon as they started fighting. No, the shout was the catalyst. The shout was what lit the fire. As soon as they started shouting, God sent confusion to the three. enemy armies. They began to fight among themselves. And when it was all said and done, they had destroyed each other. The people of Judah didn't have to lift up a sword. They just went in and gathered up the spoils. And I realized that when we pray, things happen, when we stay faithful,

things happen, when we are a blessing to others, things happen. But when we lift up a shout of praise, when we vocalize our thanksgiving, when we bless the Lord with our heart, whole hearts, those shouts cause God to release his power in a supersized way. It's like God shifts everything into a higher gear. The turbo boosters kick in. I don't know about you, but I need God's favor in supersized ways. I need

God's blessings, his wisdom, in extraordinary ways. Now, I've learned shouts of praise, shouts of joy. They're the power boosters that can thrust you to a new level. It's interesting in the Old Testament. God used the phrase many times, be of good courage. But in the New Testament, in most translations, you never read, be of good courage. God changed the phrasing.

He now says, be of good cheer. Cheer is an action word, something that we have to do. When I go to a ball game and see a cheerleader, one thing I know is a cheerleader is not quiet. they are very vocal, very loud. They're always shouting, cheering their team on. It's funny, their team can be behind 40 to nothing. Only a minute left in the game. No possible way for them to win.

Yet they're still on the sideline shouting to the top of their lungs. V, I, C, T, O, R, Y, we have the victory. I have never once heard a cheerleader saying, L-O-S-E-R-S, we are loser. no matter how bad it gets, no matter how far behind the team falls, they just keep shouting the victory. That's what it means to be of good cheer. Just like that cheerleader. It doesn't matter if the medical report says you only have six weeks to live like it did for my mother in 1981.

It doesn't matter if it looks impossible for you to ever get out of debt. Doesn't matter if all the odds are against you. Every door has closed. That's when you have to dig your heels in and declare it by faith. V, I, C, T, O, R-Y. Father, thank you that I have the victory. I praise you. I shout unto you with a voice of triumph.

As soon as you start shouting, just like God did for the people of Judah, in the unseen realm, things begin to change in your favor. I know right now some of you are in the midst of difficulty. You feel like Jehazovat, you're surrounded by troubles, looks like there's no way out. Or like Joshua, you've got a big barrier in your path. But God is saying to you what he said to them,

the battle is not yours, the battle is the lords. But you've got to do your part and activate God's power through your shouts of praise. And it's one thing to shout by yourself, in your car, in the shower. That's good. That's important. But when thousands of us come together and let out a corporate shout of praise,

I believe that not only intensifies God's power, but the forces of darkness have to run in high. And in just a moment, I want us to let out another shout that's going to reverberate down through the unseen realm. Here's what's going to happen when we shout. Get this down in your spirit. See it through your eyes of faith. Walls are going to come down. Bondages are going to be broken. Depression cannot stay. Healing is going to be released. Relationships will be restored. Chains will be broken. Negative situations are going to turn around. Favor is going to be poured out. Something is about to break loose in the unseen realm when we let out this shout of praise. Are you ready? We're going to do it on three. We're going to shout unto God with a voice of triumph. One, two, three. Come on. Let out a shout of praise today. 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 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 words. ways. As our 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 of Speak the Blessing today. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888, 67, Joel. Our homecoming weekend is this Saturday and Sunday.

Some of you have never been to Lakewood. This is a perfect time. We'd love to meet you. We'd be honored to have you and your family.