Joel Osteen Podcast - You Have Been Pre-Programmed For Victory | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: September 5, 2025

When God breathed His life into you, He gave you His spiritual DNA. You have the right gifts, talents and personality to become everything He created you to be. 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.

Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and share it with a friend? We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in your life. 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 be a part of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. Thanks so much for tuning in today. I like to start with something funny each week, and I heard about this country couple.

They were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, and they had never had an argument before. Somebody asked them the secret of their success. The husband explained, when they were leaving the church going on their honeymoon, the wife's horse refused to go. She got off and looked the horse in the eyes and said, that's one. He went a little bit, but then stopped again. She got off, looked him in the eyes, and said, that's two. He went a little bit further, but he stopped once more. This time she got off, pulled out her revolver, and shot the horse dead.

The husband was appalled. He said, what are you doing? You can't just shoot an animal. She looked at him and said, honey, that's one. That is not found in this book, by the way. 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 how you have been pre-programmed

to live a victorious life. God never created us to be average. We're not supposed to drag around, barely making it, defeated and depressed. God created us to be the head. and never the tail, to be happy, healthy, and whole. And the scripture says, we have been made in the image of Almighty God. When God made you, he put a part of himself into you. One way you could say it is you have the DNA of Almighty God. He's your heavenly father. You got some of his traits,

some of his characteristics. That means in your genes right now are favor, wisdom, strength, strength, talent, and ability. God breathed his life into you. And just like you got your natural DNA from your parents, you've got your spiritual DNA from your heavenly father. The good news is the spiritual always overrides the natural. God's DNA will override any negative DNA in your family line. We know how certain characteristics can be passed down from our parents, from our grandparents. parents. People say to us a lot, talking about our son Jonathan, he's got his mother's eyes. He looks just like Victoria. I always say, thank God. God had mercy on him. I see traits in our daughter Alexandra that are just like me. Before she goes to bed, she lays out her clothes for the next day. She'll

never go to sleep without plugging her cell phone into the battery charger. She gets her homework by the back door so she can just walk out in a hurry. That's the same trait my mother. I'm mother has. My mother's very disciplined. She got it from her father. My grandfather was the same way. Why is that? It's in our DNA. It's being passed from one generation to the next. And not just physical characteristics, but even personality traits, our attitude, our demeanor. These are things that are in our DNA. That's our genetic code that makes up who we are. And it's interesting. You can have a gene in your DNA that lies dormant for years. But at a specific time, when it's been pre-programmed by all the factors of who your ancestors were

and what's been passed down to you, that gene will activate. I know growing up, I had a good friend in high school. He was the star athlete. He was big, strong, muscular. He had this thick, wavy hair. I remember after our basketball games, when he would take a shower, He couldn't comb his hair like the rest of us. He had to use a big brush that hardly had any bristles.

I mean, I've never seen hair so thick. Well, we graduated from school and went our separate ways. About 10 years later, I ran into him at the mall, and I nearly passed out. He didn't have thick, wavy hair anymore. To be polite about it, he needed to go see the hair club for men. He was completely bald, except for right down through here. I wanted to say, what in the world happened? He was bigger than me, so I didn't.

What was that? There was a gene in his DNA, passed down from his relatives, that had a specific purpose, and that purpose was to release hair. The name of that gene was a four-letter word, B-A-L-D. You could have never convinced me in high school

that 10 years later, he was going to be bald. I'd say, no way, that's impossible. How did it happen? That gene was lying dormant, just waiting for the time it had already been pre-programmed to activate. When that time came along, the gene said, my job is to release hair, and I must say that gene did a great job. I don't know about you, but I'm standing against any kind of genes like that in my family line. But just as we get this natural DNA from our parents, from our natural bloodline, we get our spiritual DNA from our natural bloodline, we get our spiritual DNA from our heavenly father. The scripture tells us, before we ever showed up on planet earth, God knew us.

We're not an accident. Your parents didn't just randomly get together and decide to have a child. God had a purpose for you before your parents or grandparents even knew each other. David said here in Psalm 139, verse 16, your eyes saw my unformed substance. All my days were written in your book before I was ever born. What does that mean our unformed substance? That's talking about the DNA that God put into us. In other words, before God even had your parents picked out, he had an assignment for you. He had something for you to accomplish. And he took that unformed substance and filled it with the right DNA so you could fulfill your destiny. You have the right gifts, the right talent, the right personality, the right height, you have the courage, the strength, the ability that you need.

But just like with the physical, some genes lie dormant waiting to be activated. And I believe every one of us has potential that has not yet been released. I was reading about Michael Jordan. When he first tried out for the basketball team in school, he didn't make it. The coach told him he just didn't think he had what it took. At that point, Michael Jordan wasn't super coordinated and super athletic like he is today. But what the coach didn't realize was there was a gene locked up in his DNA that was about to be released. A gene that would give him an incredible ability to jump, an incredible ability to soar through the air.

Michael Jordan could have gotten discouraged and think, well, this is just not for me. But something deep down on the inside kept telling him, this is for you. You've got what it takes. This is what you were born to do. His destiny was calling out to him. It was in his DNA. Even though he went through that rejection and other setbacks, he realized other people didn't determine his destiny. Other people didn't know what God put in him. He kept believing. He kept being his best, kept pressing forward. And one day that gene activated. He became one of the great basketball players of our time. All of us have things in us we don't realize genes that are just waiting to be activated. For 35 years, I didn't know there was a minister in me. I didn't know I could do this.

I'm naturally more quiet and reserved. I liked being behind the scenes. But when my father went to be with the Lord in 1999, one of those genes that God put in me before the foundation of time, all of a sudden it activated. All the sudden it came. alive and deep down on the inside, I knew that I knew this is what I was supposed to do. Looking back now, I realize this wasn't a surprise to God. He had pre-programmed this in me before I ever got here. All of our days have been written in his book. And the fact is, those 35 years that I didn't think I could do it, I'd tell Victoria, I'm not a minister, I can't speak in public. She'd tell me time and again, yes, Joel, you can. One day you're going to

pastor the church. Now, oh, Victoria's just not in me. now I know it was in my God-given DNA that gene was just lying dormant because it wasn't the right time. When the right season came along, all the sudden I had a desire to do this. I had to make a decision, was I going to get out of my comfort zone and believe I could do it and believe I'm equipped? Or was I going to just sit back, play it safe, and stay right where I was. Let the opportunity pass me by. I took that step of faith. and I really believe that's when the gene activated, and I stepped into my divine destiny.

Now, I know I'm doing what I was born to do. I know this is one of the reasons God put me here. And I want to announce to you some of the genes that God has already pre-programmed in you are about to be activated. Just like I didn't think I can do this, you're going to accomplish things that you never thought possible. You're going to see new talent, new levels of ability. new levels of wisdom and insight, new levels in your career, new levels of success. Get that down on the inside. These genes of favor, wisdom, strength, and ability are going to be activated. I love to pray every day. Father, thank you that every gene you put in me will be released to the full. You've got to call forth those seeds. You've got to speak to your genes. When you feel kind of intimidated like you can't do something, that you know,

on the inside you should do, you just need to remind yourself, I have the DNA of Almighty God. God breathed his life into me. I'm not going to drag around discouraged, intimidated, inferior. I know I've been equipped with everything I need. I can do all things through Christ, and I will fulfill my God-given destiny. If you will have an attitude like that and keep pressing forward, believing, expecting, then those genes of favor, increase, talent, at the right time they will activate and help take you to new levels. But you have more in you. Don't you dare sit around thinking, well, I've reached my limits.

I've kind of had a rough upbringing and I've made a lot of mistakes. No, start meditating on the fact that the creator of the universe has equipped you with everything you need. You have been pre-programmed to be a victor and not a victim. And I know some people were not raised in a half. healthy environment. But who your parents were is not a surprise to God. He's not thinking, well, I had a good plan for you, but your parents really messed it up. Or that first husband of yours that did you wrong, walked out on you, he just ruined everything. No, God knew what we were going to

encounter. He knew the people we were going to have to deal with. He knew the obstacles we were going to overcome. And so he put in us the right genes. They're already in our spiritual DNA. And if you you'll get rid of any kind of negative, defeated attitude, and just stay in faith, you're going to see good things released in your future, new seasons of increase, new seasons of favor. You will look back and think, how did I get here? How did this happen? I'll tell you how. It's in your genes. I'm not talking about Levi's. God pre-programmed it into you. All your days have been written in his book. Well, you say, Joel, I wasn't raised in a good home like you were. I didn't have parents and other people speaking faith into me, but that doesn't have to stop you. You may look back in your family

line and see a long history of defeat, mediocrity, addictions, wrong mindsets, and you're tempted to think, man, they messed my life up. Now I'm having to deal with all these issues. Men told me last week how he grew up in a very negative environment. There was no stability in his home, and it was almost like he got the short end of the stick. He said, Joel, I really feel like other people have kind of cursed my future. But here's the good news. Before anybody could put a curse on you, God put a blessing on you. Before you even showed up on planet Earth, before you ever made it into your mother's womb, God programmed into your DNA, blessing, favor, strength, ability. He's already equipped and empowered you. You need to go back to your original state. Have the attitude, I am a child,

of the most high God. My parents may not have given me what I needed. Other people may have tried to push me down. My circumstances may not have worked out, but that's not going to stop me. I know I have the DNA of Almighty God. I know I have been pre-programmed by the creator of the universe

with everything that I need. That means you are strong. You are talented. You are creative. You are disciplined. You are called. You are equipped. You are chosen.

You are evict. tour and not a victim. Get that down on the inside. Get a vision for it. Don't go around thinking about who hurt you and what you didn't get and what didn't work out. God's DNA will overcome any negative DNA. I think about a friend of mine, Jesse Barfield, he and his wife Marla, have been with us for years. For some 20 years, Jesse played professional baseball. In 1986, he led all the major leagues in home runs. And Jesse, is one of the most naturally talented, gifted athletes that I've ever seen. Sometimes during the offseason, we'd play basketball together. And even though that's not his main sport, he was 10 times

better than the rest of us. He's in his own league. It's just natural. He and Marla have several children, and I've watched them grow up. Their oldest son is Josh. And in high school, Josh was the star baseball player. He went to college and did great. He got drafted into the minor leagues and excelled there. A few years ago, he got called up to the big leagues, and now he's excelling at the highest level playing professional baseball. And statistics tell us that only one child in a million will ever make it to the big leagues. But what's interesting is Josh playing up in the big leagues doesn't surprise me. I know who Josh's father is. I've seen Jesse play. I've witnessed firsthand his strength, his speed, his ability to hit. You've heard the saying like father, like son. That's in

their DNA. It's being passed down. When I look out at each one of you, it's the same way. There is no limit to what you can accomplish. I know who your father is. There's no obstacle that you can't overcome. I've seen your father do it. There's no challenge that's too much for you. Your father always succeeds. There's no financial difficulty. There's no life. that's going to hold you back. Your father is Jehovah Jira. He owns it all. He's the Lord your provider. How don't you get that down on the inside? I have been pre-programmed for victory. I don't have to worry about my future. I have the right genes. I don't have to wonder, am I talented enough? Do I have what it takes? Am I going to be successful? No, I know I come from a bloodline of champions. I'm not average.

I'm not mediocre. I've got the blood of a winner, the DNA of all my God, and he has equipped me with everything that I need. If we can just get a revelation of who our heavenly father is. Growing up, as children, we would travel with my father when he would speak at these big conventions in different cities. Very often, we'd get preferential treatment because of who our father was. People love my dad. I could hear them whispering about us.

That's John Osteen's children. One time we were in Chicago at this big hotel. they were having the meeting in the ballroom. And I really loved the milkshakes at the hotel's coffee shop. I was about 10 or 11 years old, and I was walking through the lobby with my little sister, April. And we stopped in front of the coffee shop to look at a picture of those milkshakes.

They had an advertisement up there on the wall of all their bakery items. And as we were standing there, this lady came up and said, aren't you John Osteen's children? I said, yes, ma'am, we are. She said, well, if it'd be okay with you, I want to buy you each one of those milkshakes that you're looking at. I thought about it about two-tenths of a second.

And I said, that would be fine. And she bought us that milkshake. And I knew she did it because of who our father was. I was so proud, I would walk through that lobby knowing that I was something special. And for the next three days, I hung out in front of that coffee shop. Anytime I saw anybody that halfway looked like they were going to the conference, I would stand up there and stare at that milkshake, hoping they'd buy me one. This one lady stopped again.

She said, aren't you, John Osteen's child? I smiled real big. I thought, here it comes. I said, yes, ma'am, I am. She said, well, good. Maybe you can tell me where the ballroom is. I was so disappointed. I pointed at the restrooms and ran off the other way.

I've never told my mother that one. Now I know I'm too old to get in trouble, though. The studies tell us, y'all not even listening to me now. The studies tell us that a child gets their identity from their father. Maybe you weren't raised with a good father figure. Or maybe you were passed from home to home and had a lot of negativity and people trying to beat you down. But that doesn't have to stop you. If you can just get a real understanding of who your heavenly father is,

You have the DNA of a champion on the inside. Don't go around feeling inferior because of what someone did or didn't give you. Don't let that make you feel intimidated. You've got the right genes. You are not an accident. You are a person of destiny. And there are gifts and talents in you just waiting to be released. You have potential that you've not yet tapped into.

You've got to shake off any kind of inferiority or low self-esteem and put your shoulders back, hold your head up high. You are a child of the most high God. You have his royal blood flowing through your veins. And what other people did cannot stop you from fulfilling your destiny. What somebody said about you doesn't change the DNA that God's put in you. You have a purpose. You have a destiny and it's not given by people. It was given by Almighty God. And if you'll stay in faith, no matter what's come against you at the right time, your seeds of greatness are going to going to activate and you will fulfill your God-given destiny. A friend of ours told how he came from a very dysfunctional family. His father died when he was four years old. His mother made a living by working

the streets. One time when he was 11 or 12, his mom left him on a street corner in a large city and said she would be back soon to pick him up. Well, three days later, he was still standing on that street corner waiting for his mom. He was confused. and hungry, afraid, didn't know what to do. But about that time, a man that drove that way to work each day saw him standing there, pulled his car over to find out what was going on. The young man explained the situation. Long story short, this man and his wife were able to adopt this young man and raise him. In the natural, it didn't seem like he had much of a purpose, much of a future. But these new adopted parents, the man and his wife, they started

speaking faith into him. They started telling him what I'm telling you that you have seeds of greatness on the inside. You have been pre-programmed by the creator of the universe, not to barely get by, but to leave your mark, to make a difference. This young man didn't realize it, but on the inside, he had genes just waiting to be activated. They just had to get in the right environment, at the right time, those genes were going to spring forth. Seven or eight years later, This young man had a strong desire to help other young people that were hurting and needy like he had been. He asked the pastor where they were attending church if he would get him a van so he could go pick up needy kids and bring him to the service. The pastor got him that van.

A couple of weeks later, he needed another van. There were so many kids. Little while he needed a school bus and then another bus and another bus. He got to the point where he had 25 buses coming, then 50, then 7.000. then 100. Today, that young man has a ministry in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Brooklyn. And every week, Bill Wilson still buses in over 20,000 young people to his church each weekend. He has the largest Sunday school in America. Friends, it doesn't matter what it looks like in the natural. You have a purpose. You have a destiny. And the good news is your Heavenly Father has always,

already equipped you with everything that you need. And you may feel like, like he did, that you've got a lot to overcome. But who your parents were and how you were raised and who might have rejected you, who might have hurt you, that is not a surprise to God. Nothing you've been through or ever will go through can change the DNA that God's already put in you. The thing that holds us back so often is we forget who we really are, children of the Most High God. And I love my parents. I had great parents. I do my best to honor them. But I recognize I am not just a product of my parents. I don't just have their natural genes. I have been pre-programmed by the creator of the universe. Before we ever made it into our mother's womb, God had a purpose for us. He already put the right

DNA, the right genes in each one of us. And really, we don't come from our mother. We all love our mothers, but we came through our mother, we come from Almighty God. That means nothing that our parents did or didn't do can ultimately hold us back. It may slow us down a little, may make it a little harder, but bottom line is God's DNA overrides any negative DNA. Statistics tell us that if your father was an alcoholic, you have a ten times greater chance of becoming one yourself. If your father was hot-tempered, you have a much better chance of becoming that way. Or if our parents lived in poverty, there's a good chance we'll live in poverty. But before you just sit back and accept that theory,

you need to remind yourself, before anyone could put a curse on me, God put a blessing on me. Before I got one single negative gene, God equipped me with blessing, with favor, with talent, with creativity. You can overcome any obstacle. And some of you, those genes are just waiting for you to start believing so they can be activated. You need to get in a good environment where people are speaking faith into you. That's why I love to build people up and not tear them down. You know what I'm doing? I'm calling forth those seeds.

I'm speaking to the genes that have been pre-programmed into you by the creator of the universe. Now I know when we hear words of faith and victory, something resonates on the inside. Something down in here says, this is for me, this is who I am, this is what I was created to be. Our spirit person comes alive. It's so important you get around people that are going to stir up those seeds of greatness. Don't surround yourself with a bunch of naysayers. Life is too short to hang around negative, critical, cynical, skeptical, judgmental, small-minded, jealous people. I was about to say, did I leave anything out?

Find some dreamers, people that will build you up, people that will celebrate your victories, not people that are going to criticize and be jealous anytime you succeed. I am who I am today in part because Victoria spoke faith into me. Bill Wilson is fulfilling his destiny because his adopted parents spoke faith into him. You know what I'm doing? I'm speaking to the genes that God's put in you. I'm calling those seeds forth. I believe today can be a new beginning.

I believe dreams are being restored. Fresh vision is being released. New hope is being activated. Friends, your best days are not behind you. They are still out in front of you. You may have been through a lot of disappointments in the past. You may feel like other people or your own poor choices has kind of cursed your future.

But just remember, before anyone could put a curse on you, God put a blessing on you, and the blessing always overrides the curse. Get in agreement with God. I want to speak it over you again. I declare that every good thing God put in you will come to fulfill me. Every gift, every talent, every dream, every desire

will come to pass. I declare you will fulfill your purpose. you will fulfill your God-given destiny and become all that He's created you to be. I declare you will overcome every obstacle. The strongholds of the past are being broken off of you. The negative things that have been in your family line, even for generations, they will no longer have any effect on you.

I declare the seeds of increase, the seeds of success, the seeds of promotion are taking a new root, and the DNA of Almighty God is going to spring forth in your life in a greater way. You're going to see new seasons of increase, new seasons of God's blessings, new seasons of his favor. It's in your genes. And if you receive it, can you shout amen? Amen. I know you do.

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 Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. God's healing isn't earned. It's received, and you can discover how in the next 31 days. Life has a way of wearing us down, physically, mentally, emotionally, but God didn't create us to just survive, but to thrive. I'm excited about our new devotional, happy, healthy, and free. For 31 days, I'll take you on a wellness journey for your

spirit, body, and soul. It's filled with daily declarations, scriptures, encouragement. As you get your mind in tune with what God says, you'll experience a refreshing, a revitalization. You were created to be strong, to be passionate, to live happy, healthy, and free. When you contact us today, we'll send you happy, healthy, and free, a 31-day wellness journey as our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount. This devotional will help you strengthen your faith, declare God's promises, and receive the healing he's already made available to you. Spirit, soul, and body. God wants you whole. And this resource will help you experience his peace from the inside out. Please request your copy today. Begin a life-receiving,

life-giving journey that will transform your spirit, mind, and body in just 31 days. God is going to restore what the enemy tried to steal, your joy, your peace, your health. Victoria and I pray for you and your family every day. Thanks so much for your prayer and support. Your generosity is bringing hope to people around the world. Special thank you to our champion of hope partners for your monthly gifts. If you're not a partner, I hope you'll consider becoming one.

Remember, you can watch the services online every Sunday morning, download our daily podcast, watch on YouTube, the new Joel Osteen Network, social media. You can listen on SiriusXM 24 hours a day. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired. Until we see you next time,

may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of happy, healthy, and free. A 31-day wellness journey. Visit Joel Osteen.com or call 888-567, Joel. For an additional gift this month, we are also offering the Wholeness and Promise bundle, which includes the Happy, Healthy, and Free Book, plus the Words of Promise Journal,

a beautifully designed journal where you can reflect, record prayers, and speak life over your future. You can also request the happy, healthy, and free collection, featuring the devotional, the journal, and a beautifully crafted set of three desktop encouragement blocks. Each whitewashed wooden block displays one powerful word, happy, healthy, and free, along with a carefully chosen scripture. Place them in your home or workspace as daily reminders of God's promises for your life.

You can request these life-changing resources by calling 888, 5.8, 5.5.5. 567, Joel, or logging on to Joel Osteen.com today. Call or click anytime, 24 hours a day. This is your season to rise stronger, live lighter, and walk daily in God's healing and peace. Request your copies today. If you're a pastor, we'd like to invite you to our pastor's gathering. We'd be honored to spend the day with you here at Lakewood. We'll share some of the things we've learned, insights, and behind the scenes.

be a time of inspiration and encouragement. We'd love to meet you.