Joel Osteen Quotes

 

Joel Osteen Quotes

 

When you speak something in faith God’s power is activated in your life. Joel Osteen

 

“Ask Me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession” (Psalms 2:8 NIV). God doesn't want us to just barely get by in life. He wants us to thrive and experience the fullness of His blessing. Joel Osteen

 

Not only does God want to meet our needs, He wants us to be in a position to reach out and help meet the needs of others, too. Joel Osteen

 

When we pray and ask God for something, it opens a supernatural door. Our faith gives God something to work with. Faith is what pleases Him. Faith moves mountains. Did you know that it pleases God when we pray bold prayers and ask Him for big things? God loves it when we step outside of the realm of the possible and totally believe what He can do. With God, all things are possible! Joel Osteen

 

“Now we who have believed enter that rest...Hebrews 4:3 NIV. God desires for you to live in peace and rest no matter what is happening around you. When you believe God, you enter into His perfect rest. But if you are controlled by your circumstances, if you're up when things are up and down when things don't go your way, then life is going to be a roller coaster. God's plan is for you to be stable, consistent, not moved by any of these things. Joel Osteen

 

The Israelites were headed toward the Promised Land. They had opposition from every direction. They felt overwhelmed, outnumbered, and inadequate. In the natural, they didn't have a chance. But God said to them in Isaiah, “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron... so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” Joel Osteen

 

You may have big obstacles in your path, situations in your health, your finances, or a relationship. You don't see how it could work out; the odds are against you, but God is saying to you what He said to the Israelites: “I'm going to go before you and level those mountains.” Joel Osteen

 

Whatever is trying to stop you—a mountain of sickness, a mountain of addictions, a mountain of depression—may look insurmountable to you, but it is no match for our God. One touch of His favor will turn that mountain into level ground. That means you won't even have to climb over it. It's going to be easier than you think. You're not going to have to struggle, work, worry, or fight. God is going to smooth it all out. It may be a mountain now; it may look intimidating, but don't worry. It's about to become level ground. Joel Osteen

 

One thing I've noticed is that when you live with an attitude of constant gratitude, not only will you thank God for what He's done in your life, you start thanking Him for what He will do in the future. You thank Him for opening doors for you. You thank Him for increasing you. You thank Him for bringing the right people into your life. Joel Osteen

 

When we say “thank You” to God for the things that are coming, it's really a declaration of our faith in Him. It's saying, “God, I'm so sure of Your goodness, I'm so sure that You're working in my life that I'm going to thank You right now for what You are going to do tomorrow.” Friend, that's the kind of faith that pleases God. Joel Osteen

 

God wants us to trust in His goodness and believe that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He delights in seeing our faith. He delights in an attitude of gratitude. Joel Osteen

 

Faith activates God. Fear activates the enemy. Joel Osteen

 

God doesn't want us to just barely get by in life. He wants us to thrive and experience the fullness of His blessing. Not only does He want to meet our needs, He wants us to be in a position to reach out and help meet the needs of others, too. Joel Osteen

 

When we pray and ask God for something, it opens a supernatural door. Our faith gives God something to work with. Faith is what pleases Him. Faith moves mountains. Joel Osteen

 

Did you know that it pleases God when we pray bold prayers and ask Him for big things? God loves it when we step outside of the realm of the possible and totally believe what He can do. With God, all things are possible! Joel Osteen

 

Today, I encourage you to get bold with your prayers. Ask God for big things. Believe that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf. Put your faith to work because God is faithful. He has big things in store for you, and He says to ask Him! Joel Osteen

 

One of the names of God is El Shaddai, the God of more than enough. We should be grateful that our needs are met, we should thank God that we have enough, but don’t settle there. That’s not your destiny. He wants you to have abundance so you can be a blessing to others. Joel Osteen

 

Throughout the Bible, Jesus said, “Only Believe!” The sky is not the limit, our belief system is. Joel Osteen said, “Faith and fear have something in common: they both ask us to believe in something we cannot see.” Why not believe that God is working behind the scenes to produce in your life the dreams you see in your heart?! Terri Savelle Foy

 

When you mix faith with God’s Word, angels go to work and supernatural things happen! Joel Osteen

 

Hold fast your profession. Keep believing, keep thanking God, keep talking like it’s coming. Joel Osteen

 

When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance. Joel Osteen

 

Faith is about trusting God when you have unanswered questions. Joel Osteen

 

God didn’t make a mistake when He made you. You need to see yourself as God sees you. Joel Osteen

 

God has already done everything He’s going to do. The ball is now in your court. If you want success, if you want wisdom, if you want to be prosperous and healthy, you’re going to have to do more than meditate and believe; you must boldly declare words of faith and victory over yourself and your family. Joel Osteen

 

It’s in the difficult times that we are growing and you just can’t rebuke everything hard. We’ve got to endure it and fight the good fight of faith and pass the test. Joel Osteen

 

I believe that when you think of the negative, and you get up discouraged – ‘There’s nothing good in my future’ – I really believe it almost ties the hands of God. God works where there’s an attitude of faith. I believe faith is all about hope. Joel Osteen

 

I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you’re grateful you’ll see God open up new doors. Joel Osteen

 

I believe that God has put gifts and talents and ability on the inside of every one of us. When you develop that and you believe in yourself and you believe that you're a person of influence and a person of purpose, I believe you can rise up out of any situation. Joel Osteen

 

Keep the right perspective: it's all working out for your good. This boils down to trusting God. Joel Osteen

 

When you're really believing, when you're in peace, you're showing God by your actions that you trust Him. Joel Osteen

 

If you can’t celebrate people that are further along than you, then you’ll never get to where they are. Be happy for them. Joel Osteen

 

God is fighting your battles, arranging things in your favor, and making a way even when you don’t see a way. Joel Osteen

 

Don’t be impatient for God to act. Don’t be frustrated by what’s not happening. God is working. You’re being prepared for what God has prepared for you. Joel Osteen

 

Wake up every morning with a thankful attitude. Expect something good to happen in your life today. Joel Osteen

 

You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life. Joel Osteen

 

Don’t allow negative people to steal your joy. When you lose your joy, you lose your strength. Joel Osteen

 

If you will believe and stay in faith, and expect good things, you too can defy the odds. Joel Osteen

 

The forces that are for you are greater than the forces against you. Joel Osteen

 

God has brought you through before, and He will bring you through again. Make a decision each day to choose faith over fear. Joel Osteen

 

Negative thoughts come to us all. But when you speak them out loud, you give them life. That’s when they become a reality.

 

Your value doesn’t come because of who you are. It comes because of whose you are.

 

Don’t wait for people to approve you, affirm you, or validate you.

 

You have to know who you are. God breathed His life into you. You have royalty in your blood. You are excellent in every way. Now, put your shoulders back, hold our head up high, and start carrying yourself as royalty. You are not average. You are not ordinary. You are a masterpiece.

 

Romans 4 says to ‘call the things that are not as though they were.’ That simply means that you shouldn’t talk about the way you are. Talk about the way you want to be. If you’re struggling in your finances, don’t go around saying, ‘Oh, man, business is so slow. The economy is so down. It’s never going to work out.’ That’s calling the things that are as if they will always be that way. That’s just describing the situation. By faith you have to say, ‘I am blessed. I am successful. I am surrounded by God’s favor.

 

Being content doesn’t mean that we don’t want change, that we give up on our dreams, or that we settle where we are. It means we’re not fighting everything. We’re not frustrated. We’re trusting God’s timing. We know He is working behind the scenes, and at the right time He will get us to where we’re supposed to be.

 

Titles don’t bring fulfillment. Keeping up with your neighbors doesn’t bring happiness.

 

When negative thoughts come, the key is to never verbalize them.

 

Whatever you’re constantly saying, you’re moving toward.

 

When you declare favor over your life and over your future, God will make things happen that should have never happened. Our attitude should be, I’m coming out of debt, and I’m saying so. This will be my best year, and I’m saying so. I will overcome every obstacle, and I’m saying so. I will accomplish my dreams, and I’m saying so.

 

Every twenty-four God has a fresh new supply of grace, of favor, of wisdom, of forgiveness.

 

‘No weapon formed against me will ever prosper. I will live out my days in good health, with a clear mind, with good memory, with clarity of thought. My mind is alert. My senses are sharp. My youth is being renewed.’ You must prophesy health. Prophesy a long, productive life. Your words will become your reality.

 

God made you as you are on purpose. He gave you your looks, your height, your skin color, your nose, your personality. Nothing about you is by accident. You didn’t get overlooked. You didn’t get left out. God calls you His masterpiece. Instead of going around feeling down on yourself, unattractive, too tall, too short, not enough of this, or too much of that, dare to get up in the morning and say, “I am a masterpiece. I am created in the image of Almighty God.

 

When you walk in God’s favor, His blessings will chase you down and overtake you.

 

Dream big. Believe big. Pray big. Make room for God to do something new in your life.

 

Go out each day with the attitude that something good is going to happen to you.

 

But if you really want to get God’s attention, put actions behind what you believe in.

 

God is saying to you what He said to Sarai, ‘I want you to change your name to Princess’ - not literally, but in your attitude. You have to shake off the negative things people have said about you. Shake off the low self-esteem and the inferiority and start carrying yourself like a princess. Start walking like a princess. Start talking like a princess. Start thinking like a princess. Start waving like a princess!

 

I run with purpose in every step. My best days are still out in front of me. My greatest victories are in my future. I will become everything I was created to be. I will have everything God intended for me to have. I am the redeemed of the Lord, and I say so today!

 

God knows what you will need a week from now, a month from now, even ten years from now. And the good news is He’s already taking care of you.

 

Don’t approach change from a negative point of view. All change is not bad. It may be negative on the surface but remember, God would not allow it if He didn’t have a purpose for it.

 

Read over these declarations every day. Get them down in your spirit. Meditate on them. They may not all be true right now, but as you continue to speak them, they will become a reality. ‘I am blessed. I am prosperous. I am successful.’ ‘I am victorious. I am talented. I am creative.’ ‘I am wise. I am healthy. I am in shape.’ ‘I am energetic. I am happy. I am positive.’ ‘I am passionate. I am strong. I am confident.’ ‘I am secure. I am beautiful. I am attractive.’ ‘I am valuable. I am free. I am redeemed.’ ‘I am forgiven. I am anointed. I am accepted.’ ‘I am approved. I am prepared. I am qualified.’ ‘I am motivated. I am focused. I am disciplined.’ ‘I am determined. I am patient. I am kind.’ ‘I am generous. I am excellent. I am equipped.’ ‘I am empowered. I am well able.’ ‘I am a child of the Most High God.

 

When the negative thoughts come, let them die stillborn. Refuse to prophesy defeat over your life.

 

I will experience God’s faithfulness. I will not worry. I will not doubt. I will keep my trust in Him, knowing that He will not fail me.

 

But if you will learn to receive your value from your Heavenly Father and listen to what He says about you, then you’ll feel accepted, approved, redeemed, forgiven, confident and secure. You will feel extremely valuable and that’s exactly the way God wants you to be.

 

Maybe your situation is going to change when you change.

 

You need to remember that just as Jesus sped up the winemaking process, God can do in a split second what might otherwise take you many years.

 

When you go through a disappointment, when you go through a loss, don’t stop on that page. Keep moving forward. There’s another chapter in front of you, but you have to be willing to walk into it.

 

God can multiply your time and help you get more done. He can multiply your wisdom and help you to make better decisions.

 

Today we have so many opportunities to worry and live in fear. People are worried about the economy, worried about their health, worried about their children. But God is saying to you: ‘Don’t use your energy to worry. Use your energy to believe.

 

In other words, don’t talk about the way you are. Talk about the way you want to be.

 

You’re not average. You’re not ordinary. You’ve been custom-made. You are one of a kind...He looks right at you and says, ‘There’s my masterpiece. That’s my son. That’s my daughter. That’s what brings the most joy to my heart.

 

You will produce what you say. If you want to know what you will be like five years from now, just listen to what you are saying about yourself. With our words we can either bless our futures or we can curse our futures.

 

Don’t be impatient. It’s not over until God says it’s over. If you will keep pressing forward, one day you will look back and see how it all played into a master plan that God had designed for our lives.

 

You are one of a kind. You are a masterpiece. You are a prized possession. When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror instead of getting depressed...you need to smile and say, ‘Good morning, you beautiful thing. Good morning, you handsome thing. Good morning, you blessed, prosperous, successful, strong, talented, creative, confident, secure, disciplined, focused, highly favored child of the Most High God.

 

Just because you don’t see anything happening doesn’t mean God is not working.

 

I declare that I will live as a healer. I am sensitive to the needs of those around me. I will lift the fallen, restore the broken, and encourage the discouraged....I won’t just look for a miracle; I will become someone’s miracle by showing God’s love and mercy everywhere I go.

 

I am calm and peaceful. I will not let people or circumstances upset me. I will rise above every difficulty, knowing that God has given me the power to remain calm. I choose to live my life happy, bloom where I am planted, and let God fight my battles.

 

Encourage yourself. Don’t speak defeat over your life.

 

God accepts you. God approves of you. And He has something better in store.

 

There’s something that God wants you to accomplish. Somebody needs your touch. Somebody needs what you have.

 

If you want to build lifelong, loyal friendships, if you want to build trust, learn to protect your family members and friends even when they make mistakes.

 

Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem when all the odds were against him. Determination and persistence pulsate through your bloodline.

 

I’ve come too far to stop now. I may be knocked down, but I’m not knocked out. I’m going to get back up again. I know I’m a victor, not a victim.

 

Your best days are not behind you. They’re in front of you.

 

No, I’m not settling here. I’m going to keep pressing forward.

 

God never performs His greatest feats in your yesterdays.

 

Often, out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction.

 

God is preparing you for greater things. He’s going to take you further than you thought possible, so don’t e surprised when He asks you to think better of yourself and act accordingly.

 

Too many people are living far below their potential. They have more gifts and talents, and so much more going for them.

 

See; you’re not going as fast as you can. You’re just going as fast as you will.

 

God didn’t create you to be average. You were created to excel. You have everything.

 

True love is always backed up with actions.

 

The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you find yourself. Sometimes you have to get out of that environment in order to see that dream fulfilled.

 

You can be in the storm, but don’t let the storm get in you.

 

Be careful with whom you associate, especially when you feel emotionally vulnerable, because negative people can steal the dream right out of your heart.

 

Faith doesn’t always instantly deliver you, but it always carries you through.

 

At the start of each new day, remind yourself: ‘I am talented. I am creative. I am greatly favored by God. I am equipped. I am well able. I will see my dreams come to pass.’ Declare those statements by faith and before long, you will begin to see them in reality.

 

You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life.

 

You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It wont happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.

 

Keep in mind, hurting people often hurt other people as a result of their own pain. If somebody is rude and inconsiderate, you can almost be certain that they have some unresolved issues inside. They have some major problems, anger, resentment, or some heartache they are trying to cope with or overcome. The last thing they need is for you to make matters worse by responding angrily.

 

God knows your value; He sees your potential. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head up high, knowing that God is in control and he has a great plan and purpose for your life. Your dreams may not have turned out exactly as you’d hoped, but the bible says that God’s ways are better and higher than our ways, even when everybody else rejects you, remember, God stands before you with His arms open wide. He always accepts you. He always confirms your value. God sees your two good moves! You are His prized possession. No matter what you go through in life, no matter how many disappointments you suffer, your value in God’s eyes always remains the same. You will always be the apple of His eye. He will never give up on you, so don’t give up on yourself.

 

No matter how many times you get knocked down, keep getting back up. God sees your resolve. He sees your determination. And when you do everything you can do, that’s when God will step in and do what you can’t do.

 

Quit questioning God and start trusting Him!

 

When God puts love and compassion in your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an opportunity to make a difference in that person’s life. You must learn to follow that love. Don’t ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have.

 

It is important for a husband to understand that his words have tremendous power in his wife’s life. He needs to bless her with words. She’s given her life to love and care for him, to partner with him, to create a family together, to nurture his children. If he is always finding fault in something she’s doing, always putting her down, he will reap horrendous problems in his marriage and in his life.

 

Moreover, many women today are depressed and feel emotionally abused because their husbands do not bless them with their words. One of the leading causes of emotional breakdowns among married women is the fact that women do not feel valued. One of the main reasons for that deficiency is because husbands are willfully or unwittingly withholding the words of approval women so desperately desire.

 

If you want to see God do wonders in your marriage, start praising your spouse. Start appreciating and encouraging her. Every single day, a husband should tell his wife, “I love you. I appreciate you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” A wife should do the same for her husband. Your relationship would improve immensely if you’d simply start speaking kind, positive words, blessing your spouse instead of cursing him or her.

 

Keep doing the right. God is building character in you, and you are passing that test. Remember, the greater the struggle, the greater the reward.

 

You cannot expect victory and plan for defeat.

 

When you are tempted to get discouraged, remind yourself that according to God’s word, your future is getting brighter; you are on your way to a new level of glory. You may think you’ve got a long way to go, but you need to look back at how far you’ve already come. You may not be everything you want to be but atleast you can thank God that you’re not what you used to be.

 

Quit worrying about how everything is going to turn out. Live one day at a time; better yet, make the most of this moment. It’s good to have a big – picture outlook, to set goals, to establish budgets and make plans, but if you’re always living in the future, you’re never really enjoying the present in the way God wants you to.

 

Start calling yourself healed, happy, whole, blessed, and prosperous. Stop talking to God about how big your mountains are, and start talking to your mountains about how big your God is!

 

You will never change what you tolerate.

 

You have to learn to follow your heart. You can’t let other people pressure you into being something that you’re not. If you want God’s favor in your life, you must be the person He made you to be, not the person your boss wants you to be, not even the person your parents or your husband wants you to be. You can’t let outside expectations keep you from following your own heart.

 

When you face adversity, you need to remind yourself that whatever is trying to defeat you could very well be what God will use to promote you.

 

To live your best life now, you must learn to trust God’s timing, you may not think He’s working, but you can be sure that right now, behind the scenes, God is arranging all the pieces to come together to work out His plan for your life.

 

You may think there is a lot wrong with you, but there is also a lot right with you.

 

Somebody needs what you have to give. It may not be your money; it may be your time. It may be your listening ear. It may be your arms to encourage. It may be your smile to uplift. Who knows? Maybe just like that little baby, putting your arm around somebody and letting him or her know that you care can help begin to heal that person’s heart. Maybe you can give a rescuing hug.

 

God wants you to have a good life, a life filled with love, joy, peace, and fulfillment. That doesn’t mean it will always be easy, but it does mean that it will always be good.

 

We may get knocked down on the outside, but the key to living in victory is to learn how to get up on the inside.

 

One of the main reasons that we lose our enthusiasm in life is because we become ungrateful ... we let what was once a miracle become common to us. We get so accustomed to his goodness it becomes a routine.

 

It’s not always easy to get over some of those bumps in the road, those disillusionments and disappointments. It’s going to take a strong will. Sometimes, it may take courage. Sometimes nothing but faith in God and say, I refuse to be trapped in the past. I’m not going to let the past destroy my future. I’m pressing on. I’m straining forward, knowing that God has great things in store for me.

 

It’s vital that you accept yourself and learn to be happy with who God made you to be. If you want to truly enjoy your life, you must be at peace with yourself.

 

It's our faith that activates the power of God.

 

If you’ll dare to take your mind off your troubles, get your mind off your own needs and, instead, seek to be a blessing to other people, God will do more for you than you could even ask or think.

 

The Bible says no man can take your joy. That means no person can make you live with a negative attitude. No circumstance, no adversity can force you to live in despair. As Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of wheelchair-bound President Franklin D. Roosevelt, often said, ‘No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

 

Don’t just accept whatever comes your way in life. You were born to win; you were born for greatness; you were created to be a champion in life.

 

Certainly, other people can pray for you, they can believe for you, they can quote the scripture to you, but you must exercise faith for yourself. If you are always depending on somebody else to keep you happy, somebody else to encourage you or to get you out of trouble, you will live in perpetual weakness and disappointment.

 

You must make a decision that you are going to be a believer and not a doubter. Take charge of your life and decide, “No matter what comes against me, I believe in God. I’m going to have a positive outlook for my life! Other people’s faith can indeed bolster yours. But your own faith will bring you a miracle much faster than anybody else’s. What you believe has a much greater impact on your life than what anybody else believes.

 

Keep in mind, just because you don’t know the answer doesn’t mean that one does not exist. You simply haven’t discovered it yet.

 

After listening to people gripe and complain just smile and remember, crows can’t hang with eagles.

 

You may live or work around a bunch of weeds, but don’t let that stop you from blooming. Realize that your environment does not prevent you from being happy. Some people spend all their time trying to pull up all the weeds. Meanwhile, they miss much of their lives. Don’t worry about things you can’t change. You can’t change the traffic in the morning. You can’t fix everybody at work. You can’t make all your family members serve God. But you shouldn’t let that keep you from being happy. Bloom anyway and focus on the things that you can change. You can change your own attitude. You can choose to be happy right where you are.

 

Maybe you’ve invested a lot of time, effort, money, emotion, and energy in a relationship; you did your best to make it work out. But for some reason, things got off course. And now you feel as though you have been robbed. When we focus on or disappointments, we stop God from bringing fresh new blessing into our lives.

 

You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people.

 

When you go through difficult times, make sure you pass the test. Don’t be stubborn and hardheaded. Recognize that God is refining you, knocking off some of your rough edges. Stand strong and fight the good fight of faith. God has called each of us to be champions; you are destined to win. If you will work with God and keep a good attitude, then no matter what comes against you, the bible says that all things – not just the good things in life, but all things – work together for your good.

 

Love overlooks a person’s faults. That’s not always easy, but love believes the best in every person. Anybody can return evil for evil, but God wants His people to help heal wounded hearts.

 

People of excellence go the extra mile to do what's right.

 

You may be at a crossroads in your life. You may have issues to deal with; people you need to forgive. You can go one of the two ways. You can ignore what you now know to be true and keep burying that bitterness in your life, pushing it deeper and allowing it to poison and contaminate you and those around you. Or you can make a much better choice by getting it out in the open and asking God to help you to totally forgive and let it all go.

 

If you know you have to wait anyway, why not make a decision to enjoy your life while you’re waiting? Why not be happy while God is in the process of changing things? After all, there’s nothing we can really do to make it happen any faster. We might as well relax and enjoy our lives, knowing that at the appointed time God is going to bring his plan to pass.

 

When you reach out to hurting people, that’s when God is going to make sure your needs are supplied. When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.

 

Many people are unhappy and are not experiencing life to its fullest because they’ve closed their hearts to compassion, they are motivated by only what they want and what they think they need. They rarely do anything for anybody else unless they have an ulterior goal in mind. They are self-involved and self-centered.

 

If you can see the invisible, God will do the impossible.

 

Certainly, none of us enjoy going through struggles, but you have to understand that your struggle may be an opportunity for advancement and promotion. The very thing you are fighting against so tenaciously may be the springboard that catapults you to a new level of excellence. Your challenges may become your greatest assets.

 

You can take pride in yourself without comparing yourself to anybody else. If you run your race and be the best that you can be, then you can feel good about yourself.

 

We are set in our ways, bound by our perspectives and stuck in our thinking.

 

You need to take pride in what God has given you.

 

One of the main reasons that we lose our enthusiasm in life is because we become ungrateful; we take for granted what God has done for us. We let what once was a miracle become common to us. We get so accustomed to goodness, it becomes routine; it doesn’t really excite us anymore.

 

When we don’t forgive, we’re not hurting the other person. We’re not hurting the company that did us wrong. We’re not hurting God. We’re only hurting ourselves.

 

God will not pour fresh, creative ideas and blessing into old attitudes.

 

You may be sitting around waiting for God to change your circumstances. Then you’re going to be happy, then your’re going to have a good attitude, then you’re going to give God praise. But God is waiting on you to get up on the inside. When you do your part, He’ll begin to change things and work supernaturally in your life.

 

We’ve got to give people room to have a bad day.

 

The great news is that God knows everything about you, both good and bad, and He still loves you and values you unconditionally. God does not always approve of our behavior. He is not pleased when we go against his will, and when we do, we always suffer the consequences and have to work with Him to correct our thoughts, words, actions, or attitudes. And while you should work to improve in the areas where you fall short, nothing you do will ever cause God to love you less…or more. His love is a constant you can depend on.

 

Your thoughts about your circumstances have you down. On the other hand, you can be in one of the biggest battles of your life, and still be filled with joy and peace and victory - if you simply learn how to choose the right thought. It’s time to think about what you’re thinking about.

 

Certainly there are times in all of our lives when bad things happen, or things don’t turn out as we had hoped. But that’s when we we must a decision that we’re going to be happy inspite of our circumstances.

 

That’s why it is important to enjoy the journey not just the destination. In this world, we will never arrive at a place where everything is perfect and we have no more challenges. As admirable as setting goals and reaching them maybe, you can’t get so focused on accomplishing your goals that you make the mistake of not enjoying where you are right now.

 

God never promised that we wouldn’t have challenges. In fact, He said just the opposite. His word says, ‘Be truly glad! ... these trials are only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure…’ so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of His return.

 

Don't do anything that you wouldn't feel comfortable reading about in the newspaper the next day.

 

You may think you’ve got a long way to go, but you need to look back at how far you’ve already come. You may not be everything you want to be but atleast you can thank God that you’re not what you used to be.

 

Don’t simply settle for what your parents had. You can go further than that. You can do more, have more, be more.

 

You need to follow your own heart in light of God’s word and do what you feel is right and good for you.

 

The sad truth is, if you push hard enough, and if you’re so stubborn that you must have things your way, God will sometimes allow you to undertake a project without His blessing or at the wrong time. The problem with that, of course, is when you start something in your own strength and in your own timing, you’re going to have to finish it and maintain it in your own strength.

 

What you keep before your eyes will affect you.

 

If you’re not seeing God move in your life right now, one of two possibilities must be considered. Either your requests are not God’s best and will probably not be answered the way you’d like or it must not be the right time. If God were to answer that prayer the way you are hoping, it could interfere with his ideal plan for you.

 

God is a good God, and He gives good things to his children. No matter who has denigrated you or how much pain you’ve experienced in life, no matter how many setbacks you have suffered, you cannot allow yourself to accept that as the way life is supposed to be.

 

No, God has better things in store for you. You must reprogram your mind with God’s word; change that negative, defeated self-image, and start seeing yourself as winning, coming out on top. Start seeing that marriage as restored. See your business as flourishing. See your children as enjoying the good things of God. You must see it through your eyes of faith, and then it will begin to happen.

 

Faith activates God — Fear activates the Enemy.

 

The marriage partner is not really the problem. No other person can ultimately make you happy. You must learn how to be happy within yourself.

 

If you will lie about the little things, before long you’ll lie about bigger things.

 

Be the one to stand out in the crowd.

 

Maybe you once were excited about that person God supernaturally brought into your life as a marriage partner, but now all the excitement has worn off. Don’t’ allow that sense of a miracle to slip away. Don’t get so familiar with each other that you take one another for granted.

 

You may think you’re getting the short end of the stick, but when it’s all said and done, God will make sure that you don’t lose anything truly valuable. Moreover, He’ll make sure you get your just reward. Your responsibility is to remain calm and peaceable even when those around you are not.

 

If it’s not meeting a need, turn it into a seed. Remember, we will reap what we sow. When you do good for other people, that’s when God is going to make sure that His abundant blessings overtake you.

 

If you will focus on meeting other people’s needs, God will always make sure your needs are supplied. God will take care of your problems for you.

 

Jesus was saying that you can't have a larger life with restricted attitudes.

 

Your best days are still out in front of you.

 

What you receive is directly connected to what you believe.

 

Hold on to that new, enlarge vision of victory that God has given you. Start expecting things to change in your favor. Dare to boldly declare that you are standing strong against the forces of darkness.

 

Sustaining faith is what sets you through those dark nights of the soul when you don’t know where to go or what to do, and it seems that you can’t last another day…but because of your faith in God, you do.

 

Don't think small when you pray. God has a way to bring your dreams to pass if you'll dare to be bold enough to ask.

 

We cannot prepare for defeat and expect to live a life in Victory.

 

John Bunyan, author of the classic book the Pilgrim’s Progress, said “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who cannot pay you back.” Make a decision that you will live to give. Be on the lookout each day for somebody you can bless. Don’t’ live for yourself; learn to give yourself away, and your life will make a difference.

 

When you are committed to doing what’s right, you are sowing seeds for God’s blessings. You will never go wrong by taking the high road and doing more that is required.

 

Be a victor, not a victim.

 

God wants us to live consistently, He wants us to enjoy every single day of our lives.

 

I'm blessed to be a blessing to someone else.

 

We have to realize that our lives could be gone in a moment. There are no guarantees that we will be here at this time next year. Learn to live each day to the fullest. Don’t complain. Don’t focus on what’s wrong. Be grateful for the opportunity to experience each day.

 

Appreciation - Learn to give flowers while people are still living.

 

True success is when you reach back and bring somebody along with you.

 

When you go through a disappointment, when you go through a loss, don’t stop on that page. Keep moving forward. There’s another chapter in front of you, but you have to be willing to walk into it.

 

God is faithful to His word. All of His promises are “Yes” and “Amen.” That means if you will do your part and believe even though it looks impossible, and not let your mind, your emotions, or other people talk you out of it, then God promises in due season and at the right time He will bring it to pass. It may not happen the way you expect it or on your timetable, but God is a faithful God. It will happen.

 

God didn't create you to be average. You were created to excel You have everything.

 

I DECLARE I am special and extraordinary. I am not average! I have been custom-made. I am one of a kind. Of all the things God created, what He is the most proud of is me. I am His masterpiece, his most prized possession. I will keep my head held high, knowing I am a child of the Most High God, made in his very image. This is my declaration.

 

I am blessed. I am prosperous. I am successful. I am victorious. I am talented. I am creative. I am wise. I am healthy. I am in shape.

 

I am energetic. I am happy. I am positive. I am passionate. I am strong. I am confident. I am secure. I am beautiful. I am attractive.

 

I am valuable. I am free. I am redeemed. I am forgiven. I am anointed. I am accepted. I am approved. I am prepared. I am qualified.

 

I am motivated. I am focused. I am disciplined. I am determined. I am patient. I am kind. I am generous. I am excellent. I am equipped.

 

I am empowered. I am well able. I am a child of the Most High God.

 

You have to come to your closed doors before you’ll ever get to your open doors.

 

Be careful with whom you associate, especially when you feel emotionally vulnerable, because negative people can steal the dream right out of your heart.

 

It may look impossible, but God can do the impossible. Just because you don’t see anything happening doesn’t mean God is not working.

 

I DECLARE God is going before me making crooked places straight. He has already lined up the right people, the right opportunities and solutions to problems I haven’t had. No person, no sickness, no disappointment, can stop His plan. What he promised will come to pass.

 

Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life.

 

What you tolerate you cannot change.

 

He will give you strength for every battle, wisdom for every decision, peace that passes understanding. God will vindicate you for the wrongs that have been done. He will pay you back for unfair situations. He promised He will not only bring your dreams to pass but He will give you even the secret desires of your heart.

 

Dare to trust Him. Come back to that place of peace. Quit being worried, stressed out, wondering if it will happen. God has you in the palm of His hand. He has never once failed before, and the good news is He is not about to start now.

 

Do all you can to make your dreams come true.

 

God never said that we wouldn’t have unfair situations, that we wouldn’t experience loss. But He promised if we would stay in faith, He would restore everything that was stolen.

 

I will not talk to God about how big my problems are. I will talk to my problems about how big my God is. This is my declaration.

 

Rewards await you if you stay steadfast in your faith.

 

I DECLARE breakthroughs are coming in my life, sudden bursts of God’s goodness. Not a trickle. Not a stream. But a flood of God’s power. A flood of healing. A flood of wisdom. A flood of favor. I am a breakthrough person and I choose to live breakthrough minded. I am expecting God to overwhelm me with His goodness and amaze me with His favor. This is my declaration.

 

At the start of each new day, remind yourself: “I am talented. I am creative. I am greatly favored by God. I am equipped. I am well able. I will see my dreams come to pass.” Declare those statements by faith and before long, you will begin to see them in reality.

 

Your job is not to judge. Your job is not to figure out if someone deserves something. Your job is to lift the fallen, to restore the broken, and to heal the hurting.

 

Don't use your words to describe the situation. Use your words to change the situation.

 

I DECLARE I will experience God’s faithfulness. I will not worry. I will not doubt. I will keep my trust in Him, knowing that He will not fail me. I will give birth to every promise God put in my heart and I will become everything God created me to be. This is my declaration.

 

Don’t use your energy to worry. Use your energy to believe.

 

I DECLARE God’s dream for my life is coming to pass. It will not be stopped by people, disappointments, or adversities. God has solutions to every problem I will ever face already lined up. The right people and the right breaks are in my future. I will fulfill my destiny. This is my declaration.

 

Seeds of discouragement cannot take root in a grateful heart.

 

I DECLARE Ephesians 3:20 over my life. God will do exceedingly, abundantly above all that I ask or think. Because I honor Him, His blessings will chase me down and overtake me. I will be in the right place at the right time. People will go out of their way to be good to me. I am surrounded by God’s favor. This is my declaration.

 

Some things you can only learn in the struggle. When it's easy, when everything is going your way, that doesn't take any faith.

 

I am not who people say I am. I am who God says I am.

 

If you want to build lifelong, loyal friendships, if you want to build trust, learn to protect your family members and friends even when they make mistakes.

 

I DECLARE a legacy of faith over my life. I declare that I will store up blessings for future generations. My life is marked by excellence and integrity. Because I’m making right choices and taking steps of faith, others will want to follow me. God’s abundance is surrounding my life today. This is my declaration.

 

Your best days are not behind you. They’re in front of you.

 

I DECLARE that God has a great plan for my life. He is directing my steps. And even though I may not always understand how, I know my situation is not a surprise to God. He will work out every detail to my advantage. In His perfect timing, everything will turn out right. This is my declaration.

 

Often, out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction.

 

Too often we judge people based on our own backgrounds and experiences, but when you understand people's stories, it's easier to understand their demeanor.

 

Don’t be impatient. It’s not over until God says it’s over.

 

God will never ask you for something without first depositing it within you. If you will dare to take a step of faith, you will discover gifts inside that you never before realized were there.

 

By faith you need to walk like a king, talk like a king, think like a king, dress like a king, smile like a king. Don’t go by what you see. Go by what you know. There is royalty in your DNA. You have the blood of a winner. You were created to reign in life.

 

DAY THREE I DECLARE I have the grace I need for today. I am full of power, strength, and determination. Nothing I face will be too much for me. I will overcome every obstacle, outlast every challenge, and come through every difficulty better off than I was before. This is my declaration.

 

Every twenty-four hours God has a fresh new supply of grace, of favor, of wisdom, of forgiveness.

 

Whatever follows the “I am” will eventually find you.

 

I have the favor of God. I can do all things through Christ. I am blessed. I’m strong. I’m healthy.

 

I’m not speaking defeat into my future. I’m not speaking failure over my life. I will turn it around and speak favor into my future. I will declare, “I’m blessed. I’m strong. I’m healthy. This will be a great year.” When you do that, you are blessing your future.

 

Develop the habit of getting daily direction from God...When you do, He will lead you down the best path for your life.

 

DAY FOURTEEN I DECLARE that I will use my words to bless people. I will speak favor and victory over my family, friends, and loved ones. I will help call out their seeds of greatness by telling them “I’m proud of you, I love you, you are amazing, you are talented, you are beautiful, you will do great things in life.” This is my declaration.

 

God can do in a split second what might otherwise take you many years.

 

Keep on keeping on!!!

 

I DECLARE it is not too late to accomplish everything God has placed in my heart. I have not missed my window of opportunity. God has moments of favor in my future. He is preparing me right now because He is about to release a special grace to help me accomplish that dream. This is my time. This is my moment. I receive it.

 

Don’t fight change; embrace it, and you will step into the fullness of what God has in store.

 

Other people do not determine your potential.

 

Be happy with who God made you to be, and quit wishing you were something different.

 

DAY TWENTY I DECLARE that I am calm and peaceful. I will not let people or circumstances upset me. I will rise above every difficulty, knowing that God has given me the power to remain calm. I choose to live my life happy, bloom where I am planted, and let God fight my battles. This is my declaration.

 

How do you tap in to what God has already done? Very simple: just act like you’re blessed, talk like you’re blessed, walk like you’re blessed, think like you’re blessed, smile like you’re blessed, dress like you’re blessed. Put actions behind your faith, and one day you will see it become a reality.

 

When you acknowledge God, He will go before you and make the crooked places straight.

 

When you allow what someone says or does to upset you, you’re allowing that person to control you.

 

God wants to use you in spite of your weaknesses. Of God chose to use perfect people only, He’d have no one to use.

 

I believe that those who stay in faith are highly favored. You need to prepare for an exceeding, abundant, above-and-beyond life; a life where people go out of their way for no reason to be good to you; a life where you get promoted even though you weren’t the most qualified; a life where you find yourself in the right place at the right time.

 

If you learn to pray bold prayers … it allows God to do big things in your life.

 

Whatever you’re facing, it is under your feet. It is not permanent. It’s temporary. Stay.

 

Strive to make every person feel special. After all, every person you meet is made in the image of God.

 

You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life.

 

You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. We were created to be victorious.

 

When nobody else celebrates you, learn to celebrate yourself. When nobody else compliments you, then compliment yourself. It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged. It’s up to you. Encouragement should come from the inside.

 

The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you find yourself.

 

God accepts you. God approves you. And He has something better in store.

 

God never said that we wouldn’t have unfair situations, that we wouldn’t experience loss. But He promised if we would stay in faith, He would restore everything that was stolen.

 

But when you say, “I am beautiful,” not only does beauty, youth, and freshness start coming your way, but on the inside your spirit also comes alive. Your self-image begins to improve, and you’ll start carrying yourself like you’re someone special. You won’t drag through the day feeling less than or inferior. You’ll have that spring in your step, that “You go, girl!” attitude. Beauty is not in how thin or tall you are, how perfect you look. Beauty is in being who God made you to be with confidence. If you’re a size 4, great. If you’re a size 24, great. Take what you have and make the most of it.

 

God wants you to succeed; He created you to live abundantly.

 

You will give birth to more in the future than you’ve lost in the past.

 

You’re not being responsible with what God gave you if you’re hanging out with time wasters who have no goals and no dreams.

 

A little boy went out to the backyard to play with a baseball bat and a ball. He said to himself, “I am the best hitter in the world.” Then he threw the ball up in the air and took a swing at it, but he missed. Without a moment’s hesitation, he picked up the ball and tossed it in the air again, saying as he swung the bat, “I’m the best hitter in all the world.” He swung and missed. Strike two. He tossed the ball up again, concentrating more intensely, even more determined, saying, “I am the best hitter in all the world!” He swung the bat with all his might. Whiff! Strike three. The little boy laid down his bat and smiled real big. “What do you know?” he said. “I’m the best pitcher in all the world!

 

God, I’m not going to look at what I don’t have. I’m looking unto you. I know in my weakness, you show up the strongest.

 

You should go out each day expecting good things, anticipating God’s blessings and favor. God has planned all of your days for good, not evil.

 

You’ve got to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have what it takes. God created you to excel, and He’s given you ability, insight, talent, wisdom, and His supernatural power to do so.

 

If you will remain at rest and hold your peace, then the battle is not yours, but the battle is the Lord’s.

 

The joy of the Lord is your strength. Joy is an emotion, and yet it creates something physical. It creates strength.

 

I DECLARE I will live victoriously. I was created in the image of God. I have the DNA of a winner. I am wearing a crown of favor. Royal blood flows through my veins. I am the head, never the tail, above never beneath. I will live with purpose, passion, and praise, knowing that I was destined to live in victory. This is my declaration.

 

No, I’m not settling here. I’m going to keep pressing forward.

 

True love is always backed up with actions.

 

I’ve come too far to stop now. I may be knocked down, but I’m not knocked out. I’m going to get back up again. I know I’m a victor, not a victim.

 

God has amazing things in your future.

 

Happiness is a Choice.

 

I know when one door closes God will open up another door. What was meant for my harm God will use to my advantage. I’m not only coming out, I will come out better off than I was before.

 

If your thinking is limited, then your life is going to be limited.

 

You can be in the storm, but don’t let the storm get in you.

 

Pay attention to what you’re saying. Are you blessing your life? Or are you cursing it?

 

Keep the right perspective Some people would love to have your problems. They would gladly trade places with you. They would love to have the job that frustrates you. They would love to sit in traffic in that car you don’t like. They would love to have your husband, who gets on your nerves. They would love to live in the house you think is too small.

 

Faith doesn’t always instantly deliver you, but it always carries you through.

 

Maybe your situation is going to change when you change.

 

God wouldn’t have given you the dream unless He already had a way to bring it to pass.

 

Learn to speak God’s favor over every area of your life. Remember, the more favor-minded you are, the more of God’s favor you’re going to experience.

 

When you walk in God’s favor, His blessings will chase you down and overtake you.

 

I’m not going to get upset. I’m not going to let people steal my joy.

 

Who told you that something was wrong with you?

 

Too many people are living below their privileges. It’s because their vision has been clouded by past mistakes, disappointments, or how they were raised. They don’t feel like royalty. They don’t think they could be successful and really accomplish what God has put in their hearts. But I believe today, as I’m speaking faith into you, something is happening on the inside.

 

You’ve been destined to live in victory, destined to overcome, destined to leave your mark on this generation.

 

If God says I’m highly favored, then I will not talk myself out of it. I believe I’m highly favored. If God says the impossible can happen, then I believe the impossible will happen.

 

Surely, we all can look back and see things in our lives that we wish we would have done differently. But the Bible says, “Make the most of each day.”4 Yesterday is gone; tomorrow may not come. You must live for today. Start right where you are. You can’t do anything about what’s gone, but you can do a great deal about what remains.

 

Don’t talk about the size of your problem. Talk about the size of your God.

 

If you complain you will remain, if you praise you will be raised.

 

When negative thoughts come, the key is to never verbalize them.

 

One touch of His (God’s) favor can put you fifty years ahead of where you thought you’d be.

 

God, You said Your favor is not for a season but for a lifetime.

 

Because you have honored God, He will put you in a position you never could have attained on your own. It’s not just your education, not just your talent, or the family you come from. It’s the hand of God shifting you to a new level of your destiny.

 

God is fighting your battles. When you’re at rest, God will make your enemies your footstool.

 

If people talk about you, being jealous, critical, and trying to make you look bad, don’t let that change you. You don’t need their approval when you have God’s approval.

 

Don't let other people dump their "garbage" on you. Keep your metal lid on tight. Don't ever let anybody steal your joy.

 

You can’t be in neutral and hope to reach your full potential.

 

God, I’m ready. I’m taking the limits off of You. I’m enlarging my vision. I may not see a way but I know You have a way. I declare I’m coming into a shift.

 

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23 KJV)

 

We walk by faith and not by sight.

 

The dream in your heart may be bigger than the environment in which you find yourself. Sometimes you have to get out of that environment in order to see that dream fulfilled.

 

My encouragement is: Don’t settle where you are. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. Put these principles into action each day. Get up in the morning expecting good things, go through the day positive, focused on your vision, running your race, knowing that you are well able. Winning is in your DNA. The Most High God breathed His life into you. You’ve got what it takes. This is your time. This is your moment. Shake off doubts, shake off fear and insecurity, and get ready for favor, get ready for increase, get ready for the fullness of your destiny. You can, you will!

 

God created you to leave your mark on this generation. You have gifts and talents that you have not tapped into. There are new levels of your destiny still in front of you. But break out starts in your thinking. As you put these keys into action, making room for increase, expecting shifts of God’s favor, praying bold prayers, and keeping the right perspective, then God will release floods of His goodness that will thrust you beyond barriers of the past into the extraordinary life you were designed to live.

 

Rain falls on the just and the unjust. No one is exempt from difficulties.

 

All the forces of darkness cannot keep you from your destiny.

 

Beauty is in being who God made you to be with confidence.

 

Let go of yesterday. Let today be a new beginning and be the best that you can, and you’ll get to where God wants you to be.

 

If you will get free from what everyone else thinks and start being who you were created to be, you will rise to a new level. We spend too much time trying to impress people, trying to gain their approval, wondering what they’re going to think if we take this job or wear a new outfit or move into a new neighborhood.

 

Every morning when you get up, you should search your heart. Know deep down that you’re being true to who God called you to be. Then you won’t have to look to the left or to the right. Just stay focused on your goals.

 

If people don’t understand you, that is okay. If some get upset because you don’t fit into their mold, don’t worry about it. If you lose a friend because you won’t let that person control you, then you didn’t need them anyway, because that person was not a true friend.

 

Instead of running our races, we often make decisions based on superficial things. I heard somebody say, at twenty years old we wonder what everybody thinks about us, and at forty years old we don’t care what anybody thinks about us. Then, at sixty, we realize nobody was thinking about us.

 

There is nothing wrong with asking God to change a situation. But until it happens, you have to trust that where you are is where you should be.

 

Get your fire back.

 

Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone needs to be appreciated. Every person needs that blessing.

 

You were created to give. You were created to make the lives of others better. Someone needs what you have. Someone needs your love. Someone needs your smile. Someone needs your encouragement and your gifts.

 

The stress and worry weaken our immune system.

 

You weren’t created to simply exist, to endure, or to go through the motions; you were created to be really alive.

 

It’s tempting to go through life looking in the rearview mirror. When you are always looking back, you become focused on what didn’t work out, on who hurt you, and on the mistakes you’ve made, such as:
“If only I would have finished college.” “If only I’d spent more time with my children.” “If only I’d been raised in a better environment.”

 

As long as you’re living in regret, focused on the negative things of the past, you won’t move ahead to the bright future God has in store. You need to let go of what didn’t work out. Let go of your hurts and pains. Let go of your mistakes and failures.

 

You can’t do anything about the past, but you can do something about right now. Whether it happened twenty minutes ago or twenty years ago, let go of the hurts and failures and move forward. If you keep bringing the negative baggage from yesterday into today, your future will be poisoned.

 

You can’t change what’s happened to you. You may have had an unfair past, but you don’t have to have an unfair future. You may have had a rough start, but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

 

Don’t let a hurtful relationship sour your life. Don’t let a bad break, a betrayal, a divorce, or a bad childhood cause you to settle for less in life. Move forward and God will pay you back.

 

Move forward and God will vindicate you. Move forward and you’ll come into a new beginning. Nothing that’s happened to you is a surprise to God. The loss of a loved one didn’t catch God off guard. God’s plan for your life did not end just because your business didn’t make it, or a relationship failed, or you had a difficult child.

 

Here’s the question: Will you become stuck and bitter, fall into self-pity, blame others, and let the past poison your future? Or will you shake it off and move forward, knowing your best days are still ahead?

 

The next time you are in your car, notice that there’s a big windshield in the front and a very small rearview mirror. The reason the front windshield is so big and the rearview mirror is so small is that what’s happened in the past is not nearly as important as what is in your future. Where you’re going is a lot more important than where you’ve been.

 

If I prophesy my future I want to prophesy something good. I’m not saying what I feel. I’m not saying what it looks like in the real world. No, I’m saying what God says about me.

 

Your faith will help you overcome your obstacles.

 

In the tough times, don’t be surprised if you feel that spirit of heaviness trying to overtake you. Don’t be surprised if you hear those thoughts telling you, It will never work. You’ll never get well. It’s over. It’s done. Don’t believe those lies. You don’t have to be guided by your emotions. They’re not in charge. Instead of letting your negative emotions talk to you, talk to yourself.

 

When you wake up in the morning and that negative thought comes to your mind saying, It’s a lousy day, don’t just agree and say, “Yeah. It’s a lousy day, I feel terrible.” Instead, turn it around and talk to yourself. Make a declaration of faith out loud: “This will be a great day. I will get well. God will restore health to me.

 

Every time you resist temptation you are winning for your children.

 

God’s way is better than your way. His plan is bigger than your plan. His dream for your life is more rewarding, more fulfilling, better than you’ve ever dreamed of. Now stay open and let God do it His way.

 

The people who are trying to make you look bad, and He can use them to promote you.

 

Don't waste your time trying to win people over that can never be won over.

 

The bitterness, the sin you retain, can produce the same results that hurt you. If you were raised in an abusive environment, if you come from a family filled with anger and dysfunction, instead of becoming bitter and angry, why don’t you be the one to put an end to the negative cycle?

 

You can be the one to make a difference. Are you holding on to anger and unforgiveness and passing poison down to the next generation? Or are you willing to let it go so your family can rise to a new level?

 

I realize it can be very hard to forgive, especially when someone has hurt you, but God will never ask you to do something without giving you the ability to do it.

 

Forgiveness is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t snap your fingers and make a hurt go away. That’s not realistic. But if you’ll continue to have the desire to forgive and ask God to help you, then little by little those negative feelings will fade. One day they won’t affect you at all.

 

The Lord’s Prayer is found in Matthew 6. In verse 12 Jesus says, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (NKJV). When God talks about debts, He’s not just talking about monetary debts. He’s talking about the times when people hurt you, the times when people do you wrong. God refers to that as a debt because when you are mistreated, you may feel you are owed something.

 

Human nature says, “I was wronged. Now I want justice. You mistreated me. Now you’ve got to pay me back.” But the mistake many people make is in trying to collect a debt that only God can pay. The father can’t give his daughter’s innocence back to her. Your parents can’t pay you back for not having a loving childhood. Your spouse can’t pay you back for the pain he caused by being unfaithful. Only God can truly pay you back.

 

If you want to be restored and whole, get on God’s payroll. He knows how to make things right. He knows how to bring justice. He’ll give you what you deserve. Leave it up to Him. Quit expecting people to make it up to you. They can’t give you what they don’t have.

 

You need to be around people who know more than you and have more talent than you. Don’t be intimidated by them; be inspired.

 

Take a few minutes every day to dream big dreams; close your eyes, and envision your dreams coming to pass. Envision yourself out of debt. Envision yourself breaking that addiction. Envision your marriage being more fulfilled. Envision yourself rising to new levels in your career. If you can establish that picture in your heart and mind, then God can begin to bring it to pass in your life.

 

The enemy can use against you anything you feel you “have to have” to be happy. If you think you have to be married to be happy, the enemy can use that against you. If you think your boss has to change before you can enjoy your work, you’ll go year after year dreading it, thinking that’s why you can’t be happy.

 

It’s good to have hopes and dreams. It’s good to wake up each day believing and expecting. But don’t wait for those things to come before you enjoy your life and find happiness. This is the day the Lord has made, not tomorrow, not when all your dreams come to pass, not when all the negative people are changed, but today.

 

Understand, God has you exactly where he wants you. If you’ll learn to be happy where you are, God will take you where you want to be. He’s promised He will give you the desires of your heart. If there is something you really want, I would encourage you to put it on the altar. Just say, “God, I would really love to have this. God, You know the desire You put in me. I would love to be married. I’d love to see my spouse change. I would love to be promoted. But God, I’m not waiting on that to be happy. I’m happy right where You have me. That’s the kind of attitude God is looking for.

 

A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. PROVERBS 16:9 NKJV

 

If you’re going to be an eagle, if you’re going to soar, you can’t go back to the dead things in your life that will poison you. Too many people are feeding off what didn’t work out, reliving the disappointments, the failures, the bad breaks.

 

I know God is my vindicator.

 

God is directing every one of your steps.

 

The God of More Than Enough

 

God can take what was meant for my harm and turn it around and use it to my advantage.

 

Consider this: you are today what you believed about yourself yesterday. And you will be tomorrow what you believe about yourself right now.

 

The Scripture says, “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant” (Psalm 35:27 NKJV).

 

I say this respectfully, but we have to fight the religious spirit that says we’re supposed to be poor, broke, and defeated to prove to everyone that we’re really humble. When we’re poor, broke, and defeated, all that proves is that we’re poor, broke, and defeated. Nobody will want what we have. I can be poor, broke, and defeated without serving God. We’re supposed to be examples of what it means to live for the Most High God.

 

We should be so blessed, so prosperous, so kind, so generous, so happy, and so peaceful that people will want what we have. If you think you’re showing God how holy you are and how humble you are by not wearing your blessings and not taking that promotion, your own thinking is what is keeping God from doing something new in your life.

 

Whatever you’re facing, it is under your feet. It is not permanent. It’s temporary. The power that is for you is greater than any power that comes against you. Keep the right perspective. You and God are a majority. You are armed and dangerous. The problem may have formed, but it is not going to prosper.

 

Instead of preparing for defeat, prepare for victory. Prepare for increase. Prepare for God’s favor. You have to set the tone at the start of each day.

 

There will always be people who try to squeeze you into their molds and pressure you into being who they want you to be. They may be good people. They may mean well, but the problem is they didn’t breathe life into you. They didn’t equip you or empower you. God did.

 

If you’re going to become the winner you were created to be, you need to have a boldness. The second quality of a winner is that you run your race the way you want to run it.

 

You can’t be insecure and you can’t worry about what everyone thinks. You can’t try to keep everyone happy. If you change with every criticism and play up to people, trying to win their favor, you’ll go through life letting people manipulate you and pressure you into their boxes.

 

You have to accept the fact that you can’t keep everyone happy. You can’t make everyone like you. You will never win over every critic. Even if you changed and did everything they asked, some would still find fault. You’re not really free until you’re free from trying to please everyone. You’re respectful, you’re kind, but you’re not living to please people, you’re living to please God.

 

You don’t need people’s approval. You don’t need their validation. The Most High God has approved you. He’s the one that matters.

 

You may have made a lot of wrong choices, but you've also made a lot of choices that were right. Focus on your good qualities. Focus on your victories. Get off the treadmill of guilt.

 

God will supply our needs “according to His riches.”

 

Life is too short to hang around people who are causing you to compromise. Pulling you down. Your time is too valuable to waste it with people who don't have a dream. People that aren't going anywhere.

 

You don't need to make some big announcement, but little by little, you should spend less time with them. Joel, what if I hurt their feelings, what if they get upset? What if you miss your destiny? What if they are keeping you from going to the next level? When you come to the end of life, you won't stand before people, you will stand before God.

 

God has entrusted you with a gift, you have an assignment, there is something for you to accomplish. You have a responsibility to become who God has created you to be. You have to take bold steps to protect what you are feeding.

 

Do you know what that word reign means? It means, “time in power.” God said we’re to reign how long? In life. That means as long as you’re alive that is your time in power.

 

You’re not really free until you know you’re not competing with anyone else.

 

Thank God for what He’s already done in your life. Thank Him for the victories in your past. Thank Him for how far He’s already brought you. And then take it one step further. Thank Him in advance for the victories He has planned ahead for you. Thank Him for the new doors He’s opening. Thank Him for the situations He’s turning around. Thank Him for the favor He has in your future.

 

If you do that, you will feel a new joy rising up on the inside. You will feel your faith increase. You won’t have that victim mentality; you will have a victor mentality. One thing I’ve learned is you cannot praise and stay defeated at the same time. You cannot give God thanks and stay down and discouraged. Put on the Garment of Praise.

 

A pilot friend of mine told me there are four main principles to master when flying airplanes: lift, thrust, weight, and drag. You have to take all these into account to make sure the plane will fly.

 

It struck me that these same principles apply to specific types of people. There are some who lift you, brighten your day, cheer you up, and make you feel better about yourself. You meet them and you have a spring in your step. They’re a lift. Then there are people who thrust you. They inspire you, motivate you, challenge you to move forward and pursue your dreams. The third group are weights. They pull you down, dump their problems on you, so that you leave feeling heavier, negative, discouraged, and worse than you did before.

 

Finally, there are those who are a drag. They’ve always got a sad song. The dishwasher broke. The goldfish died. They didn’t get invited to a party. They’re stuck in a pit. They expect you to cheer them up, fix their problems, and carry their loads.

 

We all encounter people from each of these four groups. You have to make sure you’re spending the majority of your time with lifters and thrusters. If you’re only hanging out with weights and drags, it will keep you from becoming everything you were created to be.

 

Don't sit around depressed and discouraged. Get a new vision for your life.

 

You are closer than you think.

 

You don’t have to beg people to stay. You are a gift. You are a prize. You are exceptional. Let the wrong people go, and God will send people that value who you are and people that can’t wait to be with you.

 

Have you ever been lying in bed in the morning and out of nowhere you’re reminded of all the mistakes you made yesterday and all the problems in your future? That’s the enemy trying to set your mind for a negative, defeated, lousy day.

 

Don’t fall into that trap. The Scripture says, “Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things)” (Colossians 3:2 AMP). Be proactive. Take the offensive. When you get up in the morning, say along with David, “This is another day the Lord has made.

 

No matter how I feel, no matter what the economy looks like, no matter what the medical report says, I am choosing to rejoice. I choose to live this day happy. Do you know what you’re really saying when you take that approach? You are proclaiming: “I will not allow anyone to steal my joy today. I will not allow disappointments and setbacks to discourage me. I will not focus on my problems and my mistakes. I’ve made up my mind to enjoy this day.”

 

You need to live every day like it could be your last.

 

A lady told me about one of her husband’s relatives who was very opinionated. He was always making these cutting, demeaning remarks about her. This couple hadn’t been married that long. Every time they went to family get-togethers, this relative would say something to offend her. She would get all upset and it would ruin the day. She reached the point where she refused to even go to family events. Finally, she told her husband, “You’ve got to do something about that man. He’s your relative.” She was expecting her husband to say, “You’re right, honey. He shouldn’t talk to you like that. I will set him straight.” But the husband did just the opposite. He said, “Honey, I love you but I cannot control him. He has every right to have his opinion. He can say what he wants to, but you have every right to not get offended.”

 

At first she couldn’t understand why her husband wouldn’t really stick up for her. Time and time again she would become upset. If this relative was in one room she would go to another. If he went outside she would make sure she stayed inside. She was always focused on avoiding this man. One day she realized she was giving away her power. It was like a light turned on in her mind. She was allowing one person with issues to keep her from becoming who she was meant to be. When you allow what someone says or does to upset you, you’re allowing them to control you. When you say, “You make me so mad,” what you’re really doing is admitting that you’re giving away your power.

 

As long as that person knows they can push this button and you’ll respond this way, you are giving them exactly what they want. When you allow what someone says or does to upset you, you’re allowing them to control you. People have a right to say what they want, to do what they want, as long as it’s legal. But we have a right to not get offended. We have a right to overlook it. But when we get upset and go around angry, we change. What’s happening is we’re putting too much importance on what they think about us. What they say about you does not define who you are. Their opinion of you does not determine your self-worth. Let that bounce off of you like water off of a duck’s back. They have every right to have their opinion, and you have every right to ignore it.”

 

God, this is for me today. I’m raising my expectations. I’m shaking off doubt, negativity, disappointments, self-pity, little dreams, and little goals, and God, I will make room for a flood of Your goodness.

 

I heard about this man who fell into a pit, and while he was down there several people came by and offered their opinions. The Pharisee said, “You deserve to be in the pit.” The Catholic said, “You need to suffer while you’re in the pit.” The Baptist said, “If you’d been saved, you wouldn’t have fallen into the pit.” The charismatic said, “Just confess I’m not in the pit.” The mathematician said, “Let me calculate how you fell into the pit.” The IRS agent said, “Have you paid taxes on that pit?” The optimist said, “Things could be worse.” The pessimist said, “Things will get worse.

 

One day a friend came by the job site and asked them separately what they were doing. The first said, “Aw, we’re just laying brick. We’ve been doing this for thirty years. It’s so boring. One brick on top of the other.” Then the friend asked the second bricklayer. He just lit up. “Why, we’re building a magnificent skyscraper,” he said. “This structure is going to stand tall for generations to come. I’m just so excited that I could be a part of it.”

 

Each bricklayer’s happiness or lack of it was based on their perspective. You can be laying a brick or you can be building a beautiful skyscraper. The choice is up to you. You can go to work each day and just punch in on the clock and dread being there and do as little as possible. Or you can show up with enthusiasm and give it your best, knowing that you’re making the world a better place.

 

Do not swallow anything Satan is trying to ram down your throat. Jesus comes first.

 

The One that matters has His eyes on you. The One that controls the universe, the One that turns people’s hearts, He’s watching over you, He’s working out His plan for your life.

 

When you put on the garment of praise, that spirit of heaviness has to go. Sometimes you won’t feel like doing it. You won’t feel like having a good attitude. You won’t feel like being grateful. That’s why God says to offer up the sacrifice of praise. God knew it would not always be easy. You will have to dig your heels in and say, “God, I don’t feel like doing this. It doesn’t look like it will ever work out. I’m tired, lonely, discouraged. But God, I know You’re still on the throne. I know You are good and You are good all the time, so I choose to give You praise. I choose to give You thanks anyway.” When you offer up that sacrifice of praise, supernatural things begin to happen.

 

Are you fighting what makes you unique? Are you frustrated over something you think is a weakness, when in fact, it’s a strength? Quit wishing you were different and step into who God made you to be.

 

It may seem like nothing is happening, but behind the scenes, God is working: moving the wrong people out of the way, lining up the favor, arranging the breaks you need. It’s important to not only trust God, but to trust His timing.

 

You don’t have to beg people to stay. You are a gift. You are a prize. You are exceptional. Let the wrong people go and God will send people that value who you are and people that can’t wait to be with you.

 

Whatever your critics say about you has no bearing on your worth. You are a child of the Most High God. The Creator of the universe breathed life into you. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. You’ve been crowned with favor. God has already equipped and empowered you with everything you need. Don’t waste your valuable time trying to play up to people, trying to win over all your critics, or trying to prove to someone that you’re important.

 

We all have unfair things happen to us. We can choose to cling to that hurt and let it destroy our day-to-day happiness and poison our futures, or we can choose to release the hurt and trust God to make it up to us. You may think you can’t forgive those who’ve hurt you, whether friends, a spouse, or co-workers. But you don’t have to forgive them for their sakes; you forgive for your own sake.

 

When we forgive others, we take away their power to hurt us. The mistake we make so often is to hold on to hurt. We go around bitter and angry, but all we’re doing is allowing those who hurt us to control our lives. The abuser, bully, or critic isn’t hurt by our anger and bitterness. We’re just poisoning our own lives with it.

 

Are you taking time to declare God’s goodness over your life? Are you speaking victory over your future? It’s not enough to do it every once in a while. It needs to become a habit where, all through the day, we’re declaring that we’re blessed, we’re strong, we’re healthy.

 

God has a way of removing what looks permanent by showing us an explosion of His goodness.

 

God is supplying all of our needs. He is Jehovah-Jireh; the Lord our Provider. This may seem impossible but I know God can do the impossible. Where God gives vision He always provides provision.

 

Jesus said in Revelation 2, “I have one thing against you, you have left your first love.” The scripture doesn’t say you’ve lost love, the passage says you’ve left your first love. That means you can go get it. You haven’t lost your passion. You just left it. Go get it.

 

You haven’t lost the love for your family; you’ve just left it--now go get it. You haven’t lost that dream; it’s still there in you. You just left it. You have to go get it.

 

Stir up what God put on the inside. Fan the flame. Don’t be just barely alive. God wants you to be really alive.

 

You may have had some setbacks, but this is a new day. Dreams are coming back to life. Your vision is being renewed. Your passion is being restored. Hearts are beating again. Get ready for God’s goodness. Get ready for God’s favor.

 

You can live a life of victory. You can overcome every obstacle. You can accomplish your dreams. You can set new levels for your family.

 

Not only are you able, but I also declare you will become all God created you to be. You will rise to new levels. You will live a blessed, successful, rewarding life. My encouragement is: Don’t settle where you are.

 

You have seeds of greatness on the inside. Put these principles into action each day. Get up in the morning expecting good things, go through the day positive, focused on your vision, running your race, knowing that you are well able.

 

Winning is in your DNA. The Most High God breathed His life into you. You’ve got what it takes. This is your time. This is your moment. Shake off doubts, shake off fear and insecurity, and get ready for favor, get ready for increase, get ready for the fullness of your destiny. You can, you will!

 

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 KJV

 

THE SCRIPTURE SAYS “we are God’s workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10), which implies that you are a “work in progress.” Throughout our lives, God is continually shaping us into the people He wants us to be. The key to future success is to not be discouraged about your past or present while you are in the process of being “completed.”

 

God loves you unconditionally. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head high, knowing that God is in control and He has a great plan and purpose for your life. Your dreams may not have turned out exactly as you’d hoped, but the Bible says that God’s ways are better and higher than our ways.

 

Don’t be determined to never have problems. Be determined to stay full of joy in the midst of your problems.

 

There’s a lot that is good in your life — don’t take it for granted. Don’t get so focused on the struggles that you miss the GIFT of today.

 

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. HEBREWS 11:1

 

When you focus on not just accomplishing your dreams but on being a blessing, serving others, then you’re going to have more joy and you’re going to be more fulfilled.

 

The Seventh Year in Deuteronomy 15, there was a law God gave the people of Israel that said every seventh year they had to release any Hebrew slaves. If you were Hebrew and owed another person money that you couldn’t repay, they could take you in as a slave and make you work full-time until you paid them back. But every seventh year, if you were a part of God’s chosen people, you had a special advantage. You got released.

 

God will give us a peace that passes understanding.” You’re not going to figure everything out. If you let go of the questions of life, you will have a peace that goes beyond what you can understand.

 

If you’ll start overflowing with hope, believing despite what it looks like, thanking God in the difficult times, expecting things to change in your favor, then you’re going to see God show out in your life.

 

He gave you the talent you need, the creativity, the strength. You’re the right size, and you have the right looks, the right personality, and the right family. You didn’t get shortchanged. You are fully loaded and completely equipped for the race that’s been designed for you.

 

I counsel you to buy from me . . . salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. REVELATION 3:18 DO YOU LOOK UPON your life with eyes of faith? Think of it this way: when we close our eyes, we should see more than we do when we have our eyes open. See your whole family serving God. See yourself rising to new levels of effectiveness. See yourself stronger, healthier, and living a more abundant life.

 

When you get on God’s payroll, He’ll make sure you are well compensated. If you would let people off the hook and stop thinking they owe you something, your life would go to a new level. They may have done wrong, and it may have been their fault, but it’s not their fault that they can’t pay you back.

 

If you spend your life trying to get from them what only God can give, it will ruin that relationship and the sad thing is, you’ll take that same problem into the next and the next and the next.

 

Too many people drag through the day with long faces. Some don’t smile for months. Then they’ll come up with those same sour faces after a service and say to me, “I’ve got the joy of the Lord.” I’ll think: You should notify your face!

 

Be who God created you to be. You are an original. You have something to offer the world that nobody else has.

 

I’m known for smiling a lot. My brother, Paul, says I was born with my Happiness Meter set on 98. His was set on 10, but he’s working on it. My earliest baby pictures show me smiling. My mother says for the longest time she wondered if I was up to something, but she finally decided it was just my nature!

 

So put your shoulders back and hold your head up high. You are extremely valuable. When those thoughts come telling you everything that you’re not, remind yourself, “I have the fingerprints of God all over me—the way I look, the way I smile, my gifts, my personality. I know I am not average. I am a masterpiece.” Those are the thoughts that should be playing in your mind all day long. Not I am slow. I am unattractive. I am just one of the seven billion people on Earth. No, God did not make anything average. If you have breath to breathe, you are a masterpiece.

 

Another study on smiles found that seeing a friend’s happy face has a greater impact on our moods then receiving a five-thousand-dollar raise. Did you know your smile is worth that much? After I read the results of that study I went around the church office smiling at the staff. “There’s your raise,” I said. “And there’s your raise, and there’s your raise.” Can you believe they told me they preferred cash? Even so, smilers are work-place winners.

 

Sometimes when we’re being tested by discouragement, it seems God is silent. We pray and we don’t hear anything. We read the Scripture and still come away feeling like God is a million miles away. But remember, this is a test. When you’re in school, teachers never talk during tests. They stand up at the front of the room very quietly just watching all of the students taking the exam.

 

The teachers have been preparing you in the days and weeks prior to the test. Often, they’ve put in extra hours making sure everyone has the opportunity to succeed. On test day, they want to see if you’ve learned the lessons. They know that you have the information you need. They know you’re prepared. You’re ready. Now all you’ve got to do is put into practice what you’ve learned.

 

God works the same way as your teachers here on earth. When He is silent, don’t assume He has left you. He is right there with you during the test. The silence means only that God has prepared you, and now He is watching to see if you have learned. He would not give you the test unless He knew you were ready.

 

God is not mad at you when He is silent. He has not forsaken you. His silence is a sign that He has great confidence in you. He knows you have what it takes. He knows you will come through the test victoriously or He would not have permitted you to be tested.

 

It may be difficult, but God will not allow a challenge to come into our lives unless He has a divine purpose for it. I’ve found that nothing happens to us; it happens for us. If we keep the right attitude, God will always use it for our good.

 

Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding. PROVERBS 23:23

 

Sometimes when we’re being tested by discouragement, it seems God is silent. We pray and we don’t hear anything. We read the Scripture and still come away feeling like God is a million miles away. But remember, this is a test. When you’re in school, teachers never talk during tests. They stand up at the front of the room very quietly just watching all of the students taking the exam.

 

The teachers have been preparing you in the days and weeks prior to the test. Often, they’ve put in extra hours making sure everyone has the opportunity to succeed. On test day, they want to see if you’ve learned the lessons. They know that you have the information you need. They know you’re prepared. You’re ready. Now all you’ve got to do is put into practice what you’ve learned.

 

God works the same way as your teachers here on earth. When He is silent, don’t assume He has left you. He is right there with you during the test. The silence means only that God has prepared you, and now He is watching to see if you have learned. He would not give you the test unless He knew you were ready.

 

God is not mad at you when He is silent. He has not forsaken you. His silence is a sign that He has great confidence in you. He knows you have what it takes. He knows you will come through the test victoriously or He would not have permitted you to be tested.

 

The key is to remain upbeat and not be discouraged or bitter. Put into practice what you’ve learned. Stay in faith. Hang on to your happiness. Treat others kindly. Be a blessing. If you do that, you will pass the test and flourish in a new season. God will bring things out of you that you didn’t even know were in you. Understand, if you don’t allow the enemy to discourage you, one of his greatest weapons has been lost.

 

Today is a new day. God is breathing new hope into your heart and new vision into your spirit. He is the Glory and the lifter of our heads. Look up with a fresh vision, and God will do for you what He promised David. He will lift you out of the pit. He will set your feet on a rock. He will put a new song in your heart. You won’t drag through life defeated and depressed. You will soar through life full of joy, full of faith, full of victory.

 

Successful people are so focused on their own goals that they don’t have time to look around to see what everybody else is doing.” Run your race, and when somebody passes you by, don’t be intimidated. Be inspired. If God did it for them, He can do it for you.

 

I DECLARE there is an anointing of ease on my life. God is going before me making crooked places straight. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I will not continually struggle. What used to be difficult will not be difficult anymore. God’s favor and blessing on my life is lightening the load and taking the pressure off. This is my declaration.

 

Make up your mind that no matter what comes your way, no matter how difficult, no matter how unfair, you will do more than simply survive. You will thrive in spite of it.

 

Whenever I talk to people who have had life-threatening experiences, whether from an illness, an accident, or some other challenge, without fail they talk about how they have come to appreciate each and every day more than ever before. They don’t take a minute for granted. They see every day as a gift from God. We have to realize that our lives could be gone in a moment. There are no guarantees that we will be here at this time next year. Learn to live each day to the fullest.

 

Don’t complain. Don’t focus on what’s wrong. Be grateful for the opportunity to experience each day. Things may not be perfect. You may have some aches and pains. You may have some adversity. But in the big scope of things your life could be a whole lot worse. And really, you need to live every day like it could be your last.

 

When someone hurts you, does you wrong, if you keep thinking about it, then you’re letting them continue to hurt you. Don’t give them your power. You have to let it go and give it to God.

 

Your time is too valuable to worry about pleasing everyone else or making them happy. I know people who spend more time worrying about what others think about them than they do focusing on their own dreams and goals. You’ve got to get free from that.

 

When you wake up, choose to be happy. That is the fourth undeniable quality of a winner.

 

A young man dreamed of being an actor, but in the early 1980s, he wasn’t getting the big parts he wanted. Broke and discouraged, he drove his beat-up old car to the top of a hill overlooking the city of Los Angeles and did something unusual. He wrote himself a check for ten million dollars for “Acting services rendered.

 

This young man had grown up so poor his family lived in a Volkswagen van at one time. He put that check in his wallet and kept it there. When things got tough, he’d pull it out and look at it to remind himself of his dream.

 

A dozen years later, that same young man, the comedian Jim Carrey, was making fifteen million to twenty-five million a movie.

 

Studies tell us that we move toward what we consistently see. You should keep something in front of you, even if it’s symbolic, to remind you of what you are believing for.

 

I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you're grateful, you'll see God open up new doors.

 

Don’t talk about the way you are. Talk about the way you want to be.

 

Now, don’t have just a little vision. You’re not inconveniencing God to believe big. In fact, it’s just the opposite. When you believe to do great things, when you believe to set a new standard for your family, it pleases God.

 

Take the limits off and say, “I don’t see a way, but God, I know You have a way, so I’m going to believe to have these twins. I will believe to start a business to impact the world. I will believe that my whole family will serve you. I will believe to get totally well.” When you release your faith in a big way it pleases God.

 

His dream for your life is bigger than your own.

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. COLOSSIANS 3:15

 

I’ve found that whatever your vision is, God will supersize it. He will do more than you can ask or think. My vision was that my book would be so well received it would be translated into Spanish. But it was also translated into French, German, Russian, Swahili, Portuguese, and more than forty other languages.

 

If you keep the vision in front of you and don’t get talked out of it, but just keep honoring God, being your best, thanking Him that it’s on the way, God will supersize whatever you’re believing for. He’ll do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond.

 

I’m not worried about it.

 

No, quit limiting God. He may want to open another opportunity or a better position for you. God may intervene in your situation, replacing your supervisor so you can be promoted. One day, you may run that entire company! Once you begin.

 

As good as the people are in your life, there are no perfect people. There is no perfect boss, no perfect friend, no perfect neighbor, no perfect spouse. Give people room to be human. Quit expecting them to perform perfectly all the time.

 

This does not mean that you can’t do anything else but pray. But it does mean that you are always ready and willing to go before God with any concern or praise. Nothing is too small or too big for prayer. Prayer is simply opening your heart and connecting with God. It’s taking His promises and applying them to your life. Prayer processes the plan of God. You should bathe your life in prayer. Pray for wisdom, peace, and patience. Pray for your relationships, your job, and your children. Pray for your country and leaders. Pray with others, knowing that when two or more are gathered in His name, He is there.

 

Guard Against Pessimism For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ROMANS 14:17 NLT

 

I HEARD A STORY ABOUT TWO FARMERS. When the rain fell, one farmer said, “Thank You, Lord, for watering our crops.” But the other farmer said, “Yeah, but if the rain keeps up, it’s going to rot the roots.” When the sun came out, the positive farmer said, “Thank You, Lord, that our crops are getting the vitamins and minerals they need. We’ll have a wonderful harvest this year.” But the negative farmer said, “Yeah, but if it keeps up, it’s going to scorch those plants. We’re never going to make a living.” Don’t you know people who are always focused on the negative? Be sure to guard against their negative attitudes infecting your thinking! Stay focused on the positive things in life.

 

What would have happened to me if I would not have believed I would see the goodness of God?

 

Instead of considering how big your obstacle is, why don’t you start considering how big your God is. He spoke worlds into existence; He flung stars into space. He can make things happen that you could never make happen.

 

It's vital that you accept yourself and learn to be happy with who God made you to be. If you want to truly enjoy your life, you must be at peace with yourself.

 

Quit worrying about those trying to hold you back. God knows how to move the wrong people out of your life and bring the right people in.

 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. PROVERBS 18:21 NASB

 

OUR WORDS have tremendous power and are similar to seeds. By speaking them aloud, they are planted in our subconscious minds, take root, grow, and produce fruit of the same kind. Whether we speak positive or negative words, we will reap exactly what we sow. That’s why we need to be extremely careful what we think and say.

 

The Bible compares the tongue to the small rudder of a huge ship, which controls the ship’s direction (see James 3:4). Similarly, your tongue will control the direction of your life. You create an environment for either good or evil with your words, and if you’re always murmuring, complaining, and talking about how bad life is treating you, you’re going to live in a pretty miserable world. Use your words to change your negative situations and fill them with life.

 

Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 1 PETER 3:8

 

You are not limited by your education, by how you were raised, by that environment. God has destined you to rise higher. He’s destined you to go to the next level.

 

If you hold on to what you want so tightly, it almost becomes an idol.

 

When you do the right thing when the wrong thing is happening, you’re getting stronger, your roots are going down deeper. That’s why God doesn’t remove everything instantly. If you’re always comfortable, you won’t be prepared. We grow in difficult times.

 

You may have people coming against you, trying to discredit you, make you look bad. You don’t have to fight that battle; just outlast them, just keep doing the right thing. Keep being faithful each day and God will take care of who’s trying to stop you.

 

The Bible says, “See that none of you repays another evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody.”

 

Be secure enough in who you are that you don’t live to please people. As long as you’re doing what God has put in your heart, you don’t need to look to the left or the right. Stay focused on your goals, and God will get you where you’re supposed to be.

 

One definition of hope is “happy anticipation of something good.”

 

Every day we have plenty of opportunities to be upset, to be frustrated, and to be offended. Maybe the day’s plans didn’t work out, or somebody was rude at the office, or a job that should have taken one hour took three. Life is full of inconveniences. There will always be interruptions and difficult people. We can’t control all our circumstances, but we can control our reactions.

 

I’ve heard it said that life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond. Go into each day positive, hopeful, and expecting God’s favor. But at the same time be realistic, knowing that most days will not go exactly as you planned. If you become stressed because you are off schedule, frustrated because someone offended you, or upset because your child wouldn’t eat breakfast, you are giving away your power.

 

It’s good to have plans, but at the first part of every day submit those plans to God and just say, “God, this is what I would like to accomplish today. But I know You’re in control, so I submit my plans to You. And I’ve decided in advance that no matter what comes my way, I will stay in peace, knowing You are directing my steps and that all things will work together for my good.

 

But too many people these days have the wrong approach to life. They think they can’t be happy unless they control all their circumstances and everything goes their way. But that’s not realistic. You have to come to the place where you can say, “I don’t have to have my way to have a good day. My plans don’t have to work out for me to be happy. Everybody doesn’t have to treat me right for life to be enjoyable. I have already made up my mind: No matter what does or doesn’t happen, I will stay in peace and enjoy this day.

 

The Scripture says that “no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22 NIV). No circumstance can take your peace. No interruption can take your enthusiasm. You have to give it away. The next time you’re tempted to be upset and frustrated, ask yourself, Is this worth giving my power away? Or, This man is rude to me on the phone. I don’t even know him. Is it worth giving him my joy? Or, This coworker left me out of a meeting; is it worth giving away my peace?

 

You may not have the victory, not because you can’t, but because you keep giving it away. Life is too short to be upset and offended. If you allow your circumstances to control your joy, there will always be some reason to be discouraged.

 

Sometimes what we think is a disappointment is really the hand of God. His ways are not our ways. Instead of being frustrated by what doesn’t work out, try a different approach and say, “God, I trust You.

 

When you criticize yourself, you are criticizing God’s creation. You might as well look up and say, “God, You didn’t do a good job on me.” But He doesn’t make mistakes. Don’t say another negative thing about yourself.

 

Our expectations set the limits for our lives. If you expect little, you’re going to receive little. If you don’t anticipate things to get better, then they won’t. But if you expect more favor, more good breaks, a promotion, and an increase, then you will see new levels of favor and success.

 

As long as you’re living in regret, focused on the negative things of the past, you won’t move ahead to the bright future God has in store. You need to let go of what didn’t work out. Let go of your hurts and pains. Let go of your mistakes and failures. You can’t do anything about the past, but you can do something about right now.

 

Anyone can trust God when things are going their way, life is good, you’re seeing favor. The real test is, will you trust Him when things are shaking? Will you stay in faith when there’s uncertainty, things you don’t understand?

 

Faith is all about trusting God even when you don’t understand His plan. God could have healed David just like He restored my sister Lisa. But God is sovereign. I don’t claim to understand it all, but I do know this: God is good. He has a great plan for your life, a destiny for you to fulfill. No matter how many disadvantages or setbacks you must deal with, if you shake off the self-pity, stop blaming, and keep pressing forward, nothing will be able to keep you from becoming all that God created you to be.

 

Stop making excuses. Quit dwelling on disappointments, on the unfairness and hurt inflicted upon you. Know that God has something great coming your way. The worst handicaps are those you place on yourself. Too many people are waiting for God to make them perfect before they pursue their dreams and destinies. Go after yours right now. Honor God with what you have. He wants to take your liabilities and turn them into assets. First, though, you have to accept that God may not remove your challenge, but He will use it to your advantage.

 

If you want to be happy, you have to be happy on purpose. When you wake up in the morning, you can’t just wait to see what kind of day you’ll have. You have to decide what kind of day you’ll have. The Scripture says in Psalm 30:5 that joy comes in the morning. When you wake up each morning, God sends you a special delivery of joy. When you get up in faith and make the declaration “This will be a good day,” you answer that knock at the door. You receive the gift of joy God sent to you!

 

The problem is, some people never answer the door. The knocking has not been answered for months and months, years and years: “Come on! Let me in! You can be happy! You can cheer up! You can enjoy your life!” I don’t know about you, but I’ve made up my mind to answer the door. I’m waking up every morning and saying, “Father, thank You for another beautiful day. I will be happy. I will enjoy this day. I will brighten somebody else’s life. I am choosing to receive Your gift of joy.

 

Don’t underestimate what you have. It may look small and insignificant. Compared to what you’re facing, perhaps it seems utterly useless. All the odds are against you. But when God breathes on your life, the odds dramatically change. You and God are a majority. God can open doors that should have never opened in the natural. God can take you beyond where your talent and your education say you should be. God can make a way even when you don’t see a way.

 

It’s not enough just to have faith in God. That’s important, but you have to have faith in what God has given you. You are not lacking. You were not shortchanged. You are not at a disadvantage. The Creator of the universe is breathing on your life. He is breathing on your health, breathing on your finances, breathing on your marriage. If you will be confident in what God has given you, He can take what looks like little and turn it into much.

 

Jesus said, “Do more than is expected; carry it two miles.” That’s the attitude you need to have: “I’m not doing just what I have to. I’m not doing the minimum amount to keep my job. I’m a person of excellence. I go above and beyond what’s asked of me. I do more than is expected.” This means if you’re supposed to be at work at 8 a.m., you show up ten minutes early.

 

You produce more than you have to. You stay ten minutes late. You don’t start shutting down thirty minutes before closing. You put in a full day. Many people show up to work fifteen minutes late. They get some coffee, wander around the office, and finally sit down to work a half hour late. They’ll waste another half hour making personal phone calls and surfing the Internet. Then they wonder why they aren’t promoted. It’s because God doesn’t reward sloppiness. God rewards excellence.

 

In the Old Testament, Abraham sent his servant to a foreign country to find a wife for his son, Isaac. Abraham told the servant that he would know he’d found the right lady if she offered a drink to both him and his camels. The servant reached the city around sunset. A beautiful young lady named Rebekah came out to the well. The servant said, “I’m so thirsty. Would you mind lowering your bucket and getting me a drink?” She said, “Not only that, let me get some water for your camels as well.”

 

Here’s what’s interesting: After a long day’s walk, a camel can drink thirty gallons of water. This servant had ten camels with him. Think about what Rebekah did. If she had a one-gallon bucket of water, she said, in effect, “Yes I’ll not only do what you asked and give you a drink, but I’ll also dip down in this well three hundred more times and give your ten camels a drink.” Rebekah went way beyond the call of duty. As a result, she was chosen to marry Isaac, who came from the wealthiest family of that time. I doubt that she ever again had to draw three hundred gallons of water.

 

After all God doesn’t want you to be an imitation of someone else. You should be the original you were created to be. There is an anointing on your life, an empowerment. Not to be somebody else, but to be you. If you let people squeeze you into their molds and you bow down to their pressure to try to please your critics, it not only takes away your uniqueness, but it also lessens the favor on your life.

 

God is not looking for religion. He’s looking for people who simply believe in Him, who know He controls the universe, who believe He can do the impossible.

 

You will overcome every obstacle, defeat every enemy.

 

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. JOHN 14:27 NASB

 

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 CORINTHIANS 10:13

 

When you understand that God has divine detours, that He uses the wrongs—things we don’t understand, delays, setbacks—to move us into our destiny, then you won’t fight it; you’ll flow with it.

 

If you don’t know who you are, a child of the Most High God, then you’ll spend your energy trying to get other people to validate you. But when you’re secure in who God made you to be, you won’t live trying to impress people and getting your value out of what they think.

 

It’s so important for you to get around people who will stir up those seeds of greatness. Don’t surround yourself with naysayers. Life is too short to hang around negative, critical, cynical, skeptical, judgmental, small-minded, jealous people … Did I leave out anything?

 

Choose friends who will build you up, people who will celebrate your victories, not people who will criticize and be jealous any time you succeed.

 

Stand strong and show the opposition that you’re more determined than they are. That problem is not there to stop you; it’s there to prepare you. That challenge is not going to defeat you; it’s going to promote you.

 

Be careful what you’re inviting in. Prophesy victory over your life. If you’re going to talk about yourself, talk about the way you want to be. Speak health, speak vitality, speak abundance.

 

I DECLARE it is not too late to accomplish everything God has placed in my heart. I have not missed my window of opportunity. God has moments of favor in my future. He is preparing me right now because He is about to release a special grace to help me accomplish that dream. This is my time. This is my moment. I receive it today! This is my declaration.

 

For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” MATTHEW 9:21–22 NKJV

 

ONE FELLOW WHOSE MARRIAGE was on the verge of dissolution told me, “Joel, I’ve been this way for a long time. Nothing good ever happens to me. I don’t see how my marriage can be restored. We’ve always had these problems.” “Those wrong attitudes will keep you from receiving the good things God wants to pour out in your life,” I told him. “Stop dwelling on negative, destructive thoughts that keep you in a rut. Your life will change when you change your thinking.

 

God has so much more in store for him, and for you as well. If you want to see God’s far and beyond favor, you have to start believing it, seeing it, and speaking it.

 

Father, thank You that I have Your favor. Then go out expecting good things to happen. Expect!

 

Explosive blessings are coming my way. This is my declaration.

 

You may not realize it, but it’s in the dark places that you really grow. They’re where your character is developed, where you learn to trust God and to persevere, and where your spiritual muscles are made strong. In the dark places you pray more, you draw closer to God, and you take time to get quiet and listen to what He’s saying. In those dark places you reevaluate your priorities, you slow down and take time for family, and you get a new appreciation for what God has given you.

 

When you know who our God is, when you realize He created the universe, He spoke worlds into existence, He parted Red Seas, He healed the lepers, you won’t just ask Him for ordinary things. You’ll ask for your dreams; you’ll ask for what looks impossible.

 

God made you as you are on purpose. He gave you your looks, your height, your skin color, your nose, your personality. Nothing about you is by accident. You didn’t get overlooked. You didn’t get left out. God calls you His masterpiece. Instead of going around feeling down on yourself, unattractive, too tall, too short, not enough of this, or too much of that, dare to get up in the morning and say, “I am a masterpiece. I am created in the image of Almighty God.

 

God wants us to constantly be increasing, to be rising to new heights. He wants to increase you in His wisdom and help you to make better decisions. God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh ideas, and creativity.

 

No matter what’s happening, choose to be happy. Don’t focus on what’s wrong. Find something positive in your life. Thank God for the small things.

 

Clear out the worry, clear out the offense, clear out the negativity. Live from a place of peace, a place of rest, a place of faith. God has you in the palm of His hand. Nothing you’re facing is a surprise to Him.

 

For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” MATTHEW 9:21–22 NKJV

 

Stay on the high road. Let God be your vindicator. Let Him pay your enemies back. He sees what’s happening. He sees every injustice, every hurt, every wrong. If you’ll leave it up to God, He’ll vindicate you better than you can vindicate yourself.

 

You must conceive it in your heart and mind before you can receive it.

 

It says in Romans 5:17, “We are to reign in life as kings.” When God looks at us He doesn’t see us defeated, barely getting by, or just taking the leftover positions. Not at all. God sees you as a king. He sees you as a queen. You have His royal blood flowing through your veins. You and I are supposed to reign in life. Do you know what that word reign means? It means, “time in power.” God said we’re to reign how long? In life. That means as long as you’re alive that is your time in power. You don’t have a two-year term like a mayor, a four-year term like a president. Your term is to reign every single day, to be victorious, to rise to new levels, to accomplish great things.

 

You may say, “I have nothing except a little faith, a little talent, a little opportunity.” That’s all you need. If you’ll start using it, God will show up and do things out of the ordinary.

 

If you will get free from what everyone else thinks and start being who you were created to be, you will rise to a new level.

 

I can become someone’s miracle.

 

When someone is rude, keep a smile on your face. When you stay on the high road and keep your joy, you take away their power.

 

Sometimes you may have to trade places with someone who is hurting.

 

People will try to squeeze you into what they’re used to, into what they think. Take advice, listen to counsel, but you may have to disappoint a few people to reach your destiny.

 

God has so much more in store for you, too. Start making room for it in your thinking. Conceive it on the inside. Start seeing yourself rising to a new level, doing something of significance, living in that home of your dreams. If you want to see God’s “far and beyond” favor, then you must replace those old wineskins.

 

Who you associate with makes a difference in how far you go in life.

 

I’m getting better. I’m improving. My health is coming back,” those words began to create a new image on the inside. Before long, they started seeing themselves strong, healthy, and whole.

 

DECLARE I am grateful for who God is in my life and for what He’s done. I will not take for granted the people, the opportunities, and the favor He has blessed me with. I will look at what is right and not what is wrong. I will thank Him for what I have and not complain about what I don’t have. I will see each day as a gift from God. My heart will overflow with praise and gratitude for all of His goodness. This is my declaration.

 

You don’t have to be bound by the barriers of the past. God wants you to go further than your parents. I’m sure your parents were fine, hardworking people, but don’t fall into that trap of just sitting back and accepting the status.

 

God, I’m trusting You to take care of my weeds. I didn’t sow them, and I know I don’t have to reap them.” You keep honoring God, being your best, and God will move the wrong people out of the way, He’ll restore what’s been stolen, and He’ll straighten out the situation at work.

 

The battle is not yours; the battle is the Lord’s. Be still and know that He is God. You shouldn’t be constantly uptight, worried, rebuking, resisting, and trying to fix things. It takes a mature person to say, “Everything is not perfect. I have some struggles and some situations I wish were different, but can I tell you that all is well? I’m at peace. I’m not upset. I know at the right time God will remove the weeds. Until then I’m going to relax and enjoy my life.

 

It may take a little time to see it come to pass, but it’s on the way. Don’t get talked out of it. Don’t let what’s not happening discourage you. Keep believing, keep thanking God, and you’re going to see what God has spoken over your life.

 

The key is to trust Him while you’re waiting. Trust Him while His plan is unfolding. Don’t get discouraged by what you don’t see happening. Don’t live frustrated because it’s taking longer than you thought. The right time is the best time.

 

Set your mind to positive thinking. When you have this positive mind-set, you cannot be defeated. No matter what comes your way, you shake it off and keep moving ahead. Life is like a car; you have a forward gear and a reverse gear. You decide which way you want to go. It doesn’t take any more effort to go forward than it does backward. If you choose to focus on the positive and keep your mind set on your possibilities, then you will move forward and see increase and favor.

 

But if you dwell on the negative and stay focused on problems and what you don’t have, and how impossible your dream looks, that’s just like putting your car in reverse--you’ll go backward. It’s all about what you choose to dwell on. You can choose to dwell on what’s wrong with you or what’s right with you. You can choose to look at how far you’ve got to go, or you can look at how far you’ve already come.

 

There is good and bad in every situation. If you’ll have the right attitude, you can always find the good.

 

Father, thank You for Your instruction to meditate on Your Word and fill my mind with thoughts of faith and hope and victory. Thank You for Your equipping power to water the right thoughts and see them take root and guard them from attack. I believe You will bring me to good success and prosper me in everything I do. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

Some people are focused on their losses, their flaws, their mistakes, the times they didn’t measure up. You need to focus on your victories, focus on the times you succeeded, you resisted the temptation, you were disciplined.

 

Don't complain about the problem. It's not random. You're going to need that victory in the future. God is taking you from glory to glory. When you come through this challenge, that victory will be the fuel you use that gets you to the next level of glory.

 

Don’t let people talk you into compromising, lowering your standards. They may not approve you, but God approves you. He’s the one that matters.

 

A lot of people use the excuse, “I’m negative because I’ve had negative things happen to me.” They’ll offer excuses like these:
“My business didn’t make it.” “A friend did me wrong.” “I had a bad childhood.” “I’m dealing with a sickness, and that’s why I’m sour.”

 

It’s not your circumstances that make you negative, it’s your attitude about those circumstances. You can take twenty positive people and twenty negative people and give them the exact same problem--put them on the same job, in the same family, and at the same house--and the twenty positive people will come out just as positive and happy, with great attitudes. The negative people will still be just as negative. They can have the same problems and same circumstances, but much different attitudes.

 

What’s the difference? Positive people have made up their minds to enjoy life. They focus on the possibility, not the problem. They’re grateful for what they have, and they don’t complain about what they don’t have. Positive people know that God is in control, and that nothing happens without His permission. They choose to bloom where they are planted. They’re not waiting to be happy when the situation changes. They’re happy while God is changing the situation. When you’re positive, you’re passing the test. You’re saying, “God, I trust you. I know you’re fighting my battles.

 

If you are not happy where you are, you won’t get where you want to be. Don’t wait for everything to change before you have a good attitude. If you have a good attitude now, God can change the situation.

 

God is a progressive God. He wants every generation to increase.

 

Quit comparing your gifts, your looks, your success to someone else. Be you! You are powerful, you are anointed, you are gifted, you are beautiful. Nobody can do you like you can do you.

 

We draw in what we constantly think about. You can’t think defeat and have victory. You can’t think weak and have strength. You can’t think you're not able and accomplish your dreams. Your life is going to follow your thoughts.

 

Father, thank You for the amazing “much, much more” promise that You made to David and to me as well. Thank You that I have everything I need right now to fulfill my destiny, to live a life that brings pleasure to You. I believe that You are on the throne and nothing I need will be a minute late. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

Keep the right perspective. Some people would love to have your problems. They would gladly trade places with you. They would love to have the job that frustrates you. They would love to sit in traffic in that car you don’t like. They would love to have your husband, who gets on your nerves. They would love to live in the house you think is too small.

 

You may be thinking, “As soon as I get out of this neighborhood, then I’m going to be happy.” Instead, why don’t you choose to be happy right where you are? Choose to have a good attitude without thinking about what you have or don’t have.

 

Your happiness is all about your approach to life. One man gets up and says, “Good morning, Lord.” Another man gets up and says, “Oh Lord, it’s morning.” Which person are you?

 

You control what kind of day you’re having. You’re as happy as you want to be. It’s not your circumstances that keep you unhappy. It’s how you respond to them.

 

A lot of times we’re making ourselves unhappy. You can’t change the traffic, the weather, or how others treat you. If your happiness is based on everything going your way and everybody treating you right, you will be frustrated.

 

Before you leave the house, you need to make up your mind to stay positive and enjoy the day no matter what comes your way. You have to decide ahead of time.

 

That’s what it says in Colossians 3:2, “Set your mind on the higher things and keep it set.” The higher things are the positive things. When you get out of bed in the morning, you need to set your mind for victory. Set your mind for success. Have the attitude: “This is going to be a great day. God’s favor is on my life. I’m excited about my future.

 

When your mind is set as positive, hopeful, and expecting good things, that’s when you’ll go places you’ve never dreamed. New doors will open. New opportunities, and the right people will come across your path.

 

But if you don’t set your mind, negative thoughts will set it for you. You can’t start the day in neutral. If you’re passive, lying in bed, negative thoughts like these will come: “You’ll never accomplish your dreams. You’ll never get married. You’re too old. You’ll never get well. Nothing good ever happens to you. You’ll never get out of debt.”

 

If you’re always finding fault, complaining about the traffic, critical of your spouse, and focused on what’s not working out, may I suggest that your window is dirty. The problem is not external; it’s internal. You’re looking through a tainted filter. At some point you need to look in the mirror and say, “Maybe I’m the one who needs to change. If I’m always critical, maybe I’ve developed a habit of seeing the negative rather than the positive. Maybe I’ve trained myself to be cynical and sarcastic rather than kind and loving. Maybe my filter is dirty.

 

God sees when it’s unfair, when you’re being wronged, when people are taking advantage of you. If you’ll stay in faith, and keep honoring Him, the time will come when He will not only vindicate you, but He’ll honor you in front of those that tried to hold you back.

 

There’s enough judgment in the world; there’s enough criticism and faultfinding. Let’s be lifters. Let’s be encouragers. Let’s help someone else experience the God who comes down to lift people up.

 

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you will start having positive results.

 

You have to send your words out in the direction you want your life to go.

 

Keep your mind on the positive. Think on things that are good, wholesome, uplifting. It’s not productive to think about something negative that was said about you, relive how that person walked away, rehearse all the pain & disappointment, go back over all the sorrow.

 

The only time He used “very good” is when He created you.

 

Studies show that your attitude will have a greater impact on your success in life than your IQ. You can be extremely talented and have incredible potential, but a bad attitude will keep you from rising higher. We spend so much time and money making sure our outside looks good—eating healthy, working out, wearing the latest fashion. That’s all fine, but too often we’re not spending any time on what’s inside. Nice clothes won’t cover up a sour attitude. A beautiful face can’t hide being bitter inside.

 

As a child of the Most High God, you are equipped to handle anything that comes your way.

 

I praise You, Father, for opening my eyes to see and understand that You have so much more in store for me. Give me the courage to believe for a good day today and a brighter tomorrow.

 

Jesus said if you want to be great in the kingdom, if you want to live a blessed life, there’s a simple key: You have to serve other people. He wasn’t talking about an event that happens every once in a while. He was talking about a lifestyle in which you live to help others, and you’re always looking for ways to serve.

 

When you live a “serve others” lifestyle, you help friends, volunteer in your community, and take care of loved ones. It’s not something you have to force yourself to do. It becomes a part of who you are. You develop an attitude of giving to everyone you meet. That’s when you’ll have true happiness and true fulfillment. You live not to receive, but to give.

 

Many people are not happy, because they are focused only on themselves. It’s all about “my dreams, my goals, and my problems.” That self-centered focus will limit you. You have to get your mind off of yourself.

 

You were created to give. God has put people in your life on purpose so you can be a blessing to them. Every morning you should ask, “God, what is my assignment today? Help me to see the people you want me to be good to.

 

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. 1 CHRONICLES 4:10

 

She was beautiful outside, but to be honest, she was ugly inside. I never saw her the same way. A bad attitude makes you unattractive. It overrides what’s outside. It’s important to look good and develop our talents, to get a good education, and to stay in shape, but it’s more important to keep a good attitude. Nobody wants to be around a sour, critical, condescending person.

 

Friend, that’s what faith is all about. Start believing that good things are coming your way, and they will!

 

The anointing on your life is to be who God called you to be.

 

Don’t allow your circumstances or feelings to dull your enthusiasm for life and imprison you in a negative frame of mind. Starting today, expect things to change in your favor. Expect to experience the goodness of God!

 

It looks like a setback, but really it's a setup to move you into your destiny.

 

The apostle Paul says, “Dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: kindness and compassion.

 

When you’re comfortable with who you are, when you’re not trying to impress people, you’re not trying to be something that you’re not, then your own uniqueness will come out. You’ll be more creative. Your talent will come out in greater ways. The right people will show up. Why? Because you’ve stepped into the anointing on your life. Be you. You are powerful when you’re you. Here’s a key: Nobody can beat you at being you.

 

If you’re going to see the fullness of what God has for you, you have to learn to go from “I believe” to “I still believe.” Don’t give doubt the time of day. Keep your mind filled with faith and filled with hope.

 

The whole key is to be you, because when you’re you, you activate your anointing. There’s a favor, a blessing, a grace that is unique to your life.

 

You should start doing this at home. It’s great to serve people when you’re out in public, but don’t forget to serve your own family. Husbands should serve their wives. “Honey, I’m going in the kitchen. Can I bring you anything?” “Let me run and fill up your car’s gas tank so you won’t have to do it tomorrow.” “I’ll help the kids with their homework. You take a break.” Be a blessing to your spouse.

 

If we all had this servant’s attitude toward our spouses, more marriages could stay together. I know men who expect their wives to do everything for them. “I’m not going to serve her, I expect her to serve me: cook, clean, bring my dinner, make sure my clothes are washed. Keep this house straightened up.

 

That’s not a wife, that’s a maid! You can hire somebody to do that. If you want a wife--if you want a friend, a lover, and someone to make your life great--then you have to be willing to serve her. Bring her breakfast in bed. Pick up your own dirty clothes. Help with the children. Make her feel special. Marriage is not a dictatorship. It’s a partnership!

 

You might say: “Well, Joel, the Bible says the wife should submit to the husband.” Yes, but it also says the husband should love his wife like Christ loved the church.

 

Christ modeled a servant attitude. He had all the power in the world. He was the most influential man who ever lived. Yet He bowed down and washed His disciples’ feet. He could have hired someone to do it. He could have asked any of the disciples and they would have done it. He could have called an angel down from heaven and said, “Hey, do me a favor wash their feet. They stink; I don’t want to deal with it today. Matthew has some fungus on his toes. John hasn’t had a shower in two weeks. Peter needs some Odor Eaters!”

 

Instead, Jesus pulled out His towel, bowed down, and washed their feet one by one. He gave us His example of service to others so we would know you’re never too important to be good to people. You are never too successful. You are never too high to bow down low and serve another person. You more you walk in humility, and the more willing you are to serve others, the higher God can take you.

 

If you are married, try serving your spouse more, and you’ll see your marriage rise to a new level of happiness. I heard about a guy who bragged that he was head of his household and ran everything at home. About that time his wife walked up. He said: “Yes, I run the vacuum. I run the dishwasher. And I run the lawn mower.”

 

Victoria and I made an agreement when we first married. We said that I would make all the major decisions, and she would make all the minor decisions. It’s funny--in twenty-seven years, there’s never been a major decision! Victoria says that I am the head of our household, but she’s the neck that turns the head.

 

Make up your mind that no matter what comes your way, no matter how difficult, no matter how unfair, you will do more than simply survive. You will thrive in spite of it.

 

The moment God put the dream in your heart, He lined up everything you need to bring it to pass.

 

The only competition you have is with yourself, to be the best that you can be.

 

You may not understand it now, it may not make sense yet, but one day, you’ll see it was a necessary step to reach your destiny. It looked like a setback, but really, it was a setup.

 

If you let people discourage you, bad breaks talk you out of it, delays cause you to quit believing, then it’s going to keep you from God’s best.

 

When we start competing with people, we get distracted, we lose focus, and before long we’re wasting time on things that are not moving us toward our purpose.

 

There will always be dream stealers, naysayers, people that try to pull you down. They’ll try to pull you into intimidation, fear, limited thinking. Don’t take the bait. People are going to be amazed at where God takes you.

 

When you serve others, you are serving God. When you do it for them, you’re doing it for Him. Jesus said, “If you give a cup of cold water to someone in need, you will surely be rewarded.” Every time you serve, God sees it. Every time you help someone else. Every time you sacrifice--you go out of your way to pick up a friend, you get up early to sing in the choir, you stay late to help a coworker--God is keeping the record.

 

In the Bible when Paul told Timothy, “Stir up the gift. Fan the flame” (2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV), he was saying, “Timothy, life is flying by. Get busy pursuing your destiny.” Every setback means you’re one step closer to seeing the dream come to pass.

 

That coat of discouragement doesn’t look good on you. That coat of self-pity is out of style. That coat of bitterness over who left you and what you didn’t get doesn’t fit you anymore.

 

Scripture says God has given us the power to enjoy our work. Quit telling yourself, I can’t be happy here. I don’t like my job. I don’t like the people. I can’t wait till God opens up something new. You are making yourself miserable. Start telling yourself, I have the power to enjoy this job. I’ll have a great day. I’ll enjoy the people. I’ll be productive. I’ll bloom right here where God has planted me.

 

Sometimes the reason you are not happy on the job is that you are being asked to do things you don’t want to do. But this is important: The person paying you may like things done a certain way. You may not agree. You may think you can do something better another way, but since the boss is approving the check, you’ll need to do what the boss wants you to do. You have to be big enough to submit to the authority and do what you are asked with a good attitude, without always questioning, without walking away mumbling under your breath, “They just don’t know what they’re talking about.

 

If you will trust God and keep a good attitude, staying faithful where you are and not getting in a hurry and trying to force things to happen, God will promote you at the right time, in your due season. He will bring your dreams to pass.

 

Really, anyone can have a good attitude when everything is going well. We can all celebrate and be grateful when we’re on the mountaintop, but where are the people who give God praise even as the bottom falls out? Where are the people who rise up each morning and prepare for victory and increase in spite of all the news reports predicting doom and gloom? Where are the people who say, “God, I still praise You even though the medical report wasn’t good” or “God, I still thank You even though it didn’t turn out my way”?

 

I believe you are one of those people. I believe you are of great faith. Your roots go down deep. You could be complaining. You could be discouraged. You could have a chip on your shoulder, but instead you just keep giving God praise. You’ve got that smile on your face. You’re doing the right thing even though the wrong thing is happening.

 

That’s why I can tell you with confidence that you are coming into greater victories. Enlarge your vision. Take the limits off God. You have not seen your best days. God has victories in your future that will amaze you. He will show up and show out in unusual ways.

 

You may be in a tough time right now, but remember this: The enemy always fights you the hardest when he knows God has something great in store for you. You are closest to your victory when it is the darkest. That is the enemy’s final stand. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t start complaining. Just keep offering up that sacrifice of praise.

 

Lord, thank You that my health, my finances, my dreams, and my future are in Your frame. I am protected.

 

If you listen carefully, you’ll hear another voice—the voice of faith.

 

God will always bring the right people into your life, but you have to let the wrong people walk away.

 

We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done. PSALM 78:4

 

I think a big test we all face in life on a regular basis is that discouragement test. Life's not always fair, but I believe if you keep doing the right thing, God will get you to where you are.

 

Have you ever thought that God may have you somewhere on purpose so you can be a good example? God may want your light to shine, to brighten the days, to make a difference where you are. Why don’t you take a different perspective?

 

If you pass that test and bloom where you are planted, God will open new doors. But as long as you are negative and complaining, nothing will change. You are not in position for God to promote you if you are not the best you can be right where you are.

 

When you are in an uncomfortable situation, realize that either God is doing a work in you or He is using you to do a work in someone else. There is a purpose. There is nothing wrong with asking God to change a situation. But until it happens, you have to trust that where you are is where you should be.

 

I’ve found that sometimes God has us endure a difficult season to help somebody else. We have to sow a seed and be uncomfortable, treated unfairly. We have to be extremely patient and kind and overlook things just so another person can become what God has created that individual to be.

 

When we run to Him with open arms, casting our cares aside, He will embrace us. By having simple, childlike faith, we don’t have to figure everything out. We don’t have to have all the answers. We just trust Him. Won’t you let that be you today?

 

How you begin each day is one of the most important things in life. Your mood, your purpose, even your success in life is dependent on it. When you get up hopeful, expecting good things, and letting go of things in the past – that’s when you’re in a flow with God.

 

There is a winner in you. You were created to be successful, to accomplish your goals, to leave your mark on this generation. You have greatness in you. The key is to get it out.

 

Look for others to bless!

 

Let me ask you: Who are you serving? Who are you being good to? Who are you lifting up? Be on the lookout for others you can bless. God puts people in our lives on purpose so we can brighten their days. You should get up every morning and say, “God, show me my assignment today. Help me to be sensitive to the needs of those around me.”

 

I once baptized nearly eight hundred people on one Saturday. Among them was an older man who’d had a stroke. He couldn’t walk at all. They rolled him up in a wheel chair. To get in the church baptistery, you have to go up some stairs and then walk down stairs into the water. The younger man pushing him in the wheelchair was about my age. You could tell that he really cared about the man. He went to great lengths to make sure he was okay.

 

A couple of men helped the older man stand up. Then the younger man put his arms under his legs and his back so he could carry the elderly man into the water, just like you would carry a sleeping baby. It was a very moving scene, watching the younger man go out of his way to help someone so determined to be baptized despite his age and disabilities. With the young man’s help we were able to baptize the elderly man. After we returned him to his wheelchair, I asked the younger man: “Is that your father?”

 

He shook his head no. “Is he your uncle, or your relative?” I asked. The younger man explained that they’d just met in church a few weeks earlier. He said that on the Sunday I announced the baptism date, the older man in the wheelchair turned to him and said, “I wish I could be baptized. I always wanted to, but I had this stroke. I knew I should have done it sooner.”

 

The young man offered to help him achieve his goal to be baptized. The elderly man said he didn’t have any family to bring him to church, explaining that he normally took a bus that served people in wheelchairs. The young man said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.” He picked up the stranger at his home, helped him to get to the baptism at our church, and carried him in and out of the baptistery. They’d only met once before in church.

 

My prayer is “God help us all to have that same compassion. Help us not to be so busy, so caught up in our own lives that we miss opportunities to serve others.” God is asking you, will you carry someone? Maybe not physically, but will you help lighten their loads? Will you help bring their dreams to pass? Will you go out of your way to be good to them?

 

You’ve been made in the image of God. When you criticize yourself, you are criticizing God’s creation. You’re saying, “God, You didn’t do too good on me.” No, God wasn’t having an off day when He created you. He calls you a masterpiece.

 

Things are happening in the unseen realm. God is working. You may not see it, but things are changing in your favor. Consistency is the key. Keep declaring victory.

 

Prepare yourself to be a winner!

 

You may be in a lower-position job, doing something that seems insignificant. But you know you have so much more in you. It would be easy to slack off and think, “There’s no future here. I’ll prepare as soon as I get out of this place, when good breaks come my way, or when the boss promotes me. Maybe then I’ll take some courses, lose a few pounds, have a better attitude, and buy some nicer clothes.”

 

That’s backward. You must start improving right where you are. Start sharpening your skills while you’re waiting. Study your manager’s work habits. Study your best supervisor. Learn how to do their jobs. Be ready to step into those shoes.

 

When God sees you prepare yourself, then He opens new doors. The scripture says, “A man’s gifts makes room for him.” If no new doors are opening, don’t be discouraged. Just develop your gifts in a new way. Improve your skills.

 

You might feel that your supervisors aren’t going anywhere right now, but if you outgrow them, outperform them, out produce them, and know more than them, your gifts will make room for you. Somewhere, somehow, and some way God will open a door and get you where He wants you to be.

 

Don’t worry about who is ahead of you or when your time will come. Just keep growing, learning, and preparing. When you are ready, the right doors will open.

 

The fact is God may not want you to have your supervisor’s position. That may be too low for you. He may want to thrust you right past your boss and put you at a whole new level. I know former receptionists who went from answering the phones to running multi-million-dollar companies.

 

You can. You will. Develop what’s in you, and you’ll go farther than you can imagine.

 

Have you come down with destination disease? You’re comfortable, not learning anything new. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you have so much more in you.

 

Helping less fortunate people is the closest thing to the heart of God. I will never forget the image of that young man carrying the crippled man into the water. I could understand him doing all that for his father, a relative, or a longtime friend, but this was a stranger he’d just met in our church.

 

He took off his Saturday when he could have been working out, going to the beach, or hanging out with friends. There would have been nothing wrong with just relaxing, but his attitude was “I have an assignment. God has put someone in my path to serve. I can make a difference in his life and brighten his day.”

 

Jesus said, “When you do it to the least of these, you’re doing it unto me.” I love the fact this young man wasn’t looking for credit. He wasn’t announcing, “I’m doing a good deed--look at me.” He didn’t have anyone cheering for him. He was just quietly serving this man. Nobody would have known they were strangers if I hadn’t asked.

 

Remember that when you are good to others and go out of your way to be a blessing--or when you make sacrifices no one knows about--God sees what you are doing. He sees your heart of compassion. Maybe no one else on this earth is singing your praises, but up there all of heaven is cheering you on.

 

Dare to believe. If you think “trickle,” you will receive a trickle. If you think “barely get by,” then you will barely get by. If you think that your problem is too big, it will keep you defeated. But if you will learn to think “flood,” you will experience a flood. If you think “overflow,” you’ll experience an overflow. If you dare think “tidal wave,” then God can release a tidal wave of His goodness in your life. This is what Jesus said: “According to your faith it will be done unto you.”

 

As a leader of Lakewood Church, I receive rewards for my work from those who thank me, clap for me, and cheer me on. I’m very grateful and very flattered. But when no one is clapping for you, when you’re not being thanked, or no recognition comes your way, don’t become discouraged and think you’re being overlooked. Your reward will be greater.

 

Heaven is cheering you on!

 

If people give you credit, then you have received a portion of your reward. When nobody gives you credit, then the scripture says, “What you do in secret, God will reward for you in the open.” When it comes time for the rewards to be passed out, some of us in the front will have to step back. Then there will be greater rewards handed out to those who worked behind the scenes. There will be accolades to the volunteers who worked year after year without recognition and for those unselfish individuals--like this young man, who sacrificed to help somebody’s dream come to pass--who quietly and without fanfare gave their time, money, and energy.

 

There are tests we have to pass. One of them is being faithful when nothing is changing, doing our best when it’s not growing, being good to people that are not being good to us.

 

Keep your vision in front of you!

 

Are you believing for a child? Go buy a baby’s outfit and hang it in your closet where you can see it every day. Keep your vision in front of you. A friend of mine who wanted a child decorated her whole baby’s room, bought the bed and the stroller, spent all this time, money, and energy.
Her friends thought she was a little far out, preparing a baby’s room with no baby on the way. But she understood this principle: What you keep in front of you, you are moving toward. A year went by and still no baby. Two years, no baby. Five years. Ten years.

 

She didn’t get discouraged. She kept thanking God that her baby was on the way. All through the day when she’d walk by that baby’s room, the seed was growing. It didn’t look like anything was happening, but she was moving toward it. Twenty years later she had not one baby, but two. The stroller didn’t work. The bed was out of date. She didn’t care. She had her babies!”

 

Quit letting how people treat you make you feel inferior. They don’t control your destiny. They didn’t breathe life into you. They didn’t call you. They didn’t anoint you. They didn’t approve you. Your value came from your Creator, from the God Who spoke worlds into existence.

 

Don’t focus on the weeds. You may be spending all your time, so to speak, trying to pull up the weeds. In other words, trying to fix everything in your life, trying to make people do what’s right, trying to straighten out all your co-workers.

 

You can’t change people. Only God can. If somebody wants to be a weed, no matter what you do, they will be a weed. Spending all your time and energy trying to change them will keep you from blooming. One of the best things you can do is just bloom bigger than ever right in the middle of those weeds. Right in the middle of those negative and critical co-workers, put a big smile on your face.

 

Be kind. Be friendly. When they complain, don’t preach a sermon to them. Don’t try to stop them. Your job is not to pull the weeds. Your job is to bloom. Just have a good report. The more they complain, the more grateful you should be. The more they talk defeat, the more you should talk victory.

 

If your co-workers come in one morning being sour and rude to you, don’t be offended and think, Well, I’m never speaking to them again. That’s the time more than ever to bloom. Put a smile on your face anyway. Have a good attitude in spite of that.

 

No disappointment. No setback. No injustice. No person. No hater. No jealousy can stand against our God. When you believe, all the forces of darkness cannot stop God from taking you where He wants you to go. Be a believer and not a doubter.

 

It’s hard to be something that you’re not. It’s hard to keep everyone happy, wear different masks, and pretend, depending on who you’re with. You know what’s easy: being you, being real, being vulnerable.

 

We all have to deal with unexpected tragedies and trauma. Being a believer doesn’t exempt you from life’s turbulent times. The Scripture says rain falls on the just and on the unjust. When you find yourself facing a crisis, it’s easy to give up your happiness, panic, and fall apart. But you have to realize that crisis is not a surprise to God. It may be unexpected to us, but God knows the end from the beginning. God has solutions to problems that we haven’t even had. And God would not have allowed the difficulty unless He had a divine purpose for it.

 

When you base your value on what other people say or do to you, that’s going to push you down. But when you base it on what God says about you, it’s going to lift you up to the next level.

 

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18–19

 

Sometimes the people closest to you can’t see the greatness in you.

 

God already has it figured out. He knows the end from the beginning. But here’s the key: He doesn’t give us the details. If you knew how everything was going to work out, it wouldn’t take faith.

 

You need to associate with people that inspire you, people that challenge you to rise higher, people that make you better. Don’t waste your valuable time with people that are not adding to your growth. Your destiny is too important.

 

God’s plan is better than your plan. The beauty is you don’t have to figure it all out. All you have to do is commit your ways to God, keep Him first place, and He’ll guide you down the best path for your life.

 

Too often we talk ourselves out of God’s best. We allow doubts, fears, and discouraging things people have said to limit us and convince us to settle where we are. Negative voices always speak the loudest.

 

God knows how to bring justice in your life. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen.

 

We all go through situations in which we are treated unfairly. Maybe somebody is gossiping about you, or picking on you, trying to make you look bad at school or work. The natural response is to defend yourself or strike back. Human nature wants to get revenge. We like to get even. But the Lord says, “Vengeance is Mine” (Deuteronomy 32:35 NKJV). That means God will make your wrongs right. God wants to repay you for every unfairness. He is a God of justice.

 

The bottom line is this: God wants you to have the last laugh. Here’s how it can happen. Romans 12:19 says to never avenge yourselves, but to let God do it. Notice, you can avenge yourself, or you can let God be your avenger; but you cannot have it both ways. If you take matters into your own hands, God will step back and say, “You go ahead. You don’t need My help.” But if you learn to stay on the high road, control your emotions, and let God be your avenger, He will show up and say, “All right. Let Me go to work.”

 

God, You said You would restore health unto me and heal me of my wounds. You said I would live and not die. You said what is impossible with men is possible with God when I pray.

 

The Creator of the universe is your manufacturer. You can’t get any more prestigious than that.

 

God is still on the throne. He brought you through in the past; He'll bring you through again.

 

Positive people know that God is in control, and that nothing happens without His permission. They choose to bloom where they are planted. They’re not waiting to be happy when the situation changes.

 

If you’re going to recognize your value, you have to see yourself as amazing, as wonderful.

 

When our former usher entered heaven I believe there was a great celebration. I can imagine angels singing, trumpets blowing, people clapping, and an amazing welcoming-home ceremony. There wasn’t a lot of applause and fanfare down here for his life of service and kindness, but it did not go unnoticed. It will be rewarded. The scripture says when Peter went to heaven, Jesus stood up to welcome him. Jesus is normally seated at the right hand of the Father, but I believe there are times--like when our usher arrived, an unsung hero--Jesus says, “You know what? This one deserves a standing ovation.

 

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! ISAIAH 26:3 NLT

 

Is there something you see every day that reminds you of what you’re believing for, something that inspires you, ignites your faith? Proverbs says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” With no vision you’ll get stuck. That’s why many people have lost their passion. They don’t have anything that reminds them of what they’re dreaming about. If you’re believing to move into a nicer house, find a picture of a house you like and put it on your bathroom mirror. Let that seed get into you. If you’re believing to get into a college, go buy the school’s T-shirt and wear it around. Put the coffee mug with their logo on your counter. Every time you see that picture, that T-shirt, that baby’s outfit, say under your breath: “Thank You, Lord, for bringing my dreams to pass. Thank You, Lord, that I’ll become everything You created me to be.”

 

You belong to God. You don’t have to prove anything. You don’t have to try to impress people. Just be who you are. Be amazing. If you do this, I believe and declare every chain that’s held you back is being broken. You’re going to live free, confidently, and securely, knowing you are valuable. You will become the masterpiece that God created you to be.

 

It’s amazing the difference that it makes when you get up every morning and put on a fresh new attitude. I’m excited about today. I don’t have to go to work, but I get to go to work. I’m grateful to have a job. I’m not going to complain about the traffic. I’m grateful to have a car. I’m not going to focus on what’s wrong. Father, I want to thank You for what’s right in my life. You know what you’re doing? You’re cleaning your window.

 

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. COLOSSIANS 3:23–24 NASB

 

TODAY’S THOUGHT You may have had bad breaks and gone through unfair situations, but don’t have a victim mentality; have a victor mentality. God says He will pay you back double for the unfair things that have happened.

 

He sees every time you are hurt. He keeps the records. If you learn to stay on the high road and don’t waste time trying to pay back those who’ve hurt you, God promises to be your vindicator. God will release favor and promotion in your life only when He knows your character can handle it. If you get upset every time somebody wrongs you and you try to vindicate yourself, you will not reach the place where God wants you to be.

 

What you keep in front of you, you’re moving toward.

 

You can be the first. You can be the one to set a new standard. Don’t be moved by what you don’t see, by who’s against you. God being for you is more than the world being against you.

 

If you’re single and you want to get married, put an empty photo album on your table. That’s where you’re going to put your wedding photos. When you see it, you’re moving toward it.

 

I heard about an older missionary couple, who spent more than sixty years in Africa helping less fortunate people. They gave their lives to their mission work, and they did so much good. When they finally retired, they returned home to New York. It just so happened they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from a big hunting expedition. When their ship pulled into the dock, there was all this fanfare. A band was playing. The major and other dignitaries were lined up. Flags waved. Confetti rained down from buildings. Balloons floated in the air. It was a huge celebration.

 

When the president walked off the ship, the crowd went wild. Tens of thousands cheered, waved, and took photos. The landing was reported in newspapers around the world the next day. The missionary watched all this and said to his wife, “It doesn’t seem right that we’ve given our lives to help others, to serve, to give, and to make a difference, and the president just goes on a big vacation and the whole world welcomes him home. Nobody even knows we exist.” The missionary felt very discouraged as they walked off the boat. Later that night, he prayed, “God I don’t understand. The president returns with the fanfare of the world, but we return and nobody even knows we’re here.”

 

He heard God’s reply come from within his heart: “Son, it’s because you’re not home yet.” You will be rewarded. There will be a celebration like you’ve never seen. It won’t be with any band you’ve heard on earth. The angels will be singing, and all of heaven will join in to welcome you home.

 

If you have been faithful, sacrificed, volunteered, and given to others, be encouraged today. God sees every act of kindness. He sees every good deed. Nothing you’ve done has gone unnoticed. God saw it, and the good news is you will be rewarded.

 

Remember, when you do what God asks, you will be fed, refreshed, strengthened, and reenergized. Be on the lookout for ways you can be good to people. If you develop a lifestyle of serving others, God promises you will be great in the kingdom. I believe and declare because you’re a giver, you will come in to your reward. You will come in to health, strength, opportunity, promotion, and breakthroughs. You will come into new levels of God’s goodness.

 

God is smiling on you. He’s going before you, right now, making crooked places straight, moving the wrong people out of the way, lining up the right people, arranging things in your favor.

 

Sometimes you face difficulties not because you're doing something wrong, but because you're doing something right.

 

Joel 3: 10 says, “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’ Notice that they may be weak, but they’re supposed to say, “I am strong.” Not, “I am so tired. I am so rundown.” That’s calling in the wrong things. God tells them to declare what they want, not what their present circumstances are.

 

No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. ISAIAH 54:17

 

I wonder how many people, just like David, have been anointed to do something great in life, to be in a position of leadership, a place of honor, and to fulfill their God-given dreams, but they never passed the test. They were too busy trying to pay back those who hurt them, the Sauls in their lives. They do not realize that those who do you wrong are simply distractions.

 

Use your time and energy to move toward your God-given destiny. Avoid the trap of the payback, and understand you cannot avenge yourself as God can avenge you. God’s ways are bigger and better than your own. He can take those who try to hurt you and use them to promote you.

 

Look back on past accomplishments and victories and draw inspiration from them. Stay focused on encouraging thoughts—thoughts of hope and thoughts of faith.

 

I love the way David put it in Psalm 23, verse 5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (NKJV). God will not only avenge you and make your wrongs right, but He will also bless you in front of your enemies. He could promote you anywhere, but He’ll promote you in front of those trying to make you look bad. He’ll give you favor, honor, and recognition. One day those who stabbed you in the back will watch you receive the credit you deserve.

 

Knowing that God prepares the table for us in the presence of our enemies keeps me from being discouraged when people talk unfavorably of me. You see, I know God just sent the angels to the grocery store. If somebody lies about you, no big deal. You can see Gabriel setting the table.

 

Your critics can see the meal on God’s table, but they aren’t invited to the party. They’ll have to watch you enjoy what God has prepared for you. They will watch as you are promoted.

 

Be ready. If you’ve done the right thing and overlooked offenses and negative words and blessed your enemies, then know God’s table is set. Your dinner is ready. It’s just a matter of time before you’re seated at the table.

 

Your enemies may try to spoil the party by stealing your joy. They’ll plant doubts, but shake them off. The dinner bell will ring for you at any moment. Those hindering you, trying to bring you down, will see you stepping to a new level. They will see God’s favor and goodness enter your life in a greater way.

 

When you understand that everything serves His plan, you won’t live frustrated by things that aren’t fair, stressed over things you don’t like, upset because it’s taking too long.

 

God’s ways are not our ways. Sometimes He doesn’t want you to know. It’s a test of your faith. Will you trust Him or will you live worried, stressed, wondering how it’s going to work out?

 

Often, you have difficulties not because you’re doing something wrong but because you’re doing something right. It’s because you are making a difference. It’s because you are taking new ground for your family. It’s because you are a threat to the enemy. He would leave you alone if you weren’t advancing the kingdom. He wouldn’t bother you if he didn’t know God had something amazing planned for you in your future. That’s why he is trying to make you discouraged and bitter and blaming God, to keep you from the new levels that God has in store for you.

 

Darkness never likes the light, but don’t worry about it. Light will always overtake the darkness. Just keep shining. Keep smiling. Hold on to your happiness and your joy. Keep treating people well even though they mistreat you. Do the right thing even though the wrong things happen to you again and again. Your troubles are a sure sign that God has something amazing planned in your future. Your happiness will be restored, in abundance.

 

The enemy will not roll out the red carpet and allow you to fulfill your destiny unopposed. He will throw out unexpected challenges, unexpected trouble, and unexpected difficulties. But know this: The God we serve has unexpected favor, unexpected healing, unexpected breakthroughs, and unexpected turnarounds.

 

If you are worried that no one has sent you nice notes, given you credit, or offered a compliment that you can put in an Encouragement File, I have a solution. Write yourself some nice letters. Write down what you like about yourself. List your strengths. List your accomplishments. List some of the good things you’ve done for others.

 

When nobody else celebrates you, learn to celebrate yourself. When nobody else compliments you, compliment yourself. It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged. It’s up to you. It should come from the inside.

 

This is what God did. He praised Himself. We’re told in the book of Genesis that God created the waters and He said, “That was good.” He created the sky and He said, “That was good.” He created the fish and the animals and He stepped back and said, “That was good." He created you and me and said, “That was really good.”

 

I love the fact that God praised Himself. Most of the time we are so critical of ourselves, and so focused on what we’ve done wrong, we never even think about complimenting ourselves.

 

Do the hard thing. Keep being your best, keep thanking God, keep being good to people, keep declaring victory. When you do the hard thing, you set miracles into motion, angels go to work, good breaks come looking for you.

 

You are who God says you are. Remove the old labels. I’ll give you new labels to wear: “giant killer,” “history maker,” “world changer.”

 

You're going to go through tough times - that's life. But I say, 'Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.' See the positive in negative events.

 

In the Bible, God called Gideon a mighty man of (fearless) courage.
Gideon looked around and said, “Who’s He talking to? That’s not me.”
God had an assignment for Gideon, something great for him to accomplish, but Gideon had not renewed his mind. He had these toxic thoughts. God saw him as strong, but Gideon saw himself as weak, defeated, not able to.

 

God wanted him to lead the people of Israel and to defeat an opposing army, but Gideon said, “God, I can’t do that. I’m the least one in my father’s house. I come from the poorest family. I don’t have the education, the skills, the courage.”

 

Notice how Gideon perceived himself compared to how God saw him. God said he was a mighty man of fearless courage. If God were to call your name today, He wouldn’t say, “Hello, you weak worm of the dust. Hello, you failure. Hello, you ol’ sinner. How’s My loser doing today?”

 

At some point look in the mirror and say, “Maybe I’m the one who needs to change. If I’m always critical, maybe I’ve developed a habit of seeing the bad rather than seeing the good. If I’m always skeptical, maybe I’ve trained myself to be cynical and sarcastic rather than believing the best. If I’m always finding fault, maybe my filter is dirty. Maybe I’ve become judgmental and condemning instead of giving people the benefit of the doubt.

 

This is especially important in relationships. You can train yourself to see people’s strengths or you can train yourself to see their weaknesses. You can focus on the things you like about your spouse and magnify the good qualities, or you can focus on the things you don’t like and magnify the less-desirable characteristics that annoy you.

 

Be comfortable not knowing. Quit being worried over what you can’t figure out. God has you in the palm of His plan.

 

All the circumstances may say it’s impossible, but God is asking you, “When did I become weak? Is there any limit to My power?” Get in agreement with God. He’s about to shift some things in your favor.

 

You have treasure in you. There is talent and skill that will cause you to be noticed. Proverbs 22:29 says, “Do you see a person skilled in their work? They will stand before kings and great men.” Keep sharpening your skills. Cream always rises to the top.

 

This is what Joseph did in the Bible. He started off at the very bottom. He was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph didn’t wait for vindication. He decided to be his best. Even as a slave, he developed his gifts.

 

Joseph made himself so valuable that he was put in charge of his master’s house. When he was falsely accused and put in prison, he was so organized, so wise, so skillful that they put him in charge of the whole prison.

 

Joseph was cream rising to the top. When Pharaoh needed someone to run the country, and administer the nationwide food program, Pharaoh didn’t choose one of his own people. He didn’t choose his department head, or a cabinet member. He chose Joseph, a prisoner, and a foreigner. Why? Joseph developed his skills right where he was, and his gifts made room for him. Don’t use where you are as an excuse to not grow. Don’t say, “I’m not in a good job. I don’t like my position. I’ve had unfair things happen. That’s why I’ve lost my passion.”

 

Remember, the treasure is still in you. God is saying it’s time to use your gifts. Stretch yourself. Take some courses. Sharpen your skills. You should be so productive, so filled with wisdom no matter where you are, like Joseph, you will rise to the top.

 

Proverbs 16:7 says, “When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand” (The Message).

 

Studies show that enthusiastic people get better breaks. They’re promoted more often, have higher incomes, and live happier lives. That’s not a coincidence. The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek word entheos. Theos is a term for “God.”

 

When you’re enthusiastic, you are full of God. When you get up in the morning excited about life, recognizing that each day is a gift, you are motivated to pursue your goals. You will have a favor and blessing that will cause you to succeed.

 

The eight undeniable quality of a winner is that they stay passionate throughout their lives. Too many people have lost their enthusiasm. At one time they were excited about their futures and passionate about their dreams, but along the way they hit some setbacks. They didn’t get the promotions they wanted, maybe a relationship didn’t work out, or they had health issues. Something took the wind out of their sails. They’re just going through the motions of life; getting up, going to work, and coming home.

 

God didn’t breathe His life into us so we would drag through the day. He didn’t create us in His image, crown us with His favor, and equip us with His power so that we would have no enthusiasm.

 

You may have had some setbacks. The wind may have been taken out of your sails, but this is a new day. God is breathing new life into you. If you shake off the blahs and get your passion back, then the winds will start blowing once again--not against you, but for you. When you get in agreement with God, He will cause things to shift in your favor.

 

Some people have become so critical-minded that no matter what is done for them, it’s not right. They never see the good their spouses are doing. They’ve forgotten the reasons they fell in love. It’s because they’re magnifying the wrong things.

 

If you struggle in this area, make a list of the qualities you like about your spouse. Write down the good things your spouse does. He may not be a great communicator, but he’s a hard worker. Write it down. She may have some weaknesses, but she’s a great mother. She’s smart. She’s fun. Put that on your list and go over it every day.

 

Start focusing on those good qualities. Your entire outlook is poisoned when you operate out of a critical spirit. You won’t communicate properly. You won’t want to do things together. It will affect you in every area. You have to make a shift. Start appreciating that person’s strengths and learn to downplay the weaknesses.

 

Everyone has faults and habits that can get on your nerves. The key is to recognize what you are magnifying. You are magnifying the wrong thing when you let the critical spirit take over. That’s when you’ll start complaining that the wrong egg was fried. There are relationships today where two good people are married. They have great potential, but a critical spirit is driving them apart. When you are critical you start nagging: “You never take out the trash. You never talk to me. You’re always late.”

 

People respond to praise more than they respond to criticism. The next time you want your husband to mow the lawn, instead of nagging, “Why don’t you ever mow the lawn, you lazy thing?” say instead, “Did I ever tell you that when you mow the lawn you look really good out there, and when your muscles bulge out of your shirt and that sweat drips down your face you look so handsome and attractive?” You praise him like that, and he’ll mow the lawn every day! People respond to praise.

 

God says He will pay you back double for the unfair things that have happened. That person who did you wrong and thought they were hurting you—the truth is, they were helping you. They qualified you for double.

 

In the Bible, God called Gideon a mighty man of (fearless) courage. Gideon looked around and said, “Who’s He talking to? That’s not me.” God had an assignment for Gideon, something great for him to accomplish, but Gideon had not renewed his mind. He had these toxic thoughts. God saw him as strong, but Gideon saw himself as weak, defeated, not able to.

 

God wanted him to lead the people of Israel and to defeat an opposing army, but Gideon said, “God, I can’t do that. I’m the least one in my father’s house. I come from the poorest family. I don’t have the education, the skills, the courage.”

 

Notice how Gideon perceived himself compared to how God saw him. God said he was a mighty man of fearless courage. If God were to call your name today, He wouldn’t say, “Hello, you weak worm of the dust. Hello, you failure. Hello, you ol’ sinner. How’s My loser doing today?” God would say the same sort of thing to you that He said to Gideon: “Hello, Mary, you mighty woman of fearless courage.” Or “Hello, Bob, you mighty man of fearless courage.”

 

I wonder if you would be like Gideon and say, “God, who are You talking to? Don’t You know what family I come from? Haven’t You seen the mistakes I’ve made? Let me remind You of some of them. God, You know I’m not that talented. Why are You calling me a mighty man?”

 

The problem is, you have allowed these wrong thoughts to infect your thinking. But thank God this is a new day. You are beginning a new diet. You are starting a fast by cutting out every negative, discouraging, can’t do it thought.

 

When those wrong thoughts come up, instead of saying like Gideon, “I’m not able. Who am I?” Turn it around and say, “I know who I am. I am well able. I’m ready for my assignment. God I am who You say I am.”

 

I believe in the coming days God will present you with new opportunities. New doors will open. New people will come across your path. Maybe there will even be a new career opportunity. If you are to reach a new level, you must have a new way of thinking. You have to clean out the old so you’ll have room for the new. I’m asking you to detox all the garbage telling you what you’re not and what you can’t do. Remove all those strongholds. Detox little dreams. Detox low self-esteem. Detox the negative words. Stay on your diet.

 

Every morning go through a good cleanse. Start the day off in faith. If you’ll guard your mind and instead of letting it get toxic keep it full of faith-filled thoughts, God promises you’ll overcome every obstacle, you’ll defeat every enemy, and every dream and every desire God has put in your heart will come to pass.

 

You don’t need everyone to be for you; you just need the right people to be for you. God has already ordained divine connections that will help you fulfill your purpose.

 

None of us likes difficulties. If we had a choice, we wouldn't go through them. But challenges prepare you for your future.

 

I knew another good man whose wealth was estimated at more than nine billion dollars. He’s in heaven now, but he’d made it big in the oil business after starting with nothing. He loved God and always helped others. Among many other things, he owned a big retreat center where people could come and get away for a weekend and be refreshed.

 

One time a couple showed up at the retreat’s front desk when the receptionist had stepped away. My friend the multibillionaire just happened to be there. He was an older man, very friendly and humble. He checked in the couple, gave them their keys, then grabbed their suitcases and carried them to the room. He set them up, laid out their bags, and even brought ice for them.

 

He was about to leave them when the lady pulled a five-dollar bill from her purse and gave him a tip. She thought he was the bellman. He just smiled and said, “Thank you, Lord, now I’ve got nine billion and five dollars!”

 

I love the fact that he wasn’t too important to serve. He didn’t say, “Excuse me, I don’t need a tip. I own it all. Do you know who I am?” It takes a big person to do something small. It takes humility to say, “I don’t have to do this. It’s not required of me. I could have somebody else do it. Nobody would fault me if I didn’t, but I know in order to serve God, I need to serve other people.”

 

We are responsible for helping and encouraging others, for guiding them further along. But we are not responsible for their choices. You cannot force a good attitude upon someone. If they want to live in the pits, unhappy, discouraged, and in self-pity, that’s their choice. Do not allow them to drag you into the pit with them.

 

If you spend all your time trying to encourage others, trying to make them do what’s right, trying to keep them cheered up, they’ll drain all the life and energy out of you. You cannot bloom if you spend all your time trying to keep others happy. That is not your responsibility.

 

I learned long ago that not everyone wants to be happy. Some people want to live in the pits. They like the attention it brings them. Make the decision to say: “If you don’t want to be happy, that’s fine, but you can’t keep me from being happy. If you want to live in the pits, that’s your choice, but I’m not diving in there with you. If you want to be a weed, you can be a weed, but I’m a flower. I’m blooming. I’m choosing a good attitude. I’m smiling. I’m happy despite my circumstances.

 

When you bloom in the midst of weeds, you sow a seed to inspire and challenge the people around you to come up higher, and that’s a seed for God to take you higher.

 

You may be in a negative environment right now. The people in your life may not be going places. They may lack goals, dreams, vision, enthusiasm. You may not see how you could ever rise above. It might be easy to just accept and settle where you are and think this is your destiny.

 

Let me challenge you. This is not your destiny. You were made for more. God has incredible things planned for your future, but you have to do your part and bloom where you’re planted. What does that mean? Develop your gifts and talents. Whatever you do, whatever your occupation is, do your best to be the best. Improve your skills. Read books. Take training courses. Go back to school if you need to. But don’t you dare just sit back and think, I’ll never rise any higher. I’ll never get out of this neighborhood. I guess this is just my lot in life.

 

Your lot in life is to excel. It’s to go further. It’s to make a difference in this world. Take a stand and say, “I will not settle where I am. I was made for more. I’m a child of the Most High God. I have seeds of greatness on the inside. So I am rising up to be the best I can be right here, knowing God will take me where I’m supposed to go.”

 

I know some things do seem far out or very unlikely, but don’t ever say: “I can’t imagine that.” You see somebody really fit and energetic when you’re trying to get back in shape, you may think: “I can’t imagine looking like that.” You may drive by a nice house and say, “I can’t imagine living in this neighborhood.” Or you may have thought: “I can’t imagine publishing a book.” “I can’t imagine owning my own business.” “I can’t imagine being that successful.”

 

The problem is you’re being limited by your own imagination. You’ve got to change what you’re seeing. Don’t let negative thoughts paint those pictures. Use your imagination to see yourself accomplishing dreams, rising higher, overcoming obstacles, being healthy, strong, blessed, and prosperous.

 

Being offended, upset, and frustrated over what didn’t work out will only keep you in mediocrity. It’s time to drop it and move forward. You may be a product of your past, but you don’t have to be a prisoner of your past.

 

“Father, I thank You that I have Your favor. Your favor is opening doors of opportunity. Your favor is bringing success into my life. Your favor is causing people to want to help me.” Then go out with confidence, expecting good things to happen, expecting doors to open for you that may not open for somebody else, knowing that you have an advantage. There’s something special about you. You have the favor of God.

 

But for the grace of God, that could be me.

 

If you want a great life, it doesn’t just come from success, having a bigger house, or more accomplishments. There’s nothing wrong with those things. God wants you to be blessed. But if you want to truly be fulfilled, you have to develop the habit of serving others. You were created to give. You were created to make the lives of others better. Someone needs what you have. Someone needs your love. Someone needs your smile. Someone needs your encouragement and your gifts.

 

When you serve others, there will be a satisfaction that money can’t buy. You’ll feel a peace, a joy, a strength, and a fulfillment that only God can give.

 

Sometimes your family will not be your biggest cheerleader. They may not encourage you. You’ve got to listen to what God’s telling you and not to what other people may tell you. People will try to talk you out of the dream in your heart.

 

I love this Scripture verse: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us” (1 John 2:19 NKJV). When people leave your life, they are no longer a part of your destiny. Their time is over. If you stay open, God will give you people who are not just with you, but for you.

 

That’s a big difference. When you’re only with me, you’re there as long as I perform perfectly, as long as I give you everything you need, as long as I don’t make any mistakes. But when you’re not just with me but you’re for me, you believe the best in me.

 

You don’t try to control me. You give me room to make mistakes. You don’t need my attention all the time. You give more to the relationship than you take away. That’s the kind of people God wants to bring into your life. You don’t have to try to make this happen. Just be your best each day, and God will bring you divine connections. And then when the season for that relationship is over, you don’t have to be upset. You can let the other person leave with your blessing, continuing to love and respect him or her.

 

I’ve learned this: God will always bring the right people into your life, but you have to let the wrong people walk away. The right people will never show up if you don’t clear out the wrong people.

 

This is what Paul told Timothy in the Bible: “Stir up the gift, fan the flame.” When you stir up the passion, your faith will allow God to do amazing things.

 

The Bible tells a story about Jesus and the disciples traveling a long way to Samaria. They were tired and hungry. Jesus sent the disciples into town to get food while He waited at the well. There He met a woman. He told her about her future and gave her a new beginning.

 

The disciples came back a few hours later with the food, but Jesus wasn’t hungry anymore. He wasn’t tired, either. He was sitting by the well satisfied, at peace. They were surprised. They tried to offer Him something to eat, but He wouldn’t take it.

 

He said, “I have food that you know nothing about.” They thought maybe somebody came while they were gone and gave Him something to eat. They talked about it: “He was tired a minute ago; now He’s refreshed. He was hungry, but now He says He’s satisfied. How could that be?

 

Jesus overheard them trying to figure it out. He told them the secret. He said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, to accomplish his work.” He was saying, “I get fed by doing what God wants me to do. I get nourished when I help people. My food, strength, peace, joy, and satisfaction come when I serve others.

 

It may take a little time to see it come to pass, but it’s on the way. Don’t get talked out of it. Don’t let what’s not happening discourage you. Keep believing, keep thanking God, and you’re going to see what He has spoken over your life.

 

Don't use your energy to worry; use your energy to believe.

 

Be wary of people who play up to your weaknesses as a way to convince you that you need them in your life. They’ll try to make you think you’re not smart enough on your own. You’re not talented enough, and you need them to make up for what you’re lacking. Don’t believe those lies.

 

Does your vision increase around your friends or does it decrease? Do you leave motivated, challenged, or are you discouraged, drained? Not every friend will inspire you, but you should have one or two that light a fire on the inside, that push you forward.

 

Keep thanking God that it’s coming; keep believing when it’s not improving. Don’t be moved by what’s not changing; walk by faith and not by sight.

 

Don’t take anything for granted, not even the fact that you were able to get out of bed this morning without any help. When you opened your eyes, you could see. When you told your legs to walk, they obeyed. When your spouse said, “I love you,” you could hear it. When your child gave you a hug, you could feel that embrace. When you ate breakfast, you could taste the food.

 

Every one of us can look back and see times where God has left us handfuls of blessings on purpose, something we didn’t deserve, we didn’t have to struggle for, we didn’t even ask for it. We just stumbled into it. Now here is my challenge: Don’t apologize for God’s goodness. Don’t downplay what God has done in your life. Don’t make excuses because a friend might be jealous. Don’t try to hide God’s blessings because a co-worker might judge you and think it’s not fair.

 

One key to happiness is to wear your blessings well. You may not feel you deserved a blessing, but favor is not always fair. It’s just the goodness of God. The moment you start apologizing for what God has done and downplaying His goodness, God will find somebody else to favor.

 

I’m not saying you should show off and brag on what you have and how great you are. But you should brag on how great God is. We used to sing a song growing up called “Look What the Lord Has Done.” That’s the song to sing. All through the day, praise God’s goodness. When you’re bragging on God’s goodness, when you’re giving Him all the credit, you are wearing your blessings well.

 

David said in Psalm 118:23, “This was the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (NKJV). That is a great attitude. Give Him credit for every good thing that happens: “This was the Lord’s doing.”

 

When you keep your vision in front of you, that’s your faith being released. That’s why the scripture uses such strong language that says people perish for lack of vision. That means dreams die when you don’t have vision. If you can’t see what God has put in your heart, then you’ll miss the incredible things God wants to do.

 

Judges 6-7 tells the story of a man named Gideon who faced three armies marching against him and his men. As Gideon prepared for the battle, God said, “You have too many people with you. If you win with this many, you’ll be tempted to think you did it on your own strength and I won’t get the credit I deserve.”

 

To trim the numbers, God told him to let everybody who was afraid to go home. I can imagine Gideon was depressed and fearful he’d lose the battle because he didn’t have enough warriors. But God wasn’t done trimming down his army.

 

“Gideon, you still have too many people,” God said. His army dropped from 32,000 to just 300 by the time God was done. I’m sure Gideon thought his depleted forces would be wiped out. But it’s not important how many you have on your side. What is important is having the right people on your side. Gideon and his three hundred men defeated tens of thousands of enemy troops.

 

Too many people base their worth and value on what other people think of them. They worry if others like them, approve of them, or think of them as important. Because of such insecurities, they are constantly playing up to others, trying to win their favor and to meet others’ every expectation.

 

When you do that, you set yourself up to be controlled and manipulated. You allow others to put you in a box. Some people do not follow their dreams because they are so concerned about falling from the good grace of others. You may lose the approval of others if you follow your own dreams. But if your friends approve of you only when you meet their expectations, they aren’t true friends. They are manipulators. They are controllers.

 

There is a real freedom when you realize you don’t need the approval of others. You have almighty God’s approval. Don’t try to keep everyone around you happy. Some people don’t even want to be happy. You’ve got to be secure enough to say, “I love you, but I won’t allow you to control me. You may not give me your blessing, but that’s okay. I have God’s blessing. And I’m not a people pleaser; I’m a God pleaser.

 

Take charge of your life. If you’re being manipulated and pressured into being someone you are not, it’s not the other person’s fault, it’s your own fault. You control your destiny. You can be nice. You can be respectful. But do not allow anyone to make you feel guilty for being your own person.

 

Life is too short to spend it trying to keep others happy. You cannot please everyone. To fulfill your destiny, stay true to your heart. Do not let anyone squeeze you into a mold.

 

If you’ll be grateful where you are, then God can get you to where you want to be. Go through the day with expectancy. That’s how you have continual joy. When you have joy, you have the strength you need to achieve your dreams.

 

You don’t have to hide your happiness, your peace, your victory, or your possessions. You don’t have to dress down and look poor and pitiful and depressed to show people you are humble. When you wear your blessings well, giving God all the credit, talking about His goodness, thanking Him for what He has done, that’s what really brings honor to our God.

 

If God has blessed you with financial success or helped you through a challenge in a relationship, a job, your health, or your finances, wear that blessing well. Tell everyone what God has done for you. If they make fun of you like they make fun of me and ask why you are so happy, just tell them, “I’m wearing my blessing well. God has been so good to me I can’t keep it to myself. I’ve got to tell somebody. I once was lost, but now I’m found. I should be dead, but I’m still alive. Look what the Lord has done.

 

Some critics and doubters may tell you to calm down or chill out on the happiness stuff. Let that go in one ear and out the other. Keep wearing your blessings well, and over time, instead of them affecting you, you will inject them. You will help them come up higher.

 

When you dress your best, you’re wearing your blessings well. When you step up and take that promotion, you’re wearing your blessings well.

 

When God opens the door and you move into that new house you’ve been believing for, others may be critical. But don’t allow those who are negative, jealous, judgmental, bitter, angry, and nonsmiling to bring you down.

 

If you want to please God and live in happiness, don’t drag around broke, defeated, or depressed. Wear your blessings well. Step up to a new level. Enjoy God’s favor. Be proud of who you are and of what God has done in your life.

 

We weren’t created to live a small life with little goals, little dreams, little influence. God created us to live an abundant life. No matter where you are, you’re not supposed to get stuck at that level and stay there. God is a God of increase. He has something bigger in your future.

 

Father in heaven, thank You that I can set my mind on what is above, on the truths of Your Word that lift me up. Thank You for the dreams and the promises that You have given to me. I believe that You are bringing them to pass even now, because You are God and You are for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

I love what Jesus said in Luke 19:29-30: “Everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life” (NLT). Notice it doesn’t say when you get to heaven God will bless you. It says, right here on the earth, if you give up anything for God’s sake, He will reward you more than you can even imagine.

 

If you want to bless your children, start declaring God’s goodness in their lives. Start boldly declaring, “God’s face is smiling toward you, and He longs to be good to you. I declare that you are blessed with an obedient heart, with success, with supernatural wisdom, and you have clear direction for your life.”

 

Set your mind for victory.

 

You may not realize it, but that’s setting the tone for defeat, for failure, for a lousy day. The first thing you should do is get your mind going in the right direction. This is why many people don’t have enough energy, joy, vision, or passion. Their minds are set on the negative. It’s been that way so long they don’t know any better. It’s normal to them.

 

They go through the day expecting problems, bad breaks, to barely get by, and to be mistreated. They live by Murphy’s Law, which says, “If anything can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible time. Things will take longer than you thought. It will be more difficult than it seems.

 

Because these people haven’t set their minds, they expect negative things to happen. They wonder why they have such a tough time, and why they can’t get ahead. It’s because they’re setting their minds for defeat, for bad breaks, for failure.

 

If you have fallen into that negative mind-set, you’ve got to change your outlook. You are a child of the Most High God. You’ve been crowned with favor. You were never created to live an average, get-by, short-end-of-the-stick life. You were created to be the head and not the tail, to lend and not borrow, to reign in life as a king. You have royalty in your blood. Winning is in your DNA.

 

Now get rid of that negative mentality, and set your mind for victory. Set your mind for increase. Set your mind for good breaks. Start expecting your plans to work out. Expect people to be good to you. Expect to have a productive day.

 

If it doesn’t happen, don’t fall back into that old negative mentality by thinking things like: “I should have known it would not work out for me. I never get good breaks. I never find a good parking spot. These people never treat me right. It always takes me longer than anyone else.

 

Be the solution, not the problem.

 

One way you’ll be invaluable is learn to be a problem solver. That’s what Joseph was. He was solution oriented. Don’t go to your boss and say, “Our department is falling apart. This manager is about to quit. Bob cursed out Jim, and Bill keeps leaving early. Nobody paid our taxes last month. What do you want me to do?

 

That’s not the way to get promoted. If you present a problem, always present a solution as well. If you can’t present a solution, hold it until you can figure out something.

 

A child can come tell me the building is on fire. That’s easy. That doesn’t take any skill. But I want somebody to tell me not only is the building on fire, but also the fire department is on the way, all the people are safe, the insurance company has been notified, and temporary quarters have been arranged. If you want to be invaluable to your organization, present your bosses with solutions, not problems.

 

God will be your vindicator. He knows how to take care of the opposition. He hears what they’re saying; He sees the disrespect. If you’ll stay in peace, He’ll fight your battles. When God does it, it will be better than you could have done it.

 

I’m blessed, I’m prosperous, and I’m a difference maker. I’m going to set a new standard for my family. We’re going into our Promised Land.

 

You can’t become who you were created to be without opposition, things you don’t understand. The way to endure is to remind yourself that what God has in your future is not just going to make up for what you’ve been through, but He is going to bring you out better.

 

God is saying today, “You need to get ready. Where you are is not permanent. I have explosive blessings coming your way. I will increase you beyond your salary. I will bless you beyond your normal income. I will suddenly change things in your life.”

 

God has the final say. He wouldn’t have put the dream in your heart or given you that promise if He didn’t have a way to bring it to pass.

 

Know that the “Best Possible You” may not be as successful as your neighbor, but that’s okay. The best you may not be as thin as your sister, but that’s fine. The best you may not be as talented, as dynamic, or as outgoing as your co-worker, but that’s all right, too.

 

Be comfortable with the person God made you to be. You can’t get distracted and lose your focus by comparing yourself to others. Run your own race.

 

It may not happen the way you expect it or no your timetable, but God is a faithful God. It will happen.

 

Maybe right now you can’t see how to overcome an obstacle, accomplish your dreams, or forgive someone who hurt you, but understand that when you get there God will hand you the ticket. He purchased it two thousand years ago on a cross at Calvary.

 

Father, thank You that You have made this day, and every day, for me to rise up and be more than a conqueror. Thank You that I can think myself happy by filling my mind with thoughts of hope, faith, and victory as I focus on You and Your promises to me. I declare that my best days are in front of me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

I have a friend who puts me to shame in the way he is so romantic with his wife. He plans big weekend getaways with her. He writes beautiful poetry to her. He’ll go on for hours about how beautiful she is in their conversations. I want to tell him, “Would you quit doing that? You’re making me look bad.” But I’ve learned I’m not Romeo. I’m Joel-eo.

 

I know I am blessed today because I had parents who honored God. I also had grandparents who prayed for me and modeled a life of excellence.

 

God is in complete control. He knows the end from the beginning. God knows what you will need a week from now, a month from now, even ten years from now. And the good news is He’s already taking care of you.

 

The good news is, nobody can be a better you than you.

 

If you will stay free from a spirit of competition and just run your race, you'll not only enjoy your life more, but you'll also see your gifts and talents come out to the full. Because when you celebrate others, God will celebrate you.

 

God, if You say I’m blessed then I believe I’m blessed. My checkbook may not say I’m blessed. The economy may not say I’m blessed. The medical report doesn’t say I’m blessed. But God, I know You have the ultimate authority. Since You say I’m blessed, my report is I am blessed.

 

It’s the simple things in life that bring us the most joy. You may not have a lot of resources, but if you have family, you’re blessed. If you have your health, you’re blessed. If you can look up at the stars at night, you’re blessed.

 

You need to take back control of your happiness. Quit putting it in someone else’s hands. Make up your mind that no matter what people do, no matter what they say, how they treat you, they’re not going to steal your joy.

 

You are not a victim. You’re a victor. You wouldn’t have opposition if there were not something amazing in your future. Keep a smile on your face. Keep a spring in your step. Stay positive. Stay hopeful. God is still on the throne.

 

Being sour, negative, and pessimistic, and expecting the worst, will keep you from your destiny. You may have had a lot of negative, unfair things happen in your past, but don’t let that become a stronghold, or a mind-set where you think that’s all there’s ever going to be. Don’t live with that negative mentality.

 

If God showed you all He has planned for you, it would boggle your mind. If you could see the doors He’s going to open, the opportunities that will cross your path, and the people who will show up, you’d be so amazed, excited, and passionate, it would be easy to set your mind for victory.

 

This is what faith is all about. You got to believe it before you see it.

 

God’s favor is surrounding you like a shield. Every setback is a setup for a comeback. Every bad break, every disappointment, and every person who does you wrong is part of the plan to get you to where you’re supposed to be.

 

Don’t fall into the trap of being negative, complacent, or just taking whatever life brings your way. Set the tone for victory, for success, for new levels. Enlarge your vision. Make room for God to do something new. You haven’t touched the surface of what He has in store.

 

Your destiny is too great to reach on your own. God has already arranged supporters to speak faith into you. He has placed others in your path to inspire you, to challenge you, to help you grow and accomplish your dreams. But some people never reach their highest potential because they never get away from the wrong people.

 

Not everyone can go where God is taking you. Connect with those who understand your destiny, friends who appreciate your uniqueness, encouragers who can call forth your seeds of greatness. You do not need those who push you down, tell you what you can’t become, and never give their approval even when you do well.

 

You have to accept that some people are not going to be for you and that’s okay. You don’t need them to fulfill your destiny. Your job is to guard your heart. Don’t let the offense, the bitterness, the poison get in. You do your part and God will do His part.

 

And sometimes you have to do this by faith. You may not feel victorious. It may not look like you’re blessed. But I like that saying, “You’ve got to fake it until you make it.” By faith you need to walk like a king, talk like a king, think like a king, dress like a king, smile like a king. Don’t go by what you see. Go by what you know.

 

If you cannot be positive, then at least be quiet.

 

If you don’t cut off negative information it will depress you. Step out of the natural and say, “This may be impossible with men, but I know with God all things are possible.”

 

This is what faith is all about. You got to believe it before you see it. God’s favor is surrounding you like a shield. Every setback is a setup for a comeback. Every bad break, every disappointment, and every person who does you wrong is part of the plan to get you to where you’re supposed to be.

 

Get your hopes up.

 

I was talking to a reporter one time, and I could tell he didn’t like the fact that my message is so positive and so hopeful. He asked what I would tell a person who lost a job and was about to lose a home and had no place to go and all sorts of other problems. He painted the worst possible situation.

 

I said, First of all, I would encourage that person to get up and find something to be grateful for, and secondly, I would encourage the person to expect things to turn around, expect new doors to open, expect breakthroughs.

 

The scripture says, “When darkness overtakes the righteous, light will come bursting in.” When you don’t see a way out, and it’s dark, you’re in prime position for God’s favor to come bursting in.

 

The reporter said, “Wouldn’t that be giving them false hope?” Here’s the alternative: I could tell them be negative, bitter, give up, complain, and be depressed. All that would do is make matters worse. You may be in a difficult situation, but instead of being negative just dig in your heels and say, “I refuse to live with a negative attitude. I’m not giving up on my dreams. I’m not living without passion or zeal. I may not see a way, but I know God has a way. It may be dark, but I’m expecting the light to come bursting in. I’m setting my mind for victory.”

 

That’s what allows God to work. It’s not just mind over matter. It’s not just having a positive attitude. It’s your faith being released. When you believe, it gets God’s attention. When you expect your dreams to come to pass, your health restored, and good breaks and divine connections coming your way, then the Creator of the Universe goes to work.

 

Seeds of greatness are in you.

 

My question for you is this: Are you really alive? Are you passionate about your life or are you stuck in a rut, letting the pressures of life weigh you down, or taking for granted what you have? You weren’t created to simply exist, to endure, or to go through the motions; you were created to be really alive.

 

You have seeds of greatness on the inside. There’s something more for you to accomplish. The day you quit being excited about your future is the day you quit living. When you quit being passionate about your future, you go from living to merely existing.

 

In the natural there may not be anything for you to be excited about. When you look into the future, all you see is more of the same. You have to be strong and say, “I refuse to drag through this day with no passion. I am grateful that I’m alive. I’m grateful that I can breathe without pain. I’m grateful that I can hear my children playing. I am grateful that I was not hurt in that accident. I’m grateful that I have opportunity. I’m not just alive--I’m really alive.”

 

This is what Paul told Timothy in the Bible: “Stir up the gift, fan the flame.” When you stir up the passion, your faith will allow God to do amazing things. If you want to remain passionate, you cannot let what once was a miracle become ordinary. When you stared that new job you were so excited. You told all your friends. You knew it was God’s favor. Don’t lose the excitement just because you’ve had it for five years.

 

When you fell in love after meeting the person of your dreams, you were on cloud nine. You knew this match was the result of God’s goodness. Don’t take it for granted. Remember what God has done.

 

When your children were born, you cried for joy. Their births were miracles. You were so excited. Now you have teenagers and you’re saying, “God, why did you do this to me?”

 

Don’t let what was once a miracle become so common that it’s ordinary. Every time you see your children you should say, “Thank you, Lord, for the gift you’ve given me.”

 

We worked for three years to acquire the former Houston Rockets basketball arena for our church. During that time, it was still for sports and music events. When there wasn’t a ball game or concert, Victoria and I would come up late at night and walk around it. We’d pray and ask God for His favor.

 

When the city leaders approved our purchase, we celebrated. It was a dream come true. Nearly ten years later, it’s easy to get used to. Holding services in such a huge building could become common, ordinary, and routine because we’ve been doing it so long now. But I have to admit that every time I walk in the building, I can’t help but say, “God, thank you. You have done more than I can ask or think.”

 

If you remove the negative people from your life, God will bring positive people into it. Is your inner circle of friends holding you back? Are those closest to you with you but not for you? If you find that it takes constant effort to win their support and encouragement, they likely don’t understand your destiny.

 

The Scripture says, “Do not throw your pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6 NASB). You could say your pearl is your gift, your personality. It’s who you are. When you get around true friends, people who really believe in you, they won’t be jealous of your gifts. They won’t constantly question who you are. They won’t try to talk you out of your dreams. It will be just the opposite. They’ll help you polish your pearl. They’ll give you ideas. They’ll connect you with people they know. They’ll help push you further along.

 

Do not waste time with people who don’t value your gifts or appreciate what you have to offer. That’s casting your pearl before swine. Those closest to you should celebrate who you are and be happy when you succeed. They should believe the very best of you.

 

If that doesn’t describe those in your inner circle, move them out. You can be nice. You can still be friends from a distance. But your time is too valuable to spend with people who are not 100 percent for you. It’s not the quantity of friends that’s important; it’s the quality of friends.

 

You may have had a thousand bad breaks, but don’t use that as an excuse to be negative. One good break can make up for all the bad breaks. One touch of God’s favor can catapult you further than you ever imagined. You may feel like you’re getting behind. You’re not where you thought you would be in life. Don’t worry; God knows how to make up for lost time. He knows how to accelerate things.

 

Now you’ve got to do your part. Shake off a negative mentality. Shake off pessimism, discouragement, and self-pity. Get your fire back. Life is passing you by. You don’t have time to waste being negative. You have a destiny to fulfill. You have an assignment to accomplish. What’s in your future is greater than anything you’ve seen in your past. We need to get rid of Murphy’s Law and live by just the opposite. Your attitude should be: “If anything can go right today, it will go right and happen to me at the best time. Nothing will be as difficult as it looks. Nothing will take as long as it seems.

 

Why? You are highly favored. Almighty God is breathing in your direction. You’ve been anointed, equipped, and empowered.
Some may claim I’m just getting hopes up, and trying to get people to be more positive. It’s true, and here’s why: God is a positive God. There is nothing negative about Him. If you’re negative, sour, or pessimistic, you’re going against the flow of God.

 

When we fly from Houston to Los Angeles, it always takes thirty minutes longer to get there than it does to come home. It’s because the jet stream flows from west to east. When we’re headed there, there’s a large mass of air always blowing against us, slowing us down. The other day we had a 120-mile-per-hour headwind. The plane has to work harder, use more fuel, and expend more energy. But when we travel back home, it’s just the opposite. The jet stream is working in our favor, pushing us forward and making it easier, saving us time and energy.

 

The same principles apply in life. When you are positive, hopeful, and expecting good things, you are in the jet stream of almighty God. Things will be easier. You will accomplish more, live happier, and see increase and favor. But when you are negative, discouraged, everything’s a struggle; you have to work harder and you can’t enjoy life.

 

When you start seeing yourself as His favorite, you’ll go to Him with confidence, you’ll pray bold prayers, you’ll ask Him for your dreams, you’ll believe for your health to turn around, you’ll expect new doors to open, you’ll move up to the next level—not because of who you are, but because of Who your Father is. You know He’ll go out of His way to be good to you.

 

I don’t want any strangers coming in my home. That’s where you live. That’s your home. You need to have that same thinking when it comes to your mind. “This is where I live. This is who I am. This is my future. I’m not going to let just any thought come in and have a permanent home. I’m going to guard the doorway to my mind and only give a room to thoughts of hope, thoughts of faith, and thoughts of victory.

 

This is going to be a great day. God is guiding and directing my steps. His favor is surrounding me. Goodness and mercy are following me. I’m excited about today!

 

In the scripture, God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. In the natural it was impossible. Abraham didn’t have one child. He was eighty years old. But God didn’t just give him the promise; God gave him a picture to look at.

 

God said, “Abraham, go out and look at the stars--that’s how many descendants you will have.” I’ve read where there are six thousand stars in the Eastern sky where he was. It’s not a coincidence that there are six thousand promises in the scripture. God was saying, “Every promise that you can get a vision for, I will bring it to pass.

 

God told him also to look at the grains of sand at the seashore, because that was how many relatives he would have. Why did God give him a picture? God knew there would be times when it would look as if the promise would not come to pass, and Abraham would be discouraged and tempted to give up.

 

In those times, Abraham would go out at night and look up at the sky. When he saw the stars, faith would rise in his heart. Something would tell him, “It’s going to happen, I can see it.

 

In the morning when his thoughts told him, “You’re too old, it’s too late, you heard God wrong,” he would go down to the beach and look at the grains of sand. His faith would be restored.

 

Like Abraham, there will be times when it seems as if your dreams are not coming to pass. It’s taking so long. The medical report doesn’t look good. You don’t have the resources. Business is slow. You could easily give up.

 

But like Abraham, you’ve got to go back to that picture. Keep that vision in front of you. When you see the key to your new house, the outfit for your baby, the tennis shoes for when you’re healthy, the picture frame for your spouse, the article inspiring you to build an orphanage, those pictures of what you’re dreaming about will keep you encouraged

 

God is saying to you what He said to Abraham: “If you can see it, then I can do it. If you have a vision for it, then I can make a way. I can open up new doors. I can bring the right people. I can give you the finances. I can break the chains holding you back.

 

Don’t fall into the trap of being negative, complacent, or just taking whatever life brings your way. Set the tone for victory, for success, for new levels. Enlarge your vision. Make room for God to do something new. You haven’t touched the surface of what He has in store.

 

If you want to see God do wonders in your marriage, start praising your spouse. Start appreciating and encouraging her. Every single day, a husband should tell his wife, “I love you. I appreciate you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” A wife should do the same for her husband. Your relationship would improve immensely if you’d simply start speaking kind, positive words, blessing your spouse instead of cursing him or her.”

 

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” ISAIAH 55:9

 

These are simple things winners do to keep growing and bettering themselves. You don’t have to spend three hours a day studying. Just take advantage of the time you’re not using right now.

 

Podcasts are another great tool. You can download messages and listen to them whenever you want. This year we will give away 100 million copies of my messages at no charge. You can sign up for them on iTunes and listen as often as you want. That’s a growth plan.

 

If you want to keep growing you need to have good mentors, people who have been where you want to go, people who know more than you. Let them speak into your life. Listen to their ideas. Learn from their mistakes. Study how they think and how they got to where they are.

 

I heard about a company that held a sales class for several hundred employees. The speaker asked if anyone knew the names of the top three salespeople. Every person raised a hand.

 

He then asked how many of them had gone to lunch with these top salespeople and taken time to find out how they do what they do? Not one hand went up.

 

There are people all around us whom God put in our paths on purpose so we can gain wisdom, insight, and experience, but we have to be open to learning from them. Look around and find the winners you could learn from.

 

I say this respectfully: Don’t waste your valuable time with people who aren’t contributing to your growth. Life is too short to hang around people who are not going anywhere. Destination disease is contagious. If you’re with them long enough, their lack of ambition and energy will rub off on you.

 

Winners need to associate with inspiring people who build you up, people who challenge you to go higher, not anyone who pulls you down and convinces you to settle where you are. Your destiny is too important for that.

 

Young people often get caught up in trying to be popular instead of trying to be their best. I’ve found that in twenty years nobody will care whether you were popular in high school. Those who need attention and act up or wear a lot of bling and don’t study because it isn’t cool will find things change after high school.

 

You can set a new standard. You were made for more.

 

Don’t go around year after year expecting the same thing the same way. God is a God of increase. He has greater levels. Where you are is not where you’re supposed to stay. You’re supposed to rise higher. Have a bigger vision.

 

You may think it’s too late--your dreams are too big, your obstacles too difficult--but God is still on the throne. He still has a way to bring them to pass.

 

Sometimes you can work all day and you’ll get tired physically. But there are times when you go out of your way to be a blessing. You get up early to help a coworker. You stop by the hospital and pray for a friend. You mow a neighbor’s lawn after work.

 

Doing all that should make you tired and run-down, but you feel energized, stronger, and refreshed. Why is that?

 

When you do the will of your Father it doesn’t drain you, it replenishes you. You may volunteer in your community each week. You may get up early and go to church on your day off, maybe serving in the children’s ministry after working all week. You may clean houses in the community outreach Saturday morning. You may spend the afternoon at the prison encouraging the inmates. You’d think you would leave tired, worn out, run-down, and needing to go home and rest after volunteering all day. But just like with Jesus, when you help others, you get fed.

 

Strength, joy, energy, peace, wisdom, and healing come to those who serve. You should be run-down, but God reenergizes and refreshes you so that at the end of the day you aren’t down, you are up. You don’t leave low, you leave high. God pays you back.

 

Every time I leave one of our church services, I feel stronger than when I came in. It doesn’t make natural sense. I put out a lot of energy, spend long hours, and shake a lot of hands, but I go home reenergized. Why? Because when you serve others, making their lives better, lifting them, healing those who are hurting, you are blessing them and being blessed yourself. You are being fed. You’re being filled back up.

 

If you’re always tired and run-down, with no energy, it may be that you’re not doing enough for others. You’ve got to get your mind off yourself. Go to a retirement home and cheer up someone who is lonely. Bake your neighbor a cake. Coach the Little League team. Call a friend in the hospital.

 

As you lift others, God will lift you. This should not be something you do every once in a while, when you have extra time. This should be a lifestyle, where it’s a part of your nature. You don’t have to do something big--just small acts of kindness. A simple word of encouragement can make someone’s day.

 

Nothing you can do will make God love you more.

 

What am I saying? Don’t complain about that person who betrayed you. If they walked away, they didn’t set you back; they set you up. If that had not happened, you wouldn’t get to where you’re supposed to be. If they overlooked you, tried to push you down, and lied about you, it may not have been fair, but nothing happens by accident. If God allowed it, He knows how to use it for your good.

 

God, I need a fresh anointing. God, fill me with new strength, new ideas, new creativity, and new passion.” When you do that, God will breathe freshness onto your life.

 

Victoria was walking through the church hallway after a service one day when she saw a young lady coming toward her in a crowd of people. As she passed her, Victoria looked her in the eyes and said, “You are so beautiful.

 

They had a five-second conversation, and then they both went on their ways. That young lady told me a couple of weeks later that Victoria’s small kindness marked a turning point in her life. She had been through an abusive relationship. She felt so unattractive, so bad about herself, and beaten down by life.

 

She said when Victoria told her that she was beautiful, it was as if she’d broken the chains holding her back. Something came back to life inside her. The scripture says, “A kind word works wonders.” All through the day we can serve God by speaking kind words, offering compliments, giving encouragement, and lifting up those around us.

 

“You look great today.“ I appreciate you.” “I believe in you.”
“I’m praying for your family.”

 

Father, thank You that Your love is the real love that I need to change my life. Thank You that You sent Jesus as a sacrifice to take away my sins that I might receive Your love as a gift. I receive it now, and I believe I am the one whom You love. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

Knowing that you’re loved is what will give you the strength to do better and to break any chains that are holding you back.

 

TODAY’S THOUGHT You may have failed in some area of your life—we all have—but you’re not a failure. You may have had some bad breaks, but you are not a victim. You are who God says you are.

 

If what others say doesn’t match what God has put in your heart, let it go in one ear and out the other.

 

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ACTS 2:44–45

 

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18

 

When you know the time has been set, you’ll have a peace.

 

Father, today I lift my eyes to You, for my help comes from You. Thank You for doing a work in my life. I choose to cooperate with You and keep an attitude of faith. I believe You are using every situation in my life for my good. I declare You are preparing me for promotion! I praise You today no matter what is going on around me, knowing that You have a good plan for me in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

First John 4:10 says, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

 

That enemy didn’t defeat me; that enemy blessed me.” Now stay in faith, for God has your back. He wouldn’t allow the pressure if it weren’t going to work for your good. It may be Friday in your life, but Sunday is coming. You’re about to shoot out, stronger, healthier, promoted, vindicated, and better off than you were before.

 

God said, “If you will keep your mind fixed on Me, I will keep you in perfect peace.

 

Popularity is about wanting people to like you, but happiness is about liking yourself.

 

You are a child of the Most High God. You have royal blood flowing through your veins. God has crowned you with His favor.

 

I’m not moved by what’s not working out, by how long it’s been, by what hasn’t improved. I know what God has started in my life, He will finish. I know what He promised me will come to pass.

 

Quit complaining about what you’re going through, about how unfair it is, about who did you wrong. It may be uncomfortable, you may not like it, but it’s working for your good.

 

Just as there are seasons of growth, there are seasons of pruning. Without pruning, we won’t become all we are created to be. God won’t let you go through a cutback if it’s not going to eventually work for your good.

 

God, this is a dark place. I may not see it now, but I believe it’s working for me. I’m getting stronger. I’m developing patience and perseverance and learning to trust You.

 

The Lord is the God of abundance.

 

Love overlooks a person's faults.

 

Next level thinking says you’re not a finished product. God is still working on you. The Scripture speaks of how God changes us from glory to glory. You have to learn to enjoy the glory you’re in right now.

 

God has ways to increase you beyond your normal income.

 

Before long you’re going to be filled with faith. But you cannot soar with the eagles as long as you’re pecking around with the chickens.

 

Don’t let negative pictures play on the movie screen of your mind. You are the director and the audience. You are in charge. Take the remote control. Change the channel. If you let your imagination run wild, let it run wild in a positive direction.

 

You are closest to your victory when you face the greatest opposition.

 

God takes pleasure in prospering me.

 

They’re a part of His divine plan. Think of a seed. As long as a seed remains in the light, it cannot germinate and will never become what it was created to be. The seed must be planted in the soil, in a dark place, so that the potential on the inside will come to life. In the same way, there are seeds of greatness in us—dreams, goals, talents, potential—that will only come to life in a dark place.

 

The scripture talks about those who loved the praise of people more than the praise of God. One of the tests we all have to pass is when someone in our lives that we respect and look up to--a boss, a friend, a colleague, a relative--wants us to go one direction, when we know in our hearts that we should take another path.

 

We don’t want to hurt their feelings. We don’t want to lose their friendship. We want their approval. But if we are to fulfill our destinies, we have to be strong. We have to have this attitude: “I want the praise of God more than the praise of people. I have an assignment. I have a purpose. I will become who God created me to be.

 

I’ve learned if you please God and stay true to what He’s put in your heart, eventually you will have the praise of people. His favor, His anointing, His blessing, will cause you to excel.

 

You may lose a few friends early on. People may not understand why you don’t take their advice. They may think you’re making a big mistake, but later they’ll see you walking in the fullness of your destiny.

 

You will see new opportunities, new relationships, God’s favor on your life will increase if you quit worrying about what everyone thinks and do what God has put in your heart.

 

Everyone has an opinion. People will tell you how to run your life. They’ll have opinions on what you should wear, what you should drive, how you should spend your money, and how you should raise your children.

 

If you try to please everyone, I can guarantee you one thing 100 percent: You’ll be confused. You’ll be frustrated. Life will be miserable.
I live by this motto: Everyone has a right to an opinion, and I have every right to not listen to it. If what others say doesn’t match what God has put in your heart, let it go in one ear and out the other.

 

Don’t dwell on how big your mountains are, but instead remember how big your God is!

 

You’ve got to listen to what God’s telling you and not to what other people may tell you. People will try to talk you out of the dream in your heart.

 

We all have seen God’s goodness in some way. God opened a door, gave you a promotion, protected you on the freeway, and caused you to meet someone who has been a blessing. It was His hand of favor.

 

Don’t let it become ordinary. We should live in amazing at what God has done. When I look at my children I think, “God, you’re amazing.” When I see Victoria, I think, “God, you’ve been good to me.” Driving up to my house, I think, “Lord, thank you for your favor.

 

Don’t let your miracles become so common that they don’t excite you anymore. I read about this famous surgeon who continued to go to work every day even into his late eighties. He loved medicine. His staff tried to get him to retire and take it easy, but he wouldn’t do it. He had invented a certain procedure that he had performed over ten thousand times. It seemed so routine and so ordinary. He’d done it again and again. The surgeon was asked in an interview if he ever grew tired of performing his procedure and if it ever got old. He said, “No, because I act like every operation is my very first one.

 

He was saying, “I don’t take for granted what God has allowed me to do. I don’t let it become so ordinary that I lose the awe.” What has God done for you? Do you have healthy children? Do you have people to love? Do you have a place to work? Do you realize your gifts and talents come from God? Do you recognize what seemed like a lucky break was God directing your steps?

 

There are miracles all around us. Don’t take them for granted. Don’t lose the amazement of God’s works. Fan your flames. Stir up your gifts. Sometimes we hold back, thinking we’ll get excited when the next big thing comes along. Only then will we allow that spring back in our step. But I’ve learned if you aren’t happy where you are, you won’t get where you want to be.

 

You need to sow a seed. Maybe nothing exciting is going on; perhaps you’re facing big challenges. You could easily grow discouraged and give up on your dreams. But when you go to work with a smile, give it your best, offer kindness to others, you are sowing a seed.

 

God will take that seed and grow it to bring something exciting into your life. The scripture tells us God will take us from glory to glory and from victory to victory. You may be in between victories right now, but keep your passion and hold on to your enthusiasm. The good news is another victory is on its way, another level of glory and another level of God’s favor.

 

Don't focus on what's wrong. Things may not be perfect, but be grateful for the opportunity to experience each day. Live each day like it could be your last.

 

Are you writing off someone because they don’t believe, they’re not making good decisions, they’re against what you stand for? Start sowing seeds of love, showing mercy instead of judgment.

 

As long as you’re down on yourself, feeling as though you don’t measure up and can’t get it right, that’s not only going to keep you from enjoying your life, it’s going to keep you from improving.

 

When you see how God restores you, how He pays you back for what was unfair, how He brings you out better, your mourning is going to be turned to dancing, your sorrow turned to joy, that weeping turned to laughter.

 

God sees everything. He’s keeping the records. The Scripture says, “What you do in secret, God will reward in the open.” Don’t worry if you’re not getting credit. Don’t get discouraged if people don’t thank you. God sees your sacrifice.

 

God wants you to go further.

 

Father, thank You that I can let the message of Jesus dwell richly in all the rooms of my life. Thank You for all the wisdom, psalms, hymns, and songs of faith that are filling my mind. I declare to every fear and doubt that there is no vacancy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! Habakkuk 2:3 TLB

 

It’s like this country grandfather I heard about who took his grandson to town on a donkey. He started off letting his grandson ride the donkey as he walked alongside. Somebody passed by and said, “Look at that selfish boy making that old man walk.

 

The grandfather heard it and took the boy off. Then he rode the donkey as his grandson walking by his side. Somebody came along and said, “Look at that man making that little boy walk while he rides.” Hearing that, the grandfather pulled the little boy up with him, and they both started riding the donkey. In a few minutes, another person said, “How cruel of you and the boy to place such a heavy load on the donkey.” By the time they got to town, the grandfather and grandson were carrying the donkey!

 

God is saying when you stay full of joy, when you learn to offer up the sacrifice of praise, God will turn things in your favor. He will reverse negative situations. He will return, or restore, what’s been stolen.

 

But notice that restoration doesn’t come from complaining, being negative, or being sour. Restoration takes place when you have the voice of gladness, the voice of joy. That means you get up in the morning with a song in your heart. You go out each day with a smile on your face. Things may not always go your way, but you don’t become discouraged. You shake it off and count it all joy.

 

When you live that way, you might as well get ready. God will be reversing and restoring. He will reverse finances that have been down. He will reverse a struggling business. He will reverse a legal situation in your favor. He will reverse a health issue to heal you.

 

Not only that, God will restore what should have been yours. He will restore the years you lost because somebody did you wrong. He will restore a relationship that’s on the rocks. Restoration will occur because you have the voice of joy, the voice of gladness, and you keep offering up that sacrifice of praise.

 

Learn to count it all joy. Don’t be determined to never have problems. Be determined to stay full of joy in the midst of your problems. Arrange your mind in the right direction.

 

No matter what comes your way, don’t lose your joy. Learn to offer up that sacrifice of praise. If you keep the voice of gladness, the voice of joy, you cannot stay down and defeated. God has promised He will reverse and restore. Not only that, but because you have joy, you will find the strength to outlast every attack, to overcome every obstacle, to defeat every enemy. You will become everything God created you to be, and you will have everything God intended for you to have.

 

If you’re always thinking thoughts of lack, not enough, and struggle, you’re moving toward the wrong things.

 

God usually meets us at our level of expectancy. That’s why, in many ways, your expectations will set the boundaries for your life. Jesus said, “According to your faith . . . be it done to you.”

 

Will you keep believing even when your situation looks impossible? Life will try to push you down, steal your dreams and talk you into settling for mediocrity, but if you will stay in faith and stir up what God’s put on the inside, He will bring every promise to pass.

 

Their minds had become conditioned to accept not having enough, to always struggle and lack. The problem is that if you accept it as your way of life, you won’t do anything about it. It’s easy to get comfortable with mediocrity and just adapt to your environment.

 

If you allow it, people will run your life. They’ll tell you what to do, where to go, how to dress, and how to spend your money. It’s good to get free from addictions, free from anxiety, and free from depression, but one of the greatest freedoms is to get free from controlling people.

 

Half of our happiness is determined by factors other than biology. Ten percent is connected to “life circumstances” and the other 40 percent is dependent on our life decisions.

 

You shouldn’t be constantly uptight, worried, rebuking, resisting, and trying to fix things. It takes a mature person to say, “Everything is not perfect. I have some struggles and some situations I wish were different, but can I tell you that all is well? I’m at peace. I’m not upset. I know at the right time God will remove the weeds. Until then I’m going to relax and enjoy my life.” First the weed, then the Harvest.

 

When you allow what someone says or does to upset you, you're allowing them to control you.

 

The scripture says God has given us the power to enjoy what’s appointed and allotted to us, which means I don’t have the power to enjoy your life. You may have more money, more gifts, more friends, and a better job. But if you put me in your life, I will not enjoy it.

 

You are uniquely created to run your own race. Quit wishing you were someone else or thinking things such as, “If I had his talent…” If God wanted you to have his talent He would give it to you. Take what you have and develop it. Make the most of your gifts.

 

Instead of thinking things such as, “If I had her looks…,” be grateful for the looks God gave you. That’s not an accident. The life you have is perfectly matched for you.

 

Why don’t you get excited about your life? Be excited about your looks, your talent, and your personality. When you are passionate about who you are, you bring honor to God. That’s when God will breathe in your direction, and the seeds of greatness He’s planted on the inside will spring forth.

 

Really, it’s an insult to God to wish you were someone else. You are saying, “God, why did you make me subpar? Why did you make me less than others?”

 

God didn’t make anyone inferior. He didn’t create anyone to be second-class. You are a masterpiece. You are fully loaded and totally equipped for the race that’s designed for you.

 

Your attitude should be: “I may not be as tall, as tan, or as talented as someone else, but that’s okay. Nobody will ever be a better me. I’m anointed to be me. I’m equipped to be me. And not only that, it’s also easy to be me.

 

It’s easy to be yourself. It’s easy to run your race because you’re equipped for what you need. But so many times, people try to be something they are not. I’ve known dark-skinned people who apply cream to try to be lighter. And I know light-skinned people who go to a tanning bed to try to be darker.

 

I had an older lady touch my hair at a book signing recently. She said, “Joel, I wish I had that curly hair.” Nowadays you can do something about it. If you have straight hair and you want curly hair, you can perm it. If you have gray hair and you want brown hair, dye it. If you have no hair and you want hair, buy it!

 

What they say about you does not define who you are. Their opinion of you does not determine your self-worth.

 

When you do what you can do, God will show up and do what you can’t do. He will give you breaks that you don’t think you deserve. He will cause people to be good to you for no reason. He will open doors that no man can shut. That’s His favor shining down on your life.

 

We don't realize the power we hold. We don't always realize what it means when we tell somebody, "I believe in you. You've got what it takes.

 

Stay open for how God is going to do it. Don’t put Him in a box and limit Him. Trust Him to do it His way. If we’re set in how we want it to happen, we can miss the new thing.

 

It’s easy to write someone off, but don’t. God waited on you; you have to wait on them. Everyone is on a journey. Where they are now is not where they’re going to be in ten years. Give them room to change.

 

Shake off the self-pity. Don’t make excuses. Don’t blame the past. Don’t blame your parents. Don’t blame your circumstances. They may be the reason you are where you are, but that doesn’t give you the right to stay there.

 

I tried to remove that negative label, but it wasn’t easy. Those thoughts played in my mind again and again. “You don’t have what it takes. You’re not as good as your father.” It was like trying to peel off a bumper sticker that has been on a car for a long time. You peel it, and it tears. You have to keep working and working. I fought those thoughts day after day. Finally, I removed that negative label, and I put on a new label: “I can do all things through Christ. I am strong in the Lord. I am anointed.” If I had made the mistake of wearing that negative label, I don’t believe I would be where I am today. Wrong labels can keep you from your destiny.

 

If you want to stay passionate, you have to stay productive. You have to have a reason to get out of bed in the morning. When you’re not producing, you’re not growing. You may retire from your job, but don’t ever retire from life. Stay busy. Keep using your mind. Keep helping others. Find some way to stay productive. Volunteer at the hospital. Babysit your relatives’ children. Mentor a young person.

 

When you quit being productive, you start slowly dying. God promises if you keep Him in first place, He will give you a long, satisfied life. How long is a long life? Until you are satisfied.

 

If you quit producing at fifty and you’re satisfied, then the promise is fulfilled. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got too much in me to die right now. I’m not satisfied. I have dreams that have yet to be realized. I have messages that I’ve yet to give. I have children to enjoy, a wife to raise…I mean a wife to enjoy. I have grandchildren yet to be born.

 

When I get to be about ninety, and I’m still strong, still healthy, still full of joy, and still good-looking, then I’ll say, “Okay God I’m satisfied. I’m ready for my change of address. Let’s go.

 

Some people are too easily satisfied. They quit living at fifty. We don’t bury them until they are eighty. Even though they’ve been alive, they haven’t been really living. Maybe they went through disappointments. They had some failures, or somebody did them wrong and they lost their joy. They just settled and stopped enjoying life.

 

God has another victory in your future. You wouldn’t be breathing if God didn’t have something great in front of you. You need to get back your passion. God is not finished with you.

 

God will complete what he started in your life. The scripture says God will bring us to a flourishing finish--not a fizzling finish. You need to do your part and shake off the self-pity, shake off what didn’t work out.

 

You may have a reason to feel sorry for yourself, but you don’t have right. God said He will take what was meant for your harm and not only bring you out, but also bring you out better off than you were before.

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. GALATIANS 5:22–23

 

Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. ROMANS 13:10

 

When you wake up on Monday morning, don’t accept those negative thoughts that come knocking on your door, saying, It will be a hard day and a long week. Traffic will be bad. I have so much work to do. I just need to make it through the Monday morning blues. Don’t buy into those thoughts. Instead, say, “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ve already answered the door and almighty God, the Creator of the universe, has sent me a hand delivery of joy. I know this will be a great day!

 

Decide that for you, there are no Monday morning blues. Instead, choose the Monday morning dos by saying, “I do have a smile. I do have joy. I do have God’s favor. I do have victory.

 

Yes, I know some days are more difficult than others. But if you program your mind in a positive way, you won’t have to drag through certain days just hoping to get to Friday so you can finally enjoy life.

 

Faith is always in the present. Your attitude should be: I’m excited to be alive at this moment. I’m excited to be breathing today. I’m excited about my family, my health, and my opportunities. I have plenty of reasons to be happy right now.

 

A happy heart makes the face cheerful . . . the cheerful heart has a continual feast. PROVERBS 15:13, 15

 

Nothing will be sadder than to come to the end of life and realize what we could have become if we had just lived with an at-possibility mind-set instead of an at-risk mentality.

 

Proverbs says, “A man may plan his ways, but God directs his steps.” God is going to give you the right desires, at the right time, and lead you into the best path for your life.

 

If you see the obstacle as being too big, it will keep you defeated.

 

Focus on the positive!

 

Here’s the key: Just because a thought comes doesn’t mean you have to dwell on it. You control the doorway to your mind. If the thought is negative, discouraging, and pushing you down, then dismiss it. Don’t dwell on it. Keep the door closed. Choose to dwell on thoughts that empower you, inspire you, and encourage you to have faith, hope, and joy.

 

If you keep your mind filled with the right thoughts, there won’t be any room for the wrong thoughts. All through the day you should be focused on the positive: “Something good is going to happen to me. I’m strong, healthy, talented, disciplined. I’m fun to be around. My children will be mighty in the land. I can do all things through Christ. I will pass this chemistry test. I will meet the right person. I will overcome this challenge. My best days are still out in front of me.

 

When your mind is filled with thoughts of faith, hope, and victory, you will draw in the good things of God.

 

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all— how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ROMANS 8:31–32

 

Bloom where you’re planted. Don’t make excuses. Don’t go through life thinking, I’ve got a disadvantage. I’ve got too many obstacles. I’m the wrong nationality. I come from the wrong family. I don’t have the connections. I could never get out of this environment.

 

You may not see how you will rise above, but God sees. He already has a way. Your destiny is not determined by how you were raised, or by your circumstances, or by how many odds are against you; your destiny is determined by the Creator of the universe. And if you take what God has given you and make the most of it, like Chi Chi did, God will open doors. He will give you good breaks, and He will place the right people across your path.

 

Get rid of your excuses. Quit waiting for things to change. Sow a seed and be happy right now. When you’re in difficult times, remember: Either God is doing a work in you or He’s using you to do a work in someone else. As long as you’re in faith, where you are is where you’re supposed to be.

 

Quit fighting to go somewhere else. Be the best you can be right where you are. If you make this decision to bloom where you’re planted, you pass the test. God promises He will pour out His blessings and favor. You’ll not only live happy, but also God will take you places you’ve never even dreamed of.

 

Take the pressure off. Your destiny is not contingent on people liking you. Their approval is not keeping you from your purpose. You don’t have to prove to them that you’re good enough. You’re already good enough. Be confident in who God made you to be.

 

Some people have a perpetual problem. They always have a sad song. If you allow them, they’ll use you as a trash can to dump all their garbage in. You spend an hour with them and you feel like you’ve run a marathon. They’re energy suckers. You leave them feeling drained and worn out.

 

You cannot continue to deal with them day after day if you expect to reach your highest potential. You won’t lift off. You won’t thrust forward into the good things God has in store if you’re weighted down, letting people dump their loads on you. They’ll make you discouraged and drain your energy.

 

It’s hard enough just to keep yourself cheered up. You’re not responsible for their happiness. Sure, there are times when we need to sow a seed and have a listening ear and take time to love people back into wholeness. But that should be for a season and not an ongoing drama. You shouldn’t spend every day listening to friends complain about their spouses or their neighbors.

 

If you do, your life will be like an episode of Guiding Light, Jersey Shore, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills all put together. You have enough drama in your life without listening to everyone else’s drama. You can’t allow someone to put that negativity in you day after day if you expect to soar.

 

You need to evaluate the people you’re spending time with. Are they lifters and encouragers? Do they make you feel better? Do you leave their company feeling inspired and happier, or are they dragging you down, making you feel drained, and sapping your energy?

 

I wonder how many of us are missing out on God’s best because we don’t realize the meals have been paid for. We’re over in the corner, so to speak, like a servant eating cheese and crackers, when God is saying, “You’re a son. You’re a daughter. Step up to the table. I’ve paid the price. There’s a place with your name on it.

 

You may have made mistakes—forgiveness has been paid for, mercy has been paid for. You had bad breaks and people did you wrong—new beginnings have been paid for.

 

Beauty for ashes belongs to you. Why don’t you come on up to the table? You’re struggling with your finances, and nobody in your family has gotten ahead. Don’t be satisfied with cheese and crackers. Abundance has been paid for. New levels are in your future.

 

We should be encouraging them, lifting them when they've fallen, celebrating when they succeed, praying when they're struggling, urging them forward. That's what it means to be a people builder.

 

I am a victor and not a victim.

 

You weren’t created to get stuck, to settle and stay at the same place year after year.

 

Sometimes what’s holding us back is that we don’t really know who we are. We think we’re average, just ordinary, when in fact we are royalty. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. When God breathed His life into you, He crowned you with His favor. He put a robe of righteousness on you. He says, “You have been fearfully and wonderfully made.” Don’t go through life with a cheese-and-crackers mentality. Have a son mentality, an abundant mentality.

 

It’s amazing what will happen when our soul gets healthy. When we get free from bitterness, the guilt, the stress, the worry, the anger. That’s when healing is released. That’s when you’ll see the blessing of God in new ways.

 

He will always give you the grace, the strength, and the faith for what comes your way.

 

We have to realize every day is a gift from God. Once this day is gone, we can never retrieve it. If we make the mistake of being negative, discouraged, grumpy, or sour, we’ve wasted the day. Some people squander year after year, being unhappy because somebody is not treating them right, or because they are not getting their way, or because their plans are not working out as quickly as they would like. I’ve made up my mind to not waste any more days. I’m celebrating each as a gift from God.

 

This is going to be a good day! I believe my dreams are coming to pass. God has great things in store.

 

You were created to excel. There is potential in you right now just waiting to come out. You have gifts that will cause new doors to open, talent that will bring new opportunities. Get rid of low expectations. Quit making excuses to settle where you are.

 

That illness wasn’t a stumbling block.

 

God did not call you to be unhappy. He does not want you to waste your life trying to keep someone else happy. Be kind. Be compassionate, but run your own race. Remember, you don’t need people’s approval, you have God’s approval.

 

Be secure enough in who you are that you don’t live to please people. As long as you’re doing what God has put in your heart, you don’t need to look to the left or the right. Stay focused on your goals, and God will get you where you’re supposed to be.

 

You may feel as though you’re at a disadvantage. It’s causing you to shrink back, to not pursue your dreams. Like Gideon, you may not be able to see it, but even the enemy knows you’re royalty. Even the enemy knows you are destined to do great things.

 

I am prosperous. I am coming into overflow.

 

The odds may be against you, but the Most High God is for you. His favor on your life will cause you to go where you could not go on your own. If you’re going to be a barrier breaker, you have to get rid of excuses. If you’re going to be a barrier breaker, you have to get rid of excuses.

 

How much space are you giving to guilt, to shame, to regret, to being against yourself? Whatever it is, it’s too much. You need that space for the good things God has for you that will move you toward your destiny. If you’re giving space to guilt, you will not have the confidence you need to move forward, which will cause you to fail again. It’s a negative cycle.

 

You’re no longer a slave, you’re a son. You used to be a slave to fear, to addictions, to poverty, to depression, but you’ve been born into a new family and a new life.

 

We prepare for victory or defeat at the start of each day. When you get up in the morning, you have to set your mind in the right direction. You may feel discouraged. You may feel the blahs, thinking, I don’t want to go to work today. Or I don’t want to deal with these children. Or I’ve got so many problems.

 

If you make the mistake of dwelling on those thoughts, you are preparing to have a lousy day. You’re using your faith in the wrong direction. Turn it around and say, “This will be a great day. Something good will happen to me. God has favor in my future, and I’m expecting new opportunities, divine connections, and supernatural breakthroughs. When you take that approach, you prepare for victory, increase, and restoration.

 

God says to the angels, “Did you hear that? They’re expecting My goodness. They’re expecting to prosper in spite of the economy. They’re expecting to get well in spite of the medical report. They’re expecting to accomplish their dreams even though they don’t have the resources right now.

 

When you begin each day in faith, anticipating something good, God tells the angels to go to work and to arrange things in your favor. He gives you breaks, lines up the right people, and opens the right doors. That’s what allows God to show up and do amazing things.

 

Sometimes you will see major improvements in your life if you just make that minor adjustment. You would not only have more energy, you would also have a better attitude, and you would be more productive. You would see new doors open. You would meet new friends. You would get some of those breakthroughs you’ve been praying for if you would just get up in the morning and, instead of preparing for defeat, prepare for victory. Prepare for increase. Prepare for God’s favor.

 

You have to set the tone at the start of each day. If you leave your mind in neutral, the negative thoughts will start to come just by default.

 

You can’t live off your big events because after you savor them for a moment, God will birth a new dream in your heart, something new to look forward to.

 

I’ve talked to many people who have made it to the very top in their fields. The one common regret I hear is that they succeeded, but at the expense of their families. They say, “If I could do it over again, I would take time to stop and smell the roses. I would be there for my children’s Little League games. I wouldn’t live so stressed and uptight, thinking, ‘If I could just get to the next level, then I’ll slow down and enjoy my life.’” Slow down and enjoy the journey right now. Take time for the people God has put in your life. They won’t always be there. The Scripture says in James 4:14 that our lives are like a mist. We’re here for a moment and then we’re gone.

 

You’re a barrier breaker. You can defy the odds. You can beat that disease, you can break the addiction, you can start the new business. You can go further than the experts have told you.

 

The how is not up to us. The how may look impossible. If you stay focused on how, you’re going to live worried and discouraged. Your job is not to figure everything out; your job is to honor God. Be your best, and He will take care of the how.

 

Instead of dwelling on all the negative things people have said about you, dwell on what God says about you: “I will run and not be weary.” Instead of “You can’t break that addiction,” say “I can do all things through Christ. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” Instead of “Oh, man, you’ve reached your limits. This is not for you today,” declare that “the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter. God’s plans for me are for good and not evil, to give me a future and a hope.

 

Now, do your part, shake off the slave mentality, and start having a son mentality. If you’ll do this, I believe and declare every chain that’s holding you back is being broken. God is going to release healing, favor, breakthroughs, and abundance. You’re going to rise higher and become everything He’s created you to be.

 

The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? PROVERBS 20:24 NLT

 

A fisherman was on a riverbank one day when he saw another man fishing nearby. Every time the other man caught a big fish, he threw it back, but he kept every small fish he hooked. This went on all day, and the more the first fisherman watched the more curious he became. Finally he went over and said, “Sir I’ve watched you all day and I just can’t understand. Why do you throw the big fish back, but you keep the small fish?” “Oh, that’s simple,” said the other man. “All I have is a ten-inch frying pan.

 

If you could see what God has planned for you, the people you’re going to meet, the giants you’re going to defeat, the blessings that are going to catapult you forward, then you would go out each day excited about your future, expecting God to show out in your life.

 

You have armed me with strength for the battle.

 

Quit living worried about your health, your finances, how you could accomplish that dream. God has not brought you this far to leave you. He’s taken care of you in the past; He’s going to take care of you in the future.

 

Our expectations set the limits for our lives. If you expect little, you’re going to receive little. If you don’t anticipate things to get better, then they won’t. But if you expect more favor, more good breaks, a promotion, and an increase, then you will see new levels of favor and success.

 

Every morning when you wake up, you should declare, “Something good is going to happen to me today.” You have to set the tone at the beginning of each day. Then all through the day you should have this attitude of expectancy.

 

Like a little child waiting to open a gift, you should be on the lookout, thinking, “I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen”--not passive, but actively expecting.

 

Too many people drag around, thinking, “Nothing good ever happens to me.” Instead, start looking for good breaks. Expect to be at the right place at the right time. Expect your dreams to come to pass. Expect to be a winner.

 

Don’t walk into a room anticipating people to not like you. Don’t go to the store believing that you won’t find what you need. Don’t interview for a job assuming not to get it. Your expectation is your faith at work. When you expect good breaks, expect people to like you, or expect to have a great year, then you’re releasing your faith. That’s what allows good things to happen.

 

But your expectations work in both directions. If you get up in the morning and expect it to be a lousy day and expect no breaks and expect people to be unfriendly, then you’ll draw that in. Your faith is working. The problem is you’re using it in the wrong direction.

 

When we make mistakes, God doesn’t change His mind about us. If you run away from God, instead of turning the other way, God will come running toward you. Quit trying to earn His love. There’s nothing you can do to make God love you any more or any less. It’s a gift. Just receive it by faith.

 

Don't compare yourself. Celebrate yourself.

 

Remember this phrase: If you complain you remain, but if you’ll praise you’ll be raised.

 

God loves you right now. He loved you when you were doing wrong. He loved you when you were off course. The apostle Paul says that nothing can separate us from the love of God. You are a marked man, a marked woman. God put His love on you. Now you are permanently loved.

 

I can do all things through Christ. I am strong in the Lord.

 

God knows the end from the beginning. If you will stay in faith, your story, your life, will end in victory.

 

Release control. Quit worrying, quit trying to make it happen your way and say, “God, I trust You. I know You’re in control of these winds. They can push me forward, backward, left, right, but one thing I’m certain of: where You take me is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

 

It pleases God when you know you are dearly loved. That’s why the Scripture says, “Come boldly to the throne.” Don’t go to Him feeling unworthy.

 

The One that matters has His eyes on you. The One that controls the universe, the One that turns people’s hearts, He’s watching over you. He’s working out His plan for your life.

 

I wonder where you could be at this time next year if you would start kissing things goodbye. Kiss the offense goodbye. Quit letting people hurt your feelings. Quit letting what they say ruin your day. Tune it out.

 

How many times do we forget what God has done? God has shown up and turned things around for us. He’s healed us, protected us, freed us, promoted us. If you need a sign, look back at the goodness of God in your life.

 

If you want to make God’s day, start approaching Him like you know He loves you, like you know He’s for you, like you know He’s longing to be good to you. It doesn’t bring God any pleasure when we go around feeling insecure and unworthy and beating ourselves up for past mistakes. Shake that off and start going boldly to the throne.

 

To keep your life in perspective, try making a list of all the things you are grateful for. Write down ten things that God has blessed you with and put the list on your bathroom mirror. Every morning read over that list two or three times. Do the same every night before you go to bed.
Meditate on the good things God has done. Write down the times God showed up at the midnight hour and made a way where there was no way. Write down the time He protected you from that accident, the time He had you at the right place and you were promoted, the time the medical report said you wouldn’t make it but your health suddenly turned around. Write down the fact that you have healthy children, a roof over your head, and a loving spouse.

 

When you meditate on the goodness of God, it will help you have the right perspective, and release your faith, too. When your faith is released, God’s power is activated. You will see Him show up and give you something else to put on your list.

 

You have to give yourself permission to accomplish your dreams, permission to get out of debt, and permission to overcome the obstacle. Your better days begin in your thinking.

 

Studies show that when you are negative and think said, discouraging thoughts, your serotonin level goes down, and that causes you to feel sad. It’s not just in your head. It affects your moods. But when you get up each day in a positive frame of mind, feeling hopeful and expecting good things, endorphins are released that make you feel happy. You will have more energy, because being positive puts a spring in your step.

 

If you go around with negative thoughts, they will drain you of your faith, your energy, and your zeal. It’s just like a big vacuum pulling out all the good things that God put in you. You’d be amazed at how much better you’d feel, how much more you’d accomplish, and how much further you’d go if you’d just switch over to this positive mind-set. You have to think positive thoughts on purpose. “This is going to be a great day. This is my year. I’m expecting an abundance of favor.”

 

The scripture says, “Put on a fresh new attitude.” I’ve found yesterday’s attitude is not good enough for today. Every morning you have to consciously adopt a fresh attitude by thinking things like: “I’m going to be happy today. I’m going to be good to people. I’m going to go with the flow and not get upset. I know God is in control. He’s directing my steps. No obstacle is too big. No dream is too great. I am well able to do what I’m called to do.

 

That fresh new attitude will put you in God’s jet stream. You will accomplish things that you could not accomplish on your own. You’ll be more productive. You’ll have more wisdom, creativity, and good ideas. You will overcome obstacles that were bigger, stronger, and more powerful.

 

It’s not always the big things that keep us from God’s best; it’s the small things. How we treat people matters. You can’t be harsh, contentious, hard to get along with, and reach your potential. Be kind, loving, respectful.

 

Let me ask you, what are you expecting? Big things, little things, or nothing at all? It’s easy to anticipate the worst. But if you’ll switch over into faith and expect the best--to excel, to accomplish your dreams--then you’ll draw in blessings and favor.

 

Encourage yourself. Don't speak defeat over your life.

 

Whatever your critics say about you has no bearing on your worth. You are a child of the Most High God. The Creator of the universe breathed life into you. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. You’ve been crowned with favor. God has already equipped and empowered you with everything you need. Don’t waste your valuable time trying to play up to people, trying to win over all your critics, or trying to prove to someone that you’re important.

 

Accept the fact that some people will never celebrate you. They will never recognize your gifts. That’s okay. Don’t be distracted. God has already lined up the right people to celebrate you, the right people who will cheer you on and help you fulfill your destiny.

 

If you want to live in victory, you have to be very careful with your time and attention. You have to know what thoughts to ignore, what comments to ignore, and, I say this respectfully, what people to ignore. If someone at work is always on your nerves, making sarcastic comments, you could try to straighten them out, but you’d be wasting valuable time and energy that could be spent pursuing your dreams. Don’t be distracted. Ignore such people.

 

If a family member never gives you any credit, either you can let that upset and frustrate you or you can dismiss it and say, “No big deal. I don’t need their approval. I have Almighty God’s approval.”

 

You don’t have to straighten people out. You don’t have to pay somebody back. You don’t have to be offended because of what someone said. You can ignore it and live happily. I’m convinced we would enjoy life a whole lot more if we would get good at knowing what to ignore.

 

Get up in the morning and invite good things into your life. “I am blessed. I am strong. I am talented. I am wise. I am disciplined. I am focused. I am prosperous.”

 

You are a child of the Most High God!

 

Jesus put it this way: “Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed” (John 14:27 AMP).

 

Notice it’s a choice we have to make. He didn’t say, “I will make sure your circumstances are perfect. That way you can be happy.” He said, in effect, “The things upsetting you right now don’t have to upset you. The people aggravating you, even if they don’t change, they don’t have to aggravate you.” If you’ll make adjustments and change your approach to life, you can be happy in spite of those circumstances. I’m asking you today to stop allowing negative people and disappointments and inconveniences to steal your joy.

 

You have to put your foot down and say, “This child gets on my nerves—I love him—but I will rise above it. I won’t let this control me.” Or, “This grumpy boss jumps down my throat for no reason, but I’m not letting him ruin any more of my days.” That’s what it means to not give away your power. You have to be determined to enjoy your life.

 

When you understand that everything serves God's plan, you won't be frustrated by things that are unfair, stressed over things you don't like, upset because it's taking too long.

 

“The Law of the Garbage Truck,” was this: “Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me, you’ll be happier.”

 

Some people have had a negative mind-set so long they don’t realize they’re doing it. It’s just natural to them. They assume the worst, and they usually get it. They expect people to be unfriendly, and people usually are.

 

I know a lady who has been through a lot of negative things in her life, and it was like she was on autopilot. She expected people to hurt her, and they usually did. She expected people to be dishonest, and they usually were. She expected to get laid off from her job, and eventually she did. Her expectations were drawing in all the negative. One day she learned this principle and she started anticipating different things. She waited for the best instead of the worst. She expected to get good breaks. She expected people to like her. Today it’s totally turned around. She’s living a victorious life.”

 

Freshen up your attitude! A lot of people rely on yesterday’s attitude, or last week’s attitude, or last year’s attitude. That thing is old and stale. Start putting on a fresh new attitude, every morning. Get your mind going in the right direction. Develop the habit of living in a positive mind-set.

 

This is what the Bible’s Daniel did. The scripture says he had an excellent spirit. He was a cut above. He stood out in the crowd. How did he do it? Every morning he got up early, opened his window, and thanked God for the day. He thanked God for His goodness, and thanked Him that he was well able. He was putting on that fresh new attitude, setting his mind for victory.

 

Daniel was serving the king in a foreign land, when the king issued a decree that no one could pray to any God except the king’s God. If they did, they would be thrown into a lion’s den. That threat didn’t stop Daniel. He got up every morning and kept praying to Jehovah.

 

Daniel’s enemies told the king, who had already issued the decree. He loved Daniel, but he couldn’t go back on his word. Daniel said, “Don’t worry, King, I’m going to be fine. The God I serve is well able to deliver me.

 

That’s what happens when you start the day off in faith, thinking positive thoughts on purpose. When you’re in a difficult situation, you don’t shrink back in fear with thoughts like: “Why is this happening to me?” Instead, you rise up in faith and say, “My God is well able. I’m armed with strength for this battle. I can do all things through Christ. If God be for me, who dare be against me?

 

The authorities threw Daniel into the lion’s den with more than one hundred hungry lions. Everyone expected Daniel to be eaten in a few minutes. But when you have this attitude of faith, God will fight your battles for you.

 

God sent an angel to close the mouths of the lions. The king came by the next morning, and there was Daniel lying on the grass resting. The king got him out and said, “From now on we’re going to all worship the God of Daniel, the true and living God.”

 

It’s interesting that the scripture says nothing negative about Joseph and Daniel. I’m sure they made mistakes, but you can’t find a record of anything they did wrong. There are stories of other great heroes of faith like Abraham, David, Moses, Paul, and Peter failing and making mistakes.

 

Daniel and Joseph were good people, but they had bad circumstances. Unfair things happened to them. They were mistreated and faced huge obstacles. If you study their lives you’ll find one common denominator: They were always positive. They had this attitude of faith. They didn’t make excuses or say things like “God, why is this happening to me?” They started off each day with their minds going in the right direction, knowing that our God is well able. They both saw favor and blessings in amazing ways. In the same way, you can be a good person and have bad circumstances.

 

You may have had disappointments and unfair situations, but don’t make the mistake of living in a negative frame of mind. Instead of expecting more of the same, start expecting it to turn around. Don’t think you will barely get by; know that you will excel. Don’t expect to be overcome. Expect to be the overcomer.

 

You may not always feel like it, but when you get up each day you need to remind yourself that you are more than a conqueror. Your greatest victories are still out in front of you. The right people, the right opportunities, the right breaks are already in your future.

 

Now go out and be excited about the day, expecting things to change in your favor. Your attitude should be: “I’m expecting good breaks, to meet the right people, to see an increase in business, to get my child back on track, and for my health to improve. I’m expecting to be at the right place at the right time.”

 

It’s easy to get negative and say things such as: “I don’t understand why my child got off course. Why did I come down with this sickness? Why did these people do me wrong?

 

Instead, do as Daniel did. Get up every morning in the midst of the battle, look up and say, “Lord, thank You for another great day. I know you are well able, bigger than my problem, greater than this sickness, and more powerful than my enemy. Thank You that today things will change in my favor.”

 

Especially in difficult times, make sure you put on that fresh new attitude. Set your mind for victory and keep it set. When negative thoughts come, dismiss them and make a declaration like Daniel’s: “My God is well able. He’s done it for me in the past and I know He’ll do it for me again in the future.”

 

My challenge today is for you to keep your mind going in the right direction. When you’re positive, you are in the jet stream of God. Learn to think thoughts on purpose: “This will be a great day. Something good is going to happen to me.”

 

Start off your day in faith. If you develop this positive mind-set you’ll not only be happier, healthier, and stronger, but also, I believe and declare, you will accomplish more than you ever imagined. You will overcome obstacles that looked impossible, and you will become everything God has created you to be. You can, you will!

 

Get in agreement with God! In the Bible, David said, “Lift up your head and the King of glory will come in.” As long as your head is down and you are discouraged, with no joy, no passion, and no zeal, the King of glory will not come.

 

Instead, get up in the morning and say, “Father, thank you for another day. Thank you for another sunrise. I’m excited about this day.” When you’re really alive, hopeful, grateful, passionate, and productive, then the King of glory, the Most High God, will come in. He’ll make a way where it looks like there is no way.

 

We all face difficulties. We have unfair things happen. Don’t let it sour your life. I heard the saying, “Trouble is inevitable but misery is optional.” Just because you had a bad break doesn’t mean your life is over.

 

I know a popular minister who led his church for many years and was such a great speaker he was in constant demand. But a few years ago, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He eventually lost the ability to speak. He had to resign from his church. He once was so eloquent, strong, and vibrant, but it looked as if his career was over. It looked as if his best days were behind him.

 

But just when things started to look really bad for him, he sent me a manuscript with a note: “Joel, as you know, I can’t speak anymore, so I’ve taken up writing. Here’s a look at my newest book.”

 

Just because you can’t do what you used to do doesn’t mean you’re supposed to sit on the sidelines. If you can’t speak, write. If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t stand up, just sit up. If you can’t dance, shake your head. If you can’t sing, tap your foot. Do whatever you can do. As long as you have breath you have something in you. Don’t lose your passion.

 

Think about the apostle Paul: he was thrown in prison at the peak of his career. Just when it was all coming together he had this major disappointment. Paul could have become depressed and thought: “Too bad for me.” He could have given up on his dreams. Instead, he kept his passion.

 

While in prison, he wrote more than half of the New Testament. What looked like a setback was really a setup for God to do something greater in Paul’s life. You may have been through some bad breaks and unfair situations. Stay passionate. God is still on the throne. If you keep your head up, the King of glory will still come in and guide you to where He wants you to be.

 

You have to forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. Don’t let the hurts, the bad breaks, the times you were taken advantage of sour the rest of your life, cause you to live with a chip on your shoulder. God knows how to vindicate you. He knows how to pay you back.

 

When thoughts tell you, “Who do you think you are?” just answer back, “I’m a child of the Most High God. I am redeemed, restored, accepted, and approved.”

 

You have to pass the test of overlooking insults, ignoring what people say. They wouldn’t be talking about you if you weren’t making a difference, if you weren’t a leader, if you weren’t shining brightly.

 

But as long as we have a slave mentality, it will limit our life.

 

I will ask God to bring to pass those hidden dreams that are deep in my heart. If certain promises don't look like they will happen, I will not be intimidated and give up.

 

There will be people that try to put you in their box, convince you to be who they want you to be. Be respectful, listen to advice, but don’t let anyone talk you out of what God put in your heart. You have a responsibility to become who He created you to be.

 

In our weakness, God's strength shows up the greatest. Take the pressure off. There's freedom when you can be at peace with not being perfect.

 

The Scripture says, “Beloved, now are you the sons of God.” You may have a lot coming against you, but you are not a slave, you are a son. Sons think differently than slaves. You may struggle with an addiction, but a son says, “I have a right to be free.” There may be obstacles in your path, but a son knows the forces for him are greater than the forces against him.

 

God created every one of us to be successful. Before the foundation of the world, He laid out an exact plan for our lives. And in this plan He has moments of favor that will come across our path. These moments are not ordinary. They are destiny-altering moments.

 

When you allow what someone says or does to upset you, you’re allowing that person to control you. When you say, “You make me so mad,” what you’re really doing is admitting that you’re giving away your power. As long as the person knows they can push this button and you’ll respond this way, and they can make that remark and you’ll get upset, and they know if they go outside you’ll go inside—as long as you keep responding the same way—you are giving them exactly what they want.

 

People have a right to say what they want, to do what they want, as long as it’s legal. And we have a right to not be offended. We have a right to overlook it. But when we become upset and angry, we change. If somebody walks into a room and we grow tense, it’s because we’re putting too much importance on what that person thinks about us.

 

What a person says about you does not define who you are. His or her opinion of you does not determine your self-worth. Let that bounce off you like water off a duck’s back. This person has every right to have an opinion, and you have every right to ignore it.

 

I’ve found that some people feel it’s their calling in life to point out what others are doing wrong and where others are missing it. They’re constantly critical, always finding fault. There is nothing they love more than keeping someone upset, and arguing, and always on the defensive. Rise above that. You don’t need them to agree with you. You don’t have to win their approval. Let that go, and just be who God made you to be.

 

God accepts and approves you right where you are: faults, mistakes, shortcomings, and all. He knows you’re on a journey. He’s changing you little by little. He accepts you. Now, you have to accept yourself.

 

If you’re dwelling on the past, you won’t see the new thing. If you’re focused on who hurt you and what wasn’t fair, then you’ll miss your destiny. God is saying, forget the former things, quit dwelling on your mistakes. This is a new day.

 

My friend, you are called to be an eagle. You are called to soar, to do great things. But we all have some crows squawking at us, some chickens pecking at us, some hawks attacking us. They are trying to bait us into conflict. Don’t get drawn into those battles.

 

You have an advantage. You’re an eagle. You can fly at heights to which no other birds can soar. Crows love to pester eagles. The eagle is much larger, but the crow is more agile so it can turn and maneuver more quickly. At times the crow will come up behind the eagle and dive-bomb the big bird. But the eagle knows this secret: It can fly at altitudes that the crow cannot fly, as high as twenty thousand feet.

 

So instead of bothering with the pesky crow and its squawking, the eagle simply rises higher and higher and eventually the crow is left behind. Do the same when someone is pestering you out of jealousy or spite. Soar above. Leave them behind.

 

God never said we would understand everything along the way. He didn't promise that there wouldn't be any pain, suffering and disappointments. But He did promise that it would all work out for our good.

 

He wants to do something amazing in your life. Get in agreement and say, “God, this is for me today. I’m raising my expectations. I’m shaking off doubt, negativity, disappointments, self-pity, little dreams, and little goals, and God, I will make room for a flood of Your goodness.

 

We live in a society in which mediocrity is the norm. Many people do as little as they can to get by. They don’t take pride in their work or in who they are. If somebody is watching, they may perform one way, but when nobody is watching they’ll cut corners and take the easy way out.

 

If you are not careful, you can be pulled into this same mentality where you think it’s okay to show up late to work, to look less than your best, or to give less than your best. But God doesn’t bless mediocrity. God blesses excellence. I have observed that the fifth undeniable quality of a winner is a commitment to excellence.

 

When you have a spirit of excellence, you do your best whether anyone is watching or not. You go the extra mile. You do more than you have to.

 

Other people may complain about their jobs. They may go around looking sloppy and cutting corners. Don’t sink to that level. Everyone else may be slacking off at work, compromising in school, letting their lawns go, but here’s the key: You are not everyone else. You are a cut above. You are called to excellence. God wants you to set the highest standard.

 

You should be the model employee for your company. Your boss and your supervisors should be able to say to the new hires, “Watch him. Learn from her. Pick up the same habits. Develop the same skills. This person is the cream of the crop, always on time, great attitude, doing more than what is required.”

 

When you have an excellent spirit like that, you will not only see promotion and increase, but you are honoring God. Some people think, “Let me go to church to honor God. Let me read my Bible to honor God.” And yes, that’s true, but it honors God just as much to get to work on time. It honors God to be productive. It honors God to look good each day.

 

When you are excellent, your life gives praise to God. That’s one of the best witnesses you can have. Some people will never go to church. They never listen to a sermon. They’re not reading the Bible. Instead, they’re reading your life. They’re watching how you live. Now, don’t be sloppy. When you leave the house, whether you’re wearing shorts or a three-piece suit, make sure you look the best you possibly can. You’re representing the almighty God.

 

When you go to work, don’t slack off, and don’t give a halfhearted effort. Give it your all. Do your job to the best of your ability. You should be so full of excellence that other people want what you have.

 

When you’re a person of excellence, you do more than necessary. You don’t just meet the minimum requirements; you go the extra mile. That phrase comes from the Bible. Jesus said it in Matthew 5:41--“If a soldier demands you carry his gear one mile, carry it two miles.” In those days Roman soldiers were permitted by law to require someone else to carry their armor.

 

But God is saying, “You’re a son. I’ve equipped you, empowered you, and anointed you.”

 

The good news is you get to choose what follows the “I am.” For example, “I am a child of the Most High God!” “I am accepted in the Beloved!” “I am the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath!”

 

God has all favorites. He’s not like us in that way. He doesn’t have to pick and choose, because He has unlimited love. He doesn’t just show love, He doesn’t just express love, but he IS love personified!

 

If you believe the lie that you’re a slave, that you’ve reached your limits, it will keep you from your purpose. You need to rise up and say, “I’m no longer a slave, I’m a son. I’m not a slave to my past. I’m not a slave to the people who hurt me. I’m not a slave to addiction, to poverty, to lack, or to depression. I’m a child of the Most High God.”

 

Use the shield of faith to extinguish all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

 

Blessings are chasing me down. Favor surrounds me. Goodness and mercy are following me. Stop thinking like a slave and start thinking like a son. Stop thinking about what you were, what you’ve been through, and the mistakes you’ve made. Rather, start thinking about who you are—you are free, you are blessed, you are a masterpiece, you are victorious.

 

You don’t have to hide. You don’t have to pretend, worry about what people will think. Everyone is dealing with something. There’s no shame in saying, “I need help. I’m struggling; I’m hurting; I’m broken.”

 

There are some things you can only learn in a storm.

 

The Creator of the universe is breathing on your life. He is breathing on your health, breathing on your finances, breathing on your marriage. If you will be confident in what God has given you, He can take what looks like little and turn it into much.

 

If you will keep the right attitude, God will take all your disappointments, broken dreams, the hurts and pains, and He'll add up all the trouble and sorrow that's been inflicted on you, and He will pay you back with twice as much peace, joy, happiness, and success.

 

Your body is a temple of the Most High God. You are not a sick person trying to get well. You’re a well person fighting off sickness. You are not an addict trying to get free. You’re a free person fighting an addiction. You’re not a poor person trying to get ahead. You’re a prosperous person fighting off poverty. You are not a slave to any negative thing. God created you to be free, healthy, whole, and victorious. And, sure, we all have things come against us, but they’re not permanent. It’s just a matter of time before it changes in your favor.

 

Satan knows, if you are against YOURSELF you will never fulfill your destiny.

 

We can’t stop the negative voices from speaking, but we can choose whether or not we’re going to dwell on what they say.

 

You may have struggled in an area for a long time, but don’t have a limited mind-set. You have to give God permission to increase you. It starts in your thinking.

 

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. PROVERBS 19:17

 

You don’t have to respond to every critic. You don’t have to prove yourself to them. Just stay on the high road and let God fight your battles for you. Some who will cross your path simply don’t want peace with you. No matter what you say or do, they will not be won over. Even if you were to change, they would still find some reason to be critical. You have to accept the fact that no matter what you do, some people will never be at peace with you.

 

God is about to let loose resources, promotion, ideas, and opportunities for you. Have a vision for increase. See yourself as a son rising higher. You have seeds of greatness. You are not limited by how you were raised, by your family, by what you didn’t get. You’re not a slave to lack. You’re not a slave to depression. You’re not a slave to fear. The oppressor has been defeated. Your days of struggle, your days of sickness, your days of loneliness are coming to an end. God is about to do a new thing. He’s going to break bondages that have held you back. Negative things that have been in your family line for generations are about to turn in your favor.

 

When you feel the bitterness trying to take root, right then say, “God, I’m turning this over to You. I know that You are my vindicator. I know that You’ll make my wrongs right. You said You would give me beauty for these ashes.

 

Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? MARK 8:18

 

HOW’S YOUR SPIRITUAL VISION this morning? Are you focusing on your problems, on what you can’t do, on what you can’t have? The barrier is in your mind. It’s not God’s lack of resources or your lack of talent that holds you back. It’s simply because you are focused on the wrong things.

 

God didn’t create you to be average. He created you to stand out, to go beyond the norm, to leave your mark on this generation. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. You’re supposed to go further than the people who raised you. You’re supposed to live better, be more successful, and set a new standard.

 

Have a vision for increase. See yourself as a son rising higher.

 

Father, I thank You that I have Your favor. Your favor is opening doors of opportunity. Your favor is bringing success into my life. Your favor is causing people to want to help me.

 

You can’t pray away every difficulty; you can’t pray away everything you don’t like. If the situation is not changing, then God is using the situation to change you.

 

Your soul may feel broken, wounded, hurt from mistakes you’ve made or from what someone else did. But your soul can be restored. When you get honest with yourself and you release what you need to release—guilt, worry, anger, jealousy—then healing will come. Joy will come.

 

It starts in your thinking. Nothing will change until you make up your mind that you are not going to accept mediocrity.

 

Pass the small test! Many people do not enjoy God’s favor like they should, because they don’t pass the small tests. Being excellent may not be some huge adjustment you need to make. It may mean just leaving ten minutes earlier so you can get to work on time. It may mean not complaining when you have to clean up. It may mean not making personal phone calls on work time—just a small thing. Nobody would know it. But the scripture says, “It’s the little foxes that spoil the vines.”

 

If I had put up that water bottle week after week without cleaning it, nobody would have known except God and me. I could have gotten away with it, but here’s the key: I don’t want something small to keep God from releasing something big into my life.

 

A while back, I was in a store’s parking lot, and it was very windy outside. When I opened my car door, several pieces of trash blew out on the ground. As I went to pick them up, the wind caught them and they flew about fifteen or twenty feet in different directions. I didn’t feel like going over to pick up those scraps. I looked around and there were already all kinds of other trash in the parking lot.

 

I was in a hurry. I came up with several good excuses why I shouldn’t go pick them up. I almost convinced myself to let them go, but at the last moment I decided I was going to be a person of excellence and pick up my trash. The scraps had blown here and there. I ended up running all over that parking lot.

 

My mind was saying, “What in the world am I doing out here? It doesn’t matter—let the stuff go.” When I finally picked up all of the scattered trash, I came back to my car. I had not realized it, but this couple was sitting in the car next to mine, watching the whole thing. They rolled the window down and said, “Hey, Joel. We watch you on television each week.”

 

Then the lady said something very interesting. “We were watching to see what you were going to do.” I thought, “Oh, thank you, Jesus.” Whether you realize it or not, people are watching you. Make sure you’re representing God the right way.

 

Here’s a key, pulling someone else down will never make you rise higher. Let’s be people that celebrate success, that learn from those that are ahead, that honor people that have been blessed.

 

I’m a son. I’m blessed, I’m prosperous, and I’m a difference maker. I’m going to set a new standard for my family.

 

You are where God wants you to be at this very moment. Every experience is part of His divine plan. Be confident and thankful that He has special purpose for your life.

 

Too often, we’re holding on to hurts, disappointments, things we don’t understand. This poisons our attitude, takes our passion, makes us negative & critical. You have to let it go. Quit going back to it. It’s over and done. Move forward.

 

I heard all these birds singing and singing so loud and so cheerful. Little birds were chirping and chirping. Big birds were making a melody. It was like they were having a big party. I wanted to say to them, “Hey, birds. Have you read the newspapers lately? Did you see the stock market last year? You’re not supposed to be singing, enjoying life. What’s wrong with you? You’re acting like everything will be all right.

 

What was it with those birds? They know a secret. They know their heavenly Father is in control. They know God has promised to take care of them, so they go through the day singing and enjoying life, regardless of the circumstances.

 

That’s how to start off each day. Get up in the morning and have a song of praise in your heart. Put a smile on your face. Go out into the day and be determined to enjoy it. The apostle Paul wrote: “Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always)” (1 Thessalonians 5:16 AMP).

 

How long are we supposed to be glad-hearted? How long are we supposed to have a smile on our faces? As long as people treat us right? As long as we feel okay? As long as the economy is up? No, the Scripture says, “Be glad-hearted continually (always).” That means in the good times and in the tough times, when it’s sunny and when it’s raining. When dark clouds are over your head and you feel like life is depressing and gloomy, always remember that right above those dark clouds the sun is shining. You may not be able to see the sun in your life right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s not up there. It’s just blocked by the dark clouds. The good news is, the clouds are temporary. The clouds will not last forever. The sun will shine in your life once again.

 

In the meantime, keep your joy. Be glad-hearted continually. Don’t let a few clouds darken your life. The rain falls on the just and the unjust. That means we all face disappointments, unfair situations, tests, trials, and temptation. But know this: Right past the test is promotion. On the other side of every difficulty is increase. If you go through adversity with a smile on your face and a song in your heart, on the other side there will be a reward.

 

Your life is going to follow your thoughts.

 

If you want to make God happy, if you want to put a smile on His face, go to Him with boldness, go to Him like you know He’s proud of you, like you know you deserve to be there, like you know He wants to be good to you.

 

In Scripture, Joseph had a big dream in his heart, and when he was a young man, God promised that he would be a great leader and even help rule a nation. But before that dream came to pass Joseph had many adversities. His brothers were jealous of him. They threw him into a deep pit. They left him there to die. But Joseph understood what it says in 2 Corinthians 4:18: “The things that are seen are temporary.” One translation says the things that are seen are “subject to change. But the things that are unseen are eternal.” The things we see with our physical eyes are only temporary, but the things we see through our eyes of faith are eternal.

 

Yet too often we allow temporary things to discourage us and cause us to give up on our dreams. Anything that doesn’t line up with the vision God placed in your heart should be seen not as permanent but as subject to change. Joseph understood this principle. When he was thrown into the pit, he knew that his fate did not line up with the vision God had painted on the canvas of his heart.

 

God never said we would understand everything along the way. He didn't promise that there wouldn't be any pain, suffering and disappointments. But He did promise that it would all work out for our good.

 

Quit being frustrated by people who are not for you, people that make negative comments and try to discredit you, marginalize you. You’re not defined by what they say. They don’t control your destiny. That’s just noise. Don’t give them the time of day.

 

You have to be bold and get rid of the thoughts that are holding you back.

 

To live your best life now, you must start looking at life through eyes of faith, seeing yourself rising to new levels. See your business taking off. See your marriage restored. See your family prospering. See your dreams coming to pass. You must conceive it and believe it is possible if you ever hope to experience it.

 

If you want to make God happy, if you want to put a smile on His face, go to Him with boldness, go to Him like you know He’s proud of you, like you know you deserve to be there, like you know He wants to be good to you. Ask Him for your dreams. Pray bold prayers. You’re not inconveniencing Him. You don’t have to earn God’s love. You don’t have to work for His approval. You don’t have to pay God back for your mistakes.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. PSALM 118:24 NASB

 

When Jesus sent His disciples out into certain homes, He told them to speak peace over each person in each house. And He said, in effect, “If they don’t receive it, then the peace you’re offering them will come back to you” (see Luke 1-:5—6).

 

That tells me if you do your best to be at peace with people—even if they won’t take your peace—the good news is that peace will just come back to you anyway. You’ll not only enjoy your peace, but you’ll be given their share as well. When you do the right thing when the wrong thing is happening, God sees it and He rewards it.

 

Have an Abundance Mentality!

 

God created you to rise higher, to break barriers of the past, to overcome bad habits, and to be free from generational curses. People may have labeled you at risk, average, less than, but God labels you well able, equipped, anointed, creative, a masterpiece. The good news is that people don’t determine your destiny; God does.

 

Several years ago, I was playing basketball with our son Jonathan. We’ve played one-on-one for years. For the first time, he beat me, fair and square, 15—14. I gave him a high five. Then I told him he was grounded! During the game at one point Jonathan dribbled around me and went up for a shot. I came out of nowhere, timed it just right, and blocked his shot. I swatted the ball away and it went flying into the bushes. I felt like an NBA star. A couple days later, we went to the gym to play with some friends. Jonathan said, “Dad, tell everybody what happened the other night.”

 

I said, “Oh, yeah, Jonathan went up for this shot, and I must have been this high in the air and I blocked it, and it was something else.” He said, “No, Dad, I meant tell them how I beat you for the first time!” What’s funny is, I didn’t remember my defeat, I remembered my victory The first thing that came to my mind wasn’t that I lost the game to him, but the fact that I did something good. It’s because I’ve trained my mind to remember the right things.

 

For many people it’s just the opposite. They won the game, but they remember all the mistakes they made. They never feel good about themselves. They’re always focused on something they didn’t do good enough.

 

It’s all in how you train your mind. It depends on what channel you’re watching. Don’t make the mistake of remembering what you should forget, whether it’s your hurts, your disappointments, or your failures. Don’t forget what you should remember—your victories, your successes, and the hard times you overcame.

 

It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God is longing to be good to you.

 

God is faithful. Don’t let a lack of evidence convince you that nothing is happening. In the unseen realm, things are changing in your favor. Forces that have stopped you in the past have been broken.

 

The difficulties you face are not there to defeat you. They are there to increase you.

 

There’s nothing you can do to change the fact that you’re a son. When you gave your life to Christ, you were born into the family of God. You can’t get unborn. You can’t make a mistake that’s too big. You can’t get too far off course. You may disqualify yourself, but God never disqualifies you.

 

Everything that happens in life—the difficulties, the delays, the things that are not fair—they’re not random. God is giving you the opportunity to grow, to come up higher. He’s getting you prepared to handle the weight of favor, the weight of influence.

 

You’re not going to qualify as a son when you perform well enough.

 

It’s great to have faith for yourself, to believe for your dreams. But God didn’t give you faith just for you. Encourage someone that’s down, speak hope into their spirit. You can be the one that steps up and believes for a friend.

 

Don’t let negative expectations limit your life. A young man told me: “I don’t want to expect too much. That way if it doesn’t happen I won’t go to bed all disappointed.” That’s no way to live. If you’re not expecting increase, promotion, or good breaks, you’re not releasing your faith. Faith is what causes God to act. If you expect a break and it doesn’t happen, don’t go to bed disappointed. Go to bed knowing you’re one day closer to seeing it come to pass. Get up the next morning and do it again.

 

Winners develop this third undeniable quality of expecting good things. You can’t be in neutral and hope to reach your full potential or have God’s best. It’s not enough to not expect anything bad; you have to aggressively expect good things. Are you expecting your dreams to come to pass? Do you expect this year will be better than last year? Are you expecting to live a long, healthy, blessed life? Pay attention to what you’re expecting.

 

Maybe you have a desire to get married. Don’t go around thinking: “I’ll never meet anyone. It’s been so long, and I’m getting too old.” Instead, expect to be at the right place at the right time. Believe that divine connections will come across your path. Believe that the right person will be attracted to you. “What if I do that and nothing happens?” What if you do it and something does happen? I can tell you nothing will happen if you don’t believe.

 

Human nature tends to turn negative in difficult times. But the Scripture tells us to do just the opposite: “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2 NKJV). That doesn’t seem to make sense to some people. “You mean we’re supposed to be joyful and glad-hearted in the middle of tough times?” they ask. Yes, that’s right, because when you lose your joy, you lose your strength.

 

You need your strength more than ever in the difficult times, and your strength is dependent on your joy. When you’re facing a financial crisis, dealing with an illness, going through a breakup in a relationship, or raising a rebellious child, you need your strength. If you go through those challenges feeling negative, bitter, and discouraged, you will not have the vitality to stand strong and fight the good fight of faith.

 

You can keep your joy by knowing that on the other side of each test is promotion. On the other side of every setback is opportunity. On the other side of every offense is growth. The difficulties you face are not there to defeat you. They are there to increase you.

 

Just keep reminding yourself, Even though this is hard, even though I don’t understand it, even though it’s not fair, I’ll keep a good attitude and stay full of joy, knowing that this is not setting me back. It is setting me up for God to bring me through to the other side of this in an even better position.

 

David said in the Psalms: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” In the past you may have had disappointments and setbacks following you around, but you need to let go of what didn’t work out. Let go of every mistake, and let go of every failure. Expect goodness and mercy to follow you wherever you go. It’s good to look back sometimes and just say, “Hey, goodness. Hey, mercy. How are you doing back there?”

 

Some people don’t realize that they’re always looking for the next disaster, looking for the next failure, or looking for the next bad break. Change what you’re looking for. Start looking for goodness, mercy, favor, increase, and promotion. That’s what should be following you around.

 

One definition of hope is “happy anticipation of something good.” If you’re anticipating something good, it’s going to bring you joy. It will give you enthusiasm. When you’re expecting your dreams to come to pass, you’ll go out each day with a spring in your step. But if you’re not anticipating anything good, then you’ll drag through life with no passion.

 

I don’t say this arrogantly, but I expect people to like me. Maybe I’m naïve, but if I am, do me a favor and leave me in my ignorance. When I go somewhere, I don’t have all these walls up. I’m not defensive, insecure, intimidated, or thinking, “They’re not going to like me. They’re probably talking about me right now.” I expect people to be friendly. I believe that when people turn on my television program they can’t turn me off. I think when people see my book in the stores they’ll be drawn to it.

 

I’m talking about having an attitude of expecting good things. You need to get your expecter out. Maybe you haven’t used it for six years. You need to start expecting greater things. There are new mountains to climb, and new horizons to explore. Expect to rise higher. Expect to overcome every obstacle. Expect doors to open. Expect favor at work, favor at home, favor at the grocery store, and favor in your relationships.

 

In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to have certain feasts and certain celebrations. One of the main reasons was so they would remember what He had done. Several times a year they would stop what they were doing so everybody could take off. They would celebrate how God brought them out of slavery and how God defeated their enemies and how He protected them. They were required to remember. In another place it talks about how they put down what they called “memorial stones.” These were big stones. Today, we would call them historical markers.

 

The stones reminded them of specific victories. Every time they would go by certain stones they would recall an event. “This stone was for when we were brought out of slavery. This stone is for when our child was healed. This stone is for how God provided for our needs.” Having these memorial stones helped them to keep God’s deeds fresh in their memories.

 

In the same way, you should have your own memorial stones. When you look back over your life, you should remember not when you failed, not when you went through a divorce, not when your business went down, not when you lost that loved one, not when the boss did you wrong. That’s remembering what you’re supposed to forget.

 

You need to switch over to the other channel. Remember when you met the love of your life, remember when your child was born, remember when you got that new position, remember when the problem suddenly turned around, remember the peace you felt when you lost a loved one. Remember the strength you had in that difficult time. It looked dark. You didn’t think you’d see another happy day again, but God turned it around and gave you joy for mourning, beauty for ashes, and today you’re happy, healthy, strong. We should all have our own memorial stones.

 

God knows your value; He sees your potential. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head up high, knowing that God is in control and he has a great plan and purpose for your life. Your dreams may not have turned out exactly as you’d hoped, but the bible says that God’s ways are better and higher than our ways, even when everybody else rejects you, remember, God stands before you with His arms open wide. He always accepts you. He always confirms your value. God sees your two good moves! You are His prized possession. No matter what you go through in life, no matter how many disappointments you suffer, your value in God’s eyes always remains the same. You will always be the apple of His eye. He will never give up on you, so don’t give up on yourself.

 

God wants to do big things in your life, as well. Don’t settle for a small view of God. We serve the God that created the universe.

 

Your challenge is to live in such a way as to cause others to win.

 

Dwelling on defeats, failures, and unfair situations will keep you stuck.

 

Get rid of that small-minded thinking and start thinking as God thinks. Think big. Think increase. Think abundance. Think more than enough.

 

Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem when all the odds were against him. Determination and persistence pulsate through your bloodline.

 

God is going to release you from leasing into owning.

 

That’s why I can tell you with confidence that you are coming into greater victories. Enlarge your vision. Take the limits off God. You have not seen your best days. God has victories in your future that will amaze you. He will show up and show out in unusual ways. You may be in a tough time right now, but remember this: The enemy always fights you the hardest when he knows God has something great in store for you.

 

If you complain, you will remain. You’ll stay right there. If you become negative and soured on life, you won’t pass the test. There was promotion available. There was opportunity for new growth, but because you didn’t count it all joy, you missed out. The good news is this: God will give you another opportunity. He can still take you where you need to be. For instance, when someone offends you, your attitude should be, I won’t be upset. I’ll count it all joy. I know this is simply a test, and on the other side of this challenge I’ll be promoted.

 

When business is slow, instead of griping, count it all joy. Tell yourself, This, too, shall pass. I know God is supplying all of my needs. Or when you face a disappointment, your negative emotions will tell you to be down and discouraged. You’ll feel self-pity trying to set in. But instead of submitting to those negative emotions, encourage yourself: Get up. Be strong. There are good days up ahead. That’s how you pass the test. That’s how you count it all joy.

 

Remember the good! When you’ve been through hurts, disappointments, and failures, you have to guard your mind. Be careful what you allow to play in your thoughts all day. Your memory is very powerful. You can be driving in your car and remember a tender moment with your child. It may have happened five years ago: a hug, a kiss, or something funny they did. But when you remember the moment, a smile comes to your face. You’ll feel the same emotions, the same warmth and joy, just as if it were happening again.

 

On the other hand you could be enjoying the day; everything is fine, but then you start remembering some sad event when you weren’t treated right or something unfair happened. Before long you’ll be sad, discouraged, and without passion.

 

What made you sad? Dwelling on the wrong memories. What made you happy? Dwelling on the right memories. Research has found that your mind will naturally gravitate toward the negative. One study discovered that positive and negative memories are handled by different parts of the brain. A negative memory takes up more space because there’s more to process. As a result, you remember negative events more than positive events.

 

The study said that a person will remember losing fifty dollars more than he’ll remember gaining fifty dollars. The negative effect has a greater impact, carrying more weight than the positive.

 

If you stay focused on the past, then you’ll get stuck where you are. That’s the reason some people don’t have any joy. They’ve lost their enthusiasm. They’re dragging around all this baggage from the past. Someone offended them last week, and they’ve got that stuffed in their resentment bags. They lost their tempers or said some things they shouldn’t have. Now, they’ve put those mistakes in their bags of guilt and condemnation.

 

Ten years ago their loved one died and they still don’t understand why; their hurt and pain is packed in their disappointment bag. Growing up they weren’t treated right—there’s another suitcase full of bitterness. They’ve got their regret bags, containing all the things they wish they’d done differently. Maybe there is another bag with their divorce in it, and they are still mad at their former spouse, so they’ve been carrying resentment around for years. If they went to take an airline flight, they couldn’t afford it. They’ve got twenty-seven bags to drag around with them everywhere they go.

 

Life is too short to live that way. learn to travel light. Every morning when you get up, forgive those who hurt you. Forgive your spouse for what was said. Forgive your boss for being rude. Forgive yourself for mistakes you’ve made.

 

At the start of the day, let go of the setbacks and the disappointments from yesterday. Start every morning afresh and anew. God did not create you to carry around all that baggage. You may have been holding on to it for years. It’s not going to change until you do something about it. Put your foot down and say, “That’s it. I’m not living in regrets. I’m not staying focused on my disappointments. I’m not dwelling on relationships that didn’t work out, or on those who hurt me, or how unfairly I was treated. I’m letting go of the past and moving forward with my life.”

 

Keep shining, keep dreaming, keep being good to people, and God will take care of the persecutors. He’ll deal with the critics, the jealous people, the opposition. People can’t stop your destiny. The blessing on your life is greater than any force that’s trying to hold you back.

 

When you encounter people who are poisoned inside, don’t let it rub off on you. If you sink down to their level and you’re cold and rude back to them, you’ve allowed them to contaminate you. Rise above that. Be a part of the solution, not the problem. You overcome evil with good. If somebody is rude to you, just bless them, smile, and keep moving forward.

 

Jesus put it this way: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5 NIV). When we hear the word meek, many times we think of someone who is weak, shy, and reserved; just a fearful little person. The image is that meek people can’t stand up for themselves and everyone runs over them. That’s not meek at all. Meekness is not weakness. It’s strength under control.

 

Meekness is like a wild stallion that has been tamed. The horse is still strong, still powerful, and has just as much speed as before he was tamed. The only difference is, now that strength is under control. You can walk up to the horse, pet him, lead him around, probably get on him and ride him. But don’t be fooled. He has the same power, the same tenacity; he’s just learned how to control it.

 

When you’re a meek person, you don’t go around trying to straighten everybody out. You don’t respond to every critic. People may be talking about you, but you don’t let it bother you. Keep your strength under control. It’s not how proud you are, or how many people you straighten out, or how you can prove yourself. If you argue with a critic and try to prove yourself, all you’re doing is sinking to his or her level. Don’t fall into that trap. You are an eagle. You can rise above it.

 

You may have the power to straighten out your critic. You may feel like giving them a piece of your mind. Your emotions may tell you, Get in there. Pay them back. Get even. Instead, listen to what the apostle Paul told his protégé Timothy: “Be calm and cool and steady” (2 Timothy 4:5 AMP). He was saying, in other words, “Don’t give away your power. Keep your strength under control.”

 

You should focus on what you can change, not what you cannot change. What’s done is done. If somebody offended you, mistreated you, or disappointed you, the hurts can’t be undone. You can get bitter—pack it in a bag and carry it around and let it weigh you down—or you can forgive those who hurt you and go on. If you lost your temper yesterday, you can beat yourself up—put the guilt and condemnation in a bag—or you can ask for forgiveness, receive God’s mercy, and do better today.

 

If you didn’t get a promotion you wanted, you can get sour and go around with a chip on your shoulder, or you can shake it off, knowing that God has something better in store. No matter what happens, big or small, if you make the choice to let it go and move forward, you won’t let the past poison your future.

 

A woman I know went through a divorce years ago. We prayed several times in our services, asking God to bring a good man into her life. One day she met a fine Godly man, who was very successful. She was so happy, but she made the mistake of carrying all her negative baggage from her divorce into the new relationship. She was constantly talking about what she had been through and how she was so mistreated. She had a victim mentality. The man told me later that she was so focused on her past and so caught up in what she had been through that he just couldn’t deal with it. He moved on.

 

That’s what happens when we hold on to the hurts and pains of the past. It will poison you wherever you go. You can’t drag around all the personal baggage from yesterday and expect to have good relationships. You’ve got to let it go.

 

Quit looking at the little rearview mirror and start looking out the great big windshield in front of you. You may have had some bad breaks, but that didn’t stop God’s plan for your life. He still has amazing things in your future.

 

When one door closes, stay in faith and God will open another door. If a dream dies, don’t sit around in self-pity talking about what you lost, move forward and dream another dream. Your life is not over because you lost a loved one, went through a divorce, lost a job, or didn’t get the house you wanted. You would not be alive unless God had another victory in front of you.

 

Understand, adversities are simply a test of your faith. Perhaps God wants to see how you will treat other people when you are mistreated.

 

I mentioned Daniel in the previous chapter. The scripture says he had an excellent spirit. As a teenager, he was brought out of Judah into Babylon. The king had all these young men in training and the best of them--the smartest, strongest, and most talented--would be chosen as the next leaders.

 

They had a certain diet for them to eat and certain programs for them to follow. But Daniel had made a vow to God to always honor Him. The Babylonians worshiped idols. Daniel was respectful, but he wouldn’t eat the king’s fancy foods. He didn’t just go along with what everyone else was doing. He made the more excellent choice.

 

Daniel 6:3 says, “Daniel so distinguished himself by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to put him over the whole kingdom.” Notice it doesn’t say: “God distinguished him and he got promoted.” It says Daniel distinguished himself. The message translation says, “Daniel completely outclassed the others.

 

That’s what happens when, number one, you honor God and, number two, you have an excellent spirit. You don’t compromise. You don’t just go with the flow and do what everyone else is doing. Even if everyone else is late, everyone else cuts corners, and everyone else is undisciplined, you should do as Daniel did and go the extra mile. Make the choice to be excellent.

 

The scripture goes on to say Daniel was ten times smarter than the other young men. He had incredible wisdom and understanding. He could interpret dreams and visions. When you have an excellent spirit, God will give you unprecedented favor, creativity, and ideas so that, like Daniel, you will stand out in the crowd. In humility, you will outclass those who don’t honor God.

 

My question is: Are you distinguishing yourself and not waiting for God to do it? Are you going the extra mile? Are you doing more than you have to? Are you improving your skills?

 

Examine your life. We all have areas in which we can strive for excellence, whether it’s how we treat people, how we present ourselves, or how we develop our skills. Don’t let something small keep you from the big things God wants to do. You are called to be a cut above. You have excellence on the inside. It’s who you are. Now do your part and be disciplined to bring out your excellence.

 

If you’ll have this spirit of excellence, God will breathe in your direction and cause you to stand out. You’ll look up and be more creative, more skilled, more talented, and wiser with more ideas. I believe and declare that like Daniel, you will outperform, you will outclass, and you will outshine, and God will promote you and set you in a place of honor. You can, you will.

 

Whatever you face, remind yourself that you can handle it. You've been designed for it.

 

Don’t wait for things to turn around, and then you’ll have a good attitude. You have to be your best where you are. God doesn’t have to bring you out of the trouble; He can cause you to flourish in the trouble.

 

Stay in peace! Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace, he whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee. Isaiah 26:3

 

It’s good to admire people, it’s good to celebrate their gifts, but don’t get so caught up in who they are that you forget who you are. You are gifted, you are talented, you are one of a kind.

 

The Scripture says, “It is better to obey God than to obey people.” There will be times when you have to make a decision, “Am I going to stick with my convictions, am I going to be who God made me to be, or am I going to let the approval of people determine my destiny?

 

We have to understand the sovereignty of God. It might not seem fair to us, and it doesn’t always make sense to us, but God’s ways are not our ways, and the Scripture talks about how God has given to every person different gifts, different talents, according to our own ability. Everyone doesn’t get the same, but what He gave you is what you need to fulfill your destiny.

 

Knowing this, you have to be proactive. When negative memories come back to the movie screen of the mind, many people pull up a chair, get some popcorn, and watch it all again. They’ll say: “I can’t believe they hurt me, that was so wrong.” Instead, remember this: That’s not the only movie playing. There’s another channel that is not playing back your defeats, your failures, or your disappointments. This channel features your victories, your accomplishments, and the things you did right.

 

The good-memory channel plays back the times you were promoted, you met the right person, you bought a great house, and your children were healthy and happy. Instead of staying on that negative channel, switch over to your victory channel. You will not move forward into better days if you’re always replaying the negative things that have happened.

 

We’ve all been through loss, disappointments, and bad breaks. So those memories will come to mind most often. The good news is you have the remote control. Just because the memory comes up doesn’t mean you have to dwell on it. Learn to change the channel.

 

It takes a mature person to recognize what you’re not. Knowing what you’re not will help you stay focused on becoming who you are, because there will always be pressures to be this, to be that, to be the other.

 

You may be in the middle of a setback, in the middle of a silent season, in the middle of mourning, that is not the end. God has a flourishing finish for you. He hasn’t brought you this far to leave you. Your greatest victories are not behind you; they’re in front of you.

 

You can’t let the outside pressures and other people squeeze you into becoming something that you’re not.

 

Don’t get upset. Just keep being your best each day.

 

Here’s the key: you don’t have to have a great gift for God to use you in a great way.

 

Get ready for the new things God has in store. Pastor Dutch Sheets told a story about a forty-year-old lady having open-heart surgery. She had a blockage in one of her arteries and had to have bypass surgery. Although this is a delicate procedure, it’s considered a routine surgery and performed successfully more than 230,000 times every year.

 

During the operation, the surgeon clamps off the main vein flowing to the heart and hooks it to machine that pumps the blood and keeps the lungs working. The heart actually stops beating while the vein is being bypassed.

 

When the procedure is over and the machine is removed, the warmth from the body’s blood normally causes the heart to wake back up and start beating again. If that doesn’t work, they have drugs that will wake up the heart.

 

This lady was on the operating table and the bypass was finished, so they let her blood start flowing, but for some reason her heart did not start beating. They gave her the usual drugs with no success. She had no heartbeat. The surgeon massaged her heart with his hand to stimulate that muscle and get it beating again, but even that did not work.

 

The surgeon was so frustrated, so troubled. It looked as if his patient was finished. After doing everything he could medically, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Mary, I’ve done everything I can do. Now I need you to tell your heart to beat again.” He stepped back and heard bump, bump, bump, bump. Her heart kicked in and started beating.

 

Do you need to tell your heart to beat again? Maybe you’ve been through disappointments and life didn’t turn out like you had hoped. Now you’re just sitting on the sideline. You’ve got to get your passion back. Get your fire back. Tell your heart to dream again. Tell your heart to love again. Tell your heart to laugh again. Tell your heart to believe again.

 

You have to walk by faith and not by sight. Keep expecting it. Keep talking like it’s going to happen, acting like it’s going to happen, thinking like it’s going to happen. Your faith is going to take you where you couldn’t go on your own.

 

It doesn’t matter what it looks like in the natural; God is a supernatural God. He’s not limited by your resources, by your environment, by your education, by your nationality. If you’ll have a big vision, God will not only do what you’re dreaming about, He will do more than you can ask or think.

 

Faith is what causes God to move. “Well, Joel, I’m sixty-five years old, and I’ve never had a seventh year.” Are you releasing your faith? Are you thanking God that it’s turning around? Are you declaring, “Where I am is not where I’m staying? This sickness is temporary. I’m coming out of debt. There are new levels in my future. I am free.” When you have this attitude of faith, speaking victory over your life, that’s when the Creator of the universe will show up and do amazing things. Your faith can bring about your seventh year.

 

Before anyone could put a curse on you, God put a blessing on you.

 

If you’ll celebrate the people that are ahead of you, honor them, show them respect, the favor that’s on them will come to you. Don’t be intimidated; be inspired. Let where they are challenge you to be the best that you can be.

 

if you develop an image of victory, success, health, abundance, joy, peace, and happiness, nothing on earth will be able to hold those things from you.

 

Dream big. Believe big. Pray big. Make room for God to do something new in your life.

 

But if you’ll be faithful with the gift you have, if you’ll develop it, grow, learn, and get better, that gift will open doors to places you’ve never dreamed.

 

If you cannot be positive then at least be quiet!

 

Don’t discount your gift. It may seem small to you. Compared to others, it feels insignificant, but there is nothing ordinary about you. You have the fingerprints of God all over you. God made you in His own image. He crowned you with favor. You have royal blood flowing through your veins

 

Are you going to let the circumstances, what people say, what hasn’t worked out, convince you to settle where you are & give up on what you’re believing for? Get your passion back. God didn’t create you to live constantly struggling. That’s not your destiny; that’s temporary.

 

You have seeds of greatness inside you. Doors are going to open that no man can shut.

 

There’s something God has given you, and that slingshot may seem ordinary, but when God breathes on it, you’ll defeat a giant twice your size, you’ll be promoted beyond your talent, you’ll go places where you didn’t have the experience. You weren’t next in line, but suddenly the door opened, suddenly the Compaq Center is yours, suddenly people are celebrating you.

 

Do you need to start changing the channel? Are you reliving every hurt, disappointment, and bad break? As long as you’re replaying the negative, you will never fully heal. It’s like a scab that’s starting to get better, but it will only get worse if you pick at it.

 

Emotional wounds are the same way. If you’re always reliving your hurts and watching them on the movie screen of your mind--talking about them, and telling your friends--that’s just reopening the wound. You have to change the channel. When you look back over your life, can you find one good thing that has happened? Can you remember one time where you know it was the hand of God, promoting you, protecting you, and healing you? Switch over to that channel. Get your mind going in a new direction.

 

A reporter asked me not long ago what my biggest failure has been, my biggest regret. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I don’t remember what my biggest failure was. I don’t dwell on that. I’m not watching that channel.

 

We all make mistakes. We all do things we wish we had done differently. You can lean from your mistakes, but you’re not supposed to keep them in the forefront of your mind. You’re supposed to remember the things you did right: The times you succeeded. The times you overcame the temptation. The times you were kind to strangers.

 

Some people are not happy because they remember every mistake they’ve made since 1927. They’ve got a running list. Do yourself a big favor and change the channel. Quit dwelling on how you don’t measure up and how you just should have been more disciplined, should have stayed in school, or should have spent more time with your children. You may have fallen down, but focus on the fact that you got back up. You’re here today. You may have made a poor choice, but dwell on your good choices.

 

You may have some weaknesses, but remember your strengths. Quit focusing on what’s wrong with you and start focusing on what’s right with you. You won’t ever become all you were created to be if you’re against yourself. You have to retrain your mind. Be disciplined about what you dwell on.

 

There is nothing ordinary about you.

 

God’s ways are not our ways. He’s working when we can’t see it. Sometimes it’s taking longer because He has something better in store. One of the best things I’ve learned is to trust God’s timing and trust His ways.

 

Keep something in front of you to look at every day. Studies tell us that we move toward what we consistently see. You should keep something in front of you, even if it’s symbolic, to remind you of what you are believing for.

 

Words are like seeds. When you speak something out, you give life to what you’re saying.

 

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.

 

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 AMPC

 

The Lord says, “If you can see it, then I can do it. If you have a vision for it, then I can make a way. I can open up new doors. I can bring the right people. I can give you the finances. I can break the chains holding you back.”

 

Thank God for what He’s already done in your life. Thank Him for the victories in your past. Thank Him for how far He’s already brought you. And then take it one step further. Thank Him in advance for the victories He has planned ahead for you. Thank Him for the new doors He’s opening. Thank Him for the situations He’s turning around. Thank Him for the favor He has in your future.

 

If you do that, you will feel a new joy rising up on the inside. You will feel your faith increase. You won’t have that victim mentality; you will have a victor mentality. One thing I’ve learned is you cannot praise and stay defeated at the same time. You cannot give God thanks and stay down and discouraged.

 

He’s given you gifts, creativity, and dreams. He created you to leave your mark on this generation. You’re not supposed to live and die and nobody knew you were here. There is something significant about you, something that will cause you to stand out to the point where, years from now, people will look back and say, “You made the world a better place.”

 

Too many people suffer from destination disease. They reach a certain level, earn their degrees, buy their dream homes, and then just coast. Studies show 50 percent of high school graduates never read another entire book. One reason may be that they see learning as something you do in school, just something you do for a period of life instead of as a way of life.

 

We all learned when we were in school. Our teachers, coaches, and parents taught us. We were expected to learn when we were school age. But some tend to think that once they finish a certain level of education: “I’m done with school. I’ve finished my training. I’ve got a good job.”

 

Winners never stop learning, and this is the sixth undeniable quality I have observed. God did not create us to reach one level and then stop. Whether you’re nine or ninety years old, you should constantly be learning, improving your skills, and getting better at what you do.

 

You have to take responsibility for your own growth. Growth is not automatic. What steps are you taking to improve? Are you reading books or listening to educational videos or audios? Are you taking any courses on the Internet or going to seminars? Do you have mentors? Are you gleaning information from people who know more than you?

 

Winners don’t coast through life relying on what they have already learned. You have treasure on the inside--gifts, talents, and potential--put in you by the Creator of the universe. But those gifts will not automatically come out. They must be developed.

 

I read that the wealthiest places on earth are not the oil fields of the Middle East or the diamond mines of South Africa. The wealthiest places are the cemeteries. Buried in the ground are businesses that were never formed, books that were never written, songs that were never sung, dreams that never came to life, potential that was never released.

 

There is something shut up in you, something big that’s about to be released—dreams, books, movies, inventions, businesses, ministries, potential that you haven’t tapped into, gifts and talents that you hadn’t known were there. You haven’t seen them yet because it hasn’t been the right time, but your season is coming. The good break, the promotion, the opportunity—it’s on the way.

 

The Scripture says that God wants to pour out “His far and beyond favor.” God wants this to be the best time of your life. But if you are going to receive this favor, you must enlarge your vision.

 

Quit looking at what's wrong and start thanking God for what's right. Get up each day expecting good things. Start expecting God's favor. Start expecting His blessings. Be excited about today.

 

I’m not going to complain.

 

Now your time is coming. What’s been shut up in your spirit is about to be released. It’s going to be bigger, more rewarding, more fulfilling than you ever imagined. It’s not going to come through your neighbor, through your cousin, through your boss, or through your pastor. It’s going to come through you. It’s your baby. It’s your time to be celebrated.

 

Today’s Prayer Father, thank You for empowering me to stand on the truth that You did not make me inferior or not good enough. Thank You that You have made me to be strong and that You have given me talents needed to fulfill my destiny. I believe that You have amazing things planned for me now and for my future. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

Father, I know that You are a giver, and I want to be like You. Please help me to hold loosely those things You have placed in my hands, and help me to always be ready to give to others in the same way You have given to me.

 

He was saying, “Sarah, what I put in you is more than you can imagine.” God is saying the same thing to you: “There are kings in you. There is greatness in you. It’s much bigger than what you think.” Don’t let circumstances talk you out of it. You may not see how it can work out. God has ways to do it that you’ve never thought of. One touch of God’s favor will catapult you to the next level.

 

Life happens to us all. There are going to be different seasons, ups and downs, victories and losses, good friends and betrayals, promotions and setbacks. If you’ll stay in faith and keep moving forward, in time, God will make all things beautiful.

 

What God has put in you, He’s still going to bring to pass. You are pregnant with destiny. You are pregnant with greatness. It’s not going to come through others. You’re going to shine. You’re going to excel. You’re going to be promoted. You’re going to be celebrated. You are fully loaded. You’re not at a deficit. You’re not lacking. You’re full of potential, full of favor.

 

You are the head and not the tail. You will lend and not borrow. You are a victor and not a victim.

 

The Scripture says that God wants to pour out “His far and beyond favor.”1 God wants this to be the best time of your life. But if you are going to receive this favor, you must enlarge your vision. You can’t go around thinking negative, defeated, limiting thoughts.

 

This is a new day. Things are changing in your favor. I believe and declare that what’s been shut up in your spirit is being released. Dreams are being released, potential, promotion, healing, abundance, vindication, breakthroughs, and the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus’ name.

 

God performed miracle after miracle for the Israelites. He supernaturally brought them out of slavery. He sent all these plagues on their enemies. Even though the Israelites were living next door, the plagues did not affect them. When they came to a dead end at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh and his army chasing them, it might have looked like their lives were all over, but the water parted.

 

They went through the sea on dry ground. God gave them water out of a rock, and He led them by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. But in spite of all of this they never made it into the Promised Land. Psalm 78 tells why. It says, “They forgot what God had done, they didn’t remember the amazing miracles He had shown them and their ancestors.”

 

When you forget what you should be remembering, it can keep you out of your Promised Land. The Israelites became discouraged, started complaining, and asked Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the desert?”

 

When they faced an enemy, they thought, “We don’t have a chance.” They already had seen God’s goodness in amazing ways. They had seen God do the impossible, but because they forgot about it, they were afraid, worried, and negative. It kept them from their destiny.”

 

Keep honoring God, being your best, and God will cause the people you need to be for you. He’ll take care of your critics. When it’s the right time, just like He closed the mouths of hungry lions, He’ll close the mouths of those trying to discredit you.

 

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6–7

 

God can make your enemies your footstool.

 

We think, 'God, when You part the river, I'll go.' God says, "Go, and I'll part the river.”

 

When God takes you higher, don’t be surprised if you don’t get approval from some of your friends, some of your family. They want to keep you in that same box, but God is taking you where you’ve never been.

 

In difficult times, it’s easy to talk about the problem, complain, be negative. But that’s when you have to dig down deep and say, “No, I’m going to keep speaking victory. God, You’re my provider, You’re my healer, You’re my Way-Maker.

 

Can you endure the silence of not knowing everything? Will you trust God even though you don't have the details? Will you take that step of faith even though you're nervous, uncomfortable, and not sure how it's going to work out?

 

In the Old Testament, we read a lot about the staffs people carried around with them. They weren’t just walking sticks, or something to keep wild animals away. They were more significant than that.

 

Back in those days, people were nomadic. They were always on the move. They didn’t keep records with papers and computer files like we have today. Instead, they etched records of important events and dates on their walking staffs.

 

That was their way of keeping personal records. They’d etch notations such as, “On this date we defeated the Amalekites. On this date my son was born. On this date God brought us out of slavery. On this date God gave us water out of the rock.

 

Their walking staffs provided a record of their history with God. When Moses parted the Red Sea, what did he do? He held up his staff. He was saying, “God, we thank You for all You’ve done in the past. We remember that You’ve delivered us time and time again.

 

Moses was remembering the great things God had done. When David went out to face Goliath, he didn’t just take his slingshot. The scripture says he took his staff. On that staff, no doubt, he had etched, “On this date I killed a lion with my bare hands. On this date I killed a bear. On this date Samuel anointed me as king.

 

David took his staff to remind him that God had helped him in the past. I can imagine just before he went out to fight, he ran over and read it one more time. That gave him the final boost. His attitude was, “God, You did it for me back then, so I know You can do it for me now.”

 

How much time and energy are you spending trying to get approval, trying to be well-liked, trying to keep this friend impressed, trying to stay in this coworker’s favor? Take the pressure off. I would much rather spend my time pleasing God than trying to please people.

 

Don’t fall into a complacency trap. It doesn’t take any more effort to stay filled with faith than it takes to develop a negative attitude. Dare to step out of your comfort zone today. God has so much more in store. Keep pursuing and keep believing.

 

You're not going to be sure how it's all going to work out, but that is what will cause you to grow, that's when you'll learn to trust God in a greater way. God is not interested only in the destination. He's teaching you along the way; He's getting you prepared and growing you up. He will lead you purposefully into situations where you're in over your head, your friends can't help you, and you don't have the experience you think you need.

 

Are you facing giants today? Does your problem look too big? Do your dreams seem impossible? You need to get your staff out. Instead of going around discouraged, and thinking it’s never going to work out, start dwelling on your victories. Start thinking about how you killed the lion and bear in your own life. Start remembering how far God has brought you.

 

Rehearse all the times He opened doors, gave you promotions, healed your family members, and put you in the right places with the right people. Don’t forget your victories. On a regular basis go back over your memorial stones, and read the victories etched on your staff.

 

When those negative memories come up, they come to all of us--the things that didn’t work out, your hurts, your failures, and your disappointments. Many people mistakenly stay on that channel and they end up stuck in a negative rut and do not expect anything good. Remember, that’s not the only channel--get your remote control and switch over to the victory channel.

 

Expect breakthroughs. Expect problems to turn around. Expect to rise to new levels. You haven’t seen your greatest victories. You haven’t accomplished your greatest dreams. There are new mountains to climb, new horizons to explore.

 

Don’t let past disappointments steal your passion. Don’t let the way somebody treated you sour you on life. God is still in control. It may not have happened in the past, but it can happen in the future.

 

Draw a line in the sand and say, “That’s it. I’m done with low expectations. I’m not settling for mediocrity. I expect favor, increase, and promotion. I expect blessings to chase me down. I expect this year to be my best so far.

 

If you raise your level of expectancy, God will take you places you’ve never dreamed. He’ll open doors no man can shut. He will help you overcome obstacles that looked insurmountable, and you will see His goodness in amazing ways.

 

If you had all the facts, you wouldn't need any faith. He's going to send you out not knowing everything.

 

You’ve probably heard me say that God wants to take us places that we’ve never dreamed. When you keep Him in first place, are your best each day, and take steps of faith you will see His goodness in new ways.

 

Anything you must have to be happy, the enemy can use it against you. When you can say, “God, this is what I want, but even if it doesn’t work out my way, I’m still going to be happy.” That takes away the power of the enemy.

 

Flowing means it didn’t stop.

 

God is saying to you today, “You are blessed. You are favored. You are strong, talented, valuable, free. You have greatness in you. You are destined to leave your mark, to make the world a better place. You’re about to shine; you’re about to see favor in greater ways.”

 

Every storm you went through, every bad break, and every dark, lonely season deposited something on the inside. It pushed you to mature, pushed you to trust God in a greater way, pushed you to be more resilient and determined.

 

The delays, closed doors, people that walked away, were necessary. It was setting you up for this moment. The delay doesn’t mean that God said no; it just wasn’t the right time.

 

Build a foundation for continuous growth.

 

What matters, then, is having a good education, good work habits, and a good attitude that gives you a foundation to build on. Popularity is about wanting people to like you, but happiness is about liking yourself.

 

In most schools, the science fair is not the most popular event. Being in the math club isn’t nearly as cool as being on the football team. Some of my friends made fun of people on the debate team. But now they work for people who were on the debate team.

 

Junior high and high school are critical times in our lives and our formative years. There’s so much emphasis on sports and not enough on studies. I love sports. I played sports growing up, still do. They teach discipline and teamwork and perseverance, and that’s all great. But we need to keep sports in perspective.

 

Most of us are not going to play sports for a living. One in one million kids will play professional basketball. I don’t mean to depress you, but if you’re white it’s one in five million! The average professional football career is three and a half years. Even if you do make it, you still need a good foundation for life after football.

 

When you study and learn, and take school seriously you may be called a bookworm, a geek, or a nerd, but don’t worry about those names. In a few years you’ll be called the boss. You’ll be called CEO, president, senator, pastor, or doctor.

 

Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone had summer homes next to each other in Florida. They were close friends and spent much of their summers together.

 

Who you associate with makes a difference in how far you go in life. If your friends are Larry, Curly, and Moe, you may have fun, but you may not be going anywhere. The scripture says, “We should redeem the time.” You need to see time as a gift. God has given us 86,400 seconds each today.

 

“I believe God is going before my child lining up the right people to come across his path, taking away the wrong people, breaking every force of darkness, opening his eyes to every deception, and giving him the wisdom to make good choices to fulfill his destiny.”

 

Studies show that your attitude will have a greater impact on your success in life than your IQ.

 

You’re not responsible with what God gave you if you’re hanging out with time wasters who have no goals and no dreams.

 

You have a destiny to fulfill. God has amazing things in your future. It’s critical that you surround yourself with the right people. If you’re the smartest one in your group, then your group is too small. You need to be around people who know more than you and have more talent than you. Don’t be intimidated by them; be inspired.

 

If you take an oak tree seed and plant it in a five-gallon pot, that tree will never grow to the size it was created to be. Why? It’s restricted by the size of the pot. In the same way, God has created you to do great things. He’s put talent, ability, and skills on the inside. You don’t want to be restricted by your environment. It may be too small.

 

Some of you are being restricted by your environment. It’s too small. The people you hang around are negative and drag you down. You need to get out of that little pot. God created you to soar. It’s fine to help people in need, but don’t spend all your time with them.

 

You need talented and smart people in your life; winners who are farther along than you and can inspire you and challenge you to rise higher. My question for you is this: Are you doing anything strategic and intentional to keep growing? If not, you can start right now.

 

Come up with a personal growth plan. It can be something like, “I will get up every morning and spend the first twenty minutes meditating on the scripture. I will listen to a teaching CD driving to work. I will read a book fifteen minutes every night before I go to bed. I will meet with my mentor twice a month. I will be in church every weekend.

 

That’s a definite plan. When you take responsibility for your growth, God will honor your efforts.

 

Promotion, good breaks, businesses, books, and divine connections are in your future. But now is the time to prepare. Don’t get caught with destination disease.

 

There is treasure in you, waiting to be developed. Redeem the time. Make a decision to grow in some way every day. If you keep sharpening your skills, and getting better, God promises your gifts will make room for you.

 

Like David, because you are prepared, I believe and declare God is about to thrust you into the fullness of your destiny. He will open doors that no man can shut. You will go further than you could imagine and become the winner He’s created you to be.

 

God clothes the lilies of the field.

 

All through the day I had to say, “I can do all things through Christ. I am strong in the Lord. If God be for me, who dare be against me?

 

You have to trust that God is in control, that He’s planned out all of your days, that He knows what’s best for you. Instead of fighting where you are, learn to embrace where you are.

 

It’s good to have a big-picture outlook, to set goals, to establish budgets and make plans, but if you’re always living in the future, you’re never really enjoying the present in the way God wants you to. When we focus too much on the future, we are often frustrated because we don’t know what’s coming. Naturally, the uncertainty increases our stress level and creates a sense of insecurity. We need to understand, though, that God has given us the grace to live today. He has not yet given us tomorrow’s grace. When we get to tomorrow, we’ll have the strength to make it through. God will give us what we need.

 

“Father in heaven, thank You for all the potential that You have put into me that is just waiting to be released. Thank You that my mind is continually being renewed by believing the truths of Your Word. I declare that the full me is being released by Your grace working in me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

 

We all need people who are joined in spirit with us and say, “If you’re bold enough to believe, count me in. I’m bold enough to agree with you.” You need supporters who will come into agreement with you and release their faith, not doubters who tell you what you can’t do.

 

God won’t give you a dream and not give you what you need to accomplish it. You may not have the talent, the strength, the funds, but God is not finished. He’s still working. When He supercharges your life, you’ll come into things that you never had.

 

God is in control. You may not think anything is happening, but remember, God often works the most when we see it and feel it the least. Learn to trust His timing. Don't get in a hurry; don't grow impatient; don't try to force doors to open. Don't try to make things happen in your own strength. Let God do it His way.

 

Electricity used the wrong way can be very dangerous!

 

Don’t expect everything to be easy. Don’t expect everyone to be for you. If it hasn’t happened yet, that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen. The victory is on the other side of the opposition.

 

Stay in the Place of Rest.

 

God will never let you face a challenge that you can’t overcome. He’ll never put a dream in your heart that you can’t accomplish ... when God breathes on your life, you will accomplish things that seem impossible. You’ll outlast opposition that should have overwhelmed you. You’ll discover talent and ability that you hadn’t known you had.

 

Oftentimes the reason we don’t forgive is because what the other person did was wrong. They were clearly at fault. But when you forgive, you’re not excusing their behavior. You’re not lessening the offense; you’re simply getting the poison out of you. You have to forgive so you can be free.

 

Don’t make the mistake of talking yourself out of what God promised. Your attitude should be, “I don’t see how. It seems impossible, no way in the natural, but I know You’re a supernatural God.”

 

Your destiny is too great to let what someone did to you keep you from moving forward. Forgiveness is not about being nice and kind; it’s about letting go so you can claim the amazing future that awaits you.

 

I know there are valid reasons to be angry. Maybe you were mistreated at a young age. It wasn’t your fault. You had no control over it, and what was done to you was wrong. Forgiving doesn’t mean you’re excusing anything or anyone. It doesn’t mean you’re lessening the offense. I’m not saying you have to go be friends with someone who hurt you. I’m simply saying to let it go for your own sake. Quit dwelling on the offense. Quit replaying it in your memory. Quit giving it time and energy.

 

You have a destiny to fulfill. You have a joyful life to claim. Every time you let past hurts consume your thoughts, you are just reopening an old wound.

 

Father in heaven, thank You that I can come boldly before You, knowing that as Your child this is the right place for me to be. Thank You that I don’t have to earn Your favor or be good enough to come into Your presence. I declare that I am coming boldly to pray bold prayers and to dream bold dreams. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

There is treasure in you, waiting to be developed. Redeem the time. Make a decision to grow in some way every day. If you keep sharpening your skills, and getting better, God promises your gifts will make room for you.

 

Like David, because you are prepared, I believe and declare God is about to thrust you into the fullness of your destiny. He will open doors that no man can shut. You will go further than you could imagine and become the winner He’s created you to be.

 

You may not realize it, but you are spending emotional energy that you need for your dreams, for your goals, for your children. You won’t become all you were created to be if you are wasting emotional energy on things that don’t matter. That unforgiveness is an impurity.

 

When you’re tempted to get discouraged, keep reminding yourself that all is well. “I lost my biggest client, but I’m not stressed. I know something better is coming. All is well.”

 

When you hold on to a hurt, you never let it heal. It’s like a bruise that won’t go away. If you’ve ever hit your arm and bruised it and then had someone bump it, you know how it hurts. You pull back because the bruised area is very sensitive. You become overly protective and you make sure no one gets close. In the same way, when you’ve been bruised emotionally, you tend to be overly sensitive. If your hurt isn’t allowed to heal, the smallest bump will cause you to be defensive. You can’t develop healthy relationships while your emotional bruises remain unhealed.

 

Many times, before a promise comes to pass, you have to go through a season of silence where you don’t see anything changing. This is when many people give up on what they’re believing for. But just because you don’t see anything happening doesn’t mean God is not working.

 

How much time are you spending down on yourself, feeling guilty for past mistakes, telling God what you don’t deserve? That’s a lot of emotional energy that’s not doing any good. God hears you; He knows you’re sincere. But God is not moved by our guilt; He’s moved by our faith.

 

God wants you to be a winner, not a whiner ... No matter how many times you get knocked down, keep getting back up. God sees your resolve. He sees your determination. And when you do everything you can do, that's when God will step in and do what you can't do.

 

It will help you to forgive if you’ll realize that the people who hurt you have problems. Hurting people hurt others. When somebody lashes out at you or treats you unfairly, they’ve got unresolved issues of their own. There’s no excuse for hurting you, but they are part of a chain that needs to be broken. Somebody hurt them, so in turn they hurt you. Take a merciful approach and say, “God, I know what they did was wrong. They hurt me and it was not fair, but God, I’m not looking for revenge. I ask you, God, to heal them and give them what they need.”

 

When you can pray for your enemies and even bless those who did you wrong, as the Scripture says, God will settle your accounts (Matthew 5:44; 18:21-35).

 

I have a friend who went through a divorce after twenty-six years of marriage. His wife left him a note saying she had found someone else. He was once an outgoing, fun, and energetic person. But after his wife left him, he was solemn, discouraged, and he had no joy, no life.

 

I told him what I’m telling you: “This is not the end. God has a new beginning. But you’ve got to do your part and tell your heart to beat again.” Little by little, he recovered his joy, his vision, and his passion.

 

Then God brought a beautiful lady into his life and they married. He told me a while back that he’s happier than he’s ever been.

 

You may have suffered a setback, too, but don’t sit around in self-pity. Tell your heart to beat again. Tell your heart to love again. Someone may have done you wrong, but don’t let it poison you. Tell your heart to forgive again. Maybe a dream didn’t work out, but nothing will change if you just expect more of the same. Tell your heart to dream again.

 

You may have let the pressures of life weigh you down, and you’re all solemn and serious. You need to tell your heart to laugh again. Tell your heart to smile again. Get back your joy. Get back your enthusiasm.

 

Don’t worry if you’re not getting credit. Don’t get discouraged if people don’t thank you. God sees your sacrifice. When you give, He gives you more back. When you show someone favor, He shows you more favor.

 

Your job is not to try and make people like you. Your job is not to try to change people’s minds about you. Your job is to run your race, to be who God has called you to be, and not worry about the critics and the naysayers.

 

What you’re constantly talking about, you’re drawing in. When you’re always bragging on the greatness of our God, talking about what He can do, declaring what He promised, then you’re going to draw in favor, blessings, increase.

 

If you'll learn to release control to God, you'll not only live happier, you'll live longer.

 

You have to stand up to the enemy. Don’t live intimidated by a bully that has no power over you. Ignore the roar. Quit believing the threats, living worried, letting all the negative things play in your mind.

 

Maybe you’re still single, and you thought you would have met your spouse by now. Let me encourage you that all is well. God has the right person already lined up. They’re in your future. It’s not too late. Get in agreement with God. Don’t go around thinking it’s never going to happen.

 

I am blessed. I am strong. I am healthy.

 

You can’t control what people do; you can’t control what they say. But you can control how you respond. My message is very simple; quit giving away your joy. Quit letting the same people upset you. Quit letting the things that don’t work out frustrate you.

 

The people that stay happy, that don’t fall into discouragement, that don’t go downhill, are the people that rule over their thoughts, the people that keep their hopes up, the people that know God is still on the throne.

 

Every day we get to choose our attitudes. We can determine to be happy and look on the bright side--expecting good things, and believing we will accomplish our dreams--or we can elect to be negative by focusing on our problems, dwelling on what didn’t work out, and living worried and discouraged.

 

These are the choices we all can make. Nobody can force you to have a certain attitude. Life will go so much better if you simply decide to be positive. When you wake up, choose to be happy. That is the fourth undeniable quality of a winner.

 

Choose to be grateful for the day. Choose to look on the bright side.

 

Choose to focus on the possibilities.

 

A good attitude does not automatically come. If you don’t choose it, then more than likely you’ll default to a negative mind-set, thinking: “I don’t feel like going to work. I’ve got so many obstacles. Nothing good is in my future.

 

A negative attitude will limit your life.

 

We all face difficulties. We all have tough times, but the right attitude is, “This is not permanent, it’s only temporary. In the meantime I’m going to enjoy my life.”

 

Maybe you didn’t get the promotion you worked hard for, or you didn’t qualify for that house you wanted. You could easily live with a sour attitude. Instead, you should think: “That’s all right. I know something better is coming.”

 

If you become caught in traffic, think positively: “I’m not going to be stressed. I know I’m at the right place at the right time.”

 

If your medical report wasn’t good, you can choose to think: “I’m not worried. This too shall pass.”

 

If your dream is taking longer than you thought, you can choose to think: “I’m not discouraged. I know the right people, and the right opportunities are already in my future, and at the right time it will come to pass.

 

Get up in the morning thanking God for the day. Go out with enthusiasm, pursuing your dreams, expecting His favor, passionate about your life.

 

When you help others rise higher, God will help you rise higher. When you give your time to help others, God will give you more time. When you give your encouragement to someone, God will keep you encouraged.

 

If you are easily upset, don’t continue year after year that way. If you allow little things like long lines, the weather, a grumpy salesman, or an inconsiderate receptionist to steal your joy, draw a line in the sand. Say, “You know what? That’s it. I’m not giving away my power anymore. I’m staying calm, cool, and collected.

 

David J. Pollay, author of The Law of the Garbage Truck, was in a New York City taxicab when a car jumped out from a parking place right in front of it. His cabbie had to slam on the brakes, the car skidded, and the tires squealed, but the taxi stopped an inch from the other car. The driver of the other car whipped his head around, and honked and screamed in anger. But David was surprised when his cabbie just smiled real big, and waved at him.

 

David said, “That man almost totaled your cab and sent us to the hospital. I can’t believe you didn’t yell back at him. How were you able to keep your cool?”

 

The cab driver’s response, which David calls, “The Law of the Garbage Truck,” was this: “Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me, you’ll be happier.”

 

Successful people don’t allow garbage trucks to unload on them. If somebody dumps a load on you, don’t be upset. Don’t be angry. Don’t be offended. If you make that mistake, you’ll end up carrying their loads around and eventually you’ll dump them on somebody else.

 

Keep your lid on. Sometimes you may need to have a steel lid. These days, though, so many people are dumping out poison through criticism, bad news, and anger, you’ll need to keep that lid on tight. We can’t stop people from dumping their garbage, but by keeping our lids on, we can tell them to recycle instead!

 

When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.

 

You're going to go through tough times - that's life. But I say, 'Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.' See the positive in negative events.

 

Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you're doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.

 

Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life.

 

See, when you drive home today, you've got a big windshield on the front of your car. And you've got a little bitty rearview mirror. And the reason the windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small is because what's happened in your past is not near as important as what's in your future.

 

Do all you can to make your dreams come true.

 

I believe that God has put gifts and talents and ability on the inside of every one of us. When you develop that and you believe in yourself and you believe that you're a person of influence and a person of purpose, I believe you can rise up out of any situation.

 

God didn't make a mistake when He made you. You need to see yourself as God sees you.

 

God wants you to be a winner, not a whiner.

 

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.

 

Faith is about trusting God when you have unanswered questions.

 

You can change your world by changing your words... Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue.

 

Sometimes we look back and 10 years from now we think, 'Boy, those were great old days.' Well, you know, we're living in the good old days.

 

Keep a good attitude and do the right thing even when it's hard. When you do that you are passing the test. And God promises you your marked moments are on their way.

 

I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you're grateful, you'll see God open up new doors.

 

Let go of yesterday. Let today be a new beginning and be the best that you can, and you'll get to where God wants you to be.

 

Christmas is the perfect time to celebrate the love of God and family and to create memories that will last forever. Jesus is God's perfect, indescribable gift. The amazing thing is that not only are we able to receive this gift, but we are able to share it with others on Christmas and every other day of the year.

 

God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us.

 

God puts people in our lives on purpose so we can help them succeed and help them become all He created them to be. Most people will not reach their full potential without somebody else believing in them.

 

Encouragement to others is something everyone can give. Somebody needs what you have to give. It may not be your money; it may be your time. It may be your listening ear. It may be your arms to encourage. It may be your smile to uplift. Who knows?

 

Every day is a gift from God. There's no guarantee of tomorrow, so that tells me to see the good in this day to make the most of it.

 

Every day is a gift from God. There's no guarantee of tomorrow, so that tells me to see the good in this day to make the most of it.

 

God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you're able to pay off your house. That's God shifting things in your favor.

 

Don't ever criticize yourself. Don't go around all day long thinking, 'I'm unattractive, I'm slow, I'm not as smart as my brother.' God wasn't having a bad day when he made you... If you don't love yourself in the right way, you can't love your neighbor. You can't be as good as you are supposed to be.

 

God made you a masterpiece - be blessed, secure, disciplined and equipped.

 

I think faith is incredibly important because you will become overwhelmed with what's happening and you will have waves of grief, but when you turn to your faith, I believe God will give you waves of grace to get through it.

 

Bottom line: God will not allow any person to keep you from your destiny. They may be bigger, stronger, or more powerful, but God knows how to shift things around and get you to where you're supposed to be.

 

I don't think you should spend your life praying for things, but I do believe you should thank God for what He's given you... but I think the scripture teaches us that we can pray for our dreams, pray for the big things... he's not a small God; this God is incredible.

 

It's God's will for you to live in prosperity instead of poverty. It's God's will for you to pay your bills and not be in debt.

 

If you want to reap financial blessings, you have to sow financially.

 

God has already done everything He's going to do. The ball is now in your court. If you want success, if you want wisdom, if you want to be prosperous and healthy, you're going to have to do more than meditate and believe; you must boldly declare words of faith and victory over yourself and your family.

 

We think when God speaks to us, there's going to be a boom out of Heaven or we're going to get some chill bumps, but I really believe God's talking to us all the time. He's talking to us right in here. I call it our heart, our conscience, but it's the Holy Spirit talking to us.

 

Let go of offense. Let go of fear. Let go of revenge. Don't live angry, let go now!

 

Sometimes God will deliver you from the fire, and other times God will make you fireproof.

 

A good thing to remember is somebody's got it a lot worse than we do.

 

If you don't set the tone for the day, the devil will set it for you.

 

Faith activates God - Fear activates the Enemy.

 

Friend, there's no greater investment in life than in being a people builder. Relationships are more important than our accomplishments.

 

The greatest difficulty always comes right before the birth of a dream.

 

I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don't know anything about.

 

Why don't you start believing that no matter what you have or haven't done, that your best days are still out in front of you.

 

I'm healthy as can be - not an ache or a pain. A lot of my prayer is thanking the Lord that I am healthy. I pray for long life and good health.

 

You can be happy where you are.

 

Only God can look at somebody's heart.

 

You have enough people against you... be for yourself.

 

You can live your life angry, bitter, mad at somebody or even guilty, not letting go of your own mistakes, but you won't receive the good things God has in store.

 

The main rule to me is to honor God with your life. To life a life of integrity. Not be selfish. You know, help others. But that's really the essence of the Christian faith.

 

I believe God wants you to have money to pay your bills, send your kids to college and do charity work and build orphanages. There's the teaching that we're supposed to be poor to show that we're humble. I don't buy that. I think we're supposed to be leaders. We're supposed to excel.

 

Every setback means you're one step closer to seeing the dream come to pass.

 

I'm not trying to follow a set of rules and stuff. I'm just living my life.

 

I'm not the judge. You know, God didn't tell me to go around judging everybody.

 

In difficult times, we're not supposed to quit believing; we're not supposed to quit growing.

 

The older I get, the better I understand that every day is a gift.

 

I believe that God breathed life into every person and that every person is made in the image of God and you have accept them as they are, on their journey. I'm not here to preach hate or push people down.

 

Life's a fight. It's a good fight of faith.

 

There's a belief that you're supposed to be poor, and suffering, and show your humility. I just don't see the Bible that way. I see that God came and Jesus died so that we might live an abundant life and be a blessing to others.

 

When the negative thoughts come - and they will; they come to all of us - it's not enough to just not dwell on it... You've got to replace it with a positive thought.

 

Some people keep God in a Sunday morning box and say, 'Hey, I did my religious duty.' That's fine, but the scripture says to pray without ceasing. And I think that means all through the day you're talking to God. Even if it's in your thoughts.

 

When I grew up, the Devil was a reason why I had a headache or the Devil was the reason I got mad today. We always blamed the Devil. I think today when I say the Enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the Enemy can be our own thoughts.

 

We were old sinners - but when we came to Christ we are not sinners anymore.

 

I wouldn't ever say if you're having tough times then there must be something wrong with you or your attitude. Life's a fight. It's a good fight of faith. I encourage people to stay up, stay hopeful, stay faith-filled.

 

People respond when you tell them there is a great future in front of you, you can leave your past behind.

 

I purposely don't talk about money, because people are already skeptical about TV preachers. But I do say that I want you to be blessed. To me, prosperity is having health, having great children, having peace, good relationships. It's not about the money.

 

It's easy to get negative because you get beat down. You go through a few disappointments and it's easy to stay in that negative frame of mind. Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is a whole cliche, but your attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life.

 

I think that God gives you your own will and choices. I don't believe that we're supposed to drag ourselves through life defeated and not see God's blessings. But you have to make the right choices and follow that still, small voice within you. Because I think that's how God leads us.

 

If one dream dies, dream another dream. If you get knocked down, get back up and go again.

 

It is a hard thing to let go of mistakes we've made and sins. God wants us to do that because He knows the guilt and the condemnation will keep us from becoming who He has created us to be.

 

I think a big test we all face in life on a regular basis is that discouragement test. Life's not always fair, but I believe if you keep doing the right thing, God will get you to where you are.

 

You cannot let where you are today cause you to get stuck. I'm going to be my best right now. That's what faith is all about.

 

God's got you in the palm of His hand. You won't leave one second before your time. If God wants you to be here, then you're going to be here.

 

You'll never rise any higher than the way you see yourself.

 

Indeed, it is as important to learn how to receive a blessing as it is to be willing to give one.

 

When people are around us, they should leave better off than they were previously. Rather than feeling discouraged or defeated, people should feel challenged and inspired after spending any time with you and me.

 

Most people already know what they're doing wrong. When I get them to church I want to tell them that you can change.

 

I think God gives every one of us our own will, and unfortunately, some people choose to do evil things with it.

 

You can be committed to Church but not committed to Christ, but you cannot be committed to Christ and not committed to church.

 

Sometimes you need faith and victory spoken over your life. Words have creative power. When you receive them into your spirit, they can ignite seeds of increase on the inside.

 

Prospering just doesn't have to do with money.

 

I believe God's keeping the records, and I believe you will be rewarded even in this life. Somehow, some way, God will make it up to you. It may be He protected you from an accident you never knew. You can't give God something without God giving you more in return, whether it's peace or joy or satisfaction.

 

I don't know what can be so dangerous about giving people hope.

 

If you are against yourself, you will never reach your highest potential. And when you criticize yourself, you're criticizing God.

 

People in tough times - it doesn't mean they don't have a great attitude.

 

You're not better than anybody else, but you're not less than anybody else. You're a child of the Most High God.

 

I always want to listen to people and receive good criticism, but I just don't have to answer to them; I have to answer to God.

 

If Jesus were here today, he wouldn't be riding around on a donkey. He'd be taking a plane, he'd be using the media.

 

I say, don't try to fight your own battles because God will do it.

 

I think how you start the day many times determines what kind of day you're going to have.

 

Well I think a lot of times we're putting things off and I'm going to do it later. I'm going to break this bad habit or I'm going to pursue this dream or I'm going to treat my spouse better.

 

It's in the difficult times that we're growing and you can't just rebuke everything hard. We've got to endure it and fight the good fight of faith and pass the test.

 

If we say it long enough eventually we're going to reap a harvest. We're going to get exactly what we're saying.

 

Any of us can be happy and have a good attitude when everything is going our way. But I believe it's the real test of your character and of your faith to say, 'Things are not going our way, but I'm still being good to people; I'm still attending church; I still have a good attitude.'

 

A lot of psychological principles and even medical principles, you see them coming around to what the Bible said hundreds of years ago: a merry heart is good like a medicine.

 

Stay focused, ignore the distractions, and you will accomplish your goals much faster.

 

People of excellence go the extra mile to do what’s right.

 

I’m getting better every day in every way.

 

Every setback is a setup for a comeback!

 

Today is a new day, so rise up and move forward into the victory God has prepared for you!

 

Don’t settle for mediocrity; never let good enough be good enough.

 

Be the one to stand out in the crowd.

 

Don’t waste your energy trying to convince people to understand you. Your time is too valuable to try to prove yourself to people.

 

You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ’I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.’

 

God knows the dreams and desires in your heart; in fact, He gave them to you. He will order your steps and take you where you need to be.

 

You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people.

 

We may get knocked down on the outside, but the key to living in victory is to learn how to get up on the inside.

 

When you keep God in first place, He will take you to places you’ve never dreamed of.

 

Crows can't hang with eagles.

 

When you focus on being a blessing, God makes sure that you are always blessed in abundance.

 

You cannot expect victory and plan for defeat.

 

You may think there is a lot wrong with you, but there is also a lot right with you.

 

God would not have put a dream in your heart if He had not already given you everything you need to fulfill it.

 

Don’t use your energy to worry. Use your energy to believe.

 

It’s always darkest before the dawn. The bigger your challenge, the closer you are to your victory.

 

Sometimes you face difficulties not because you’re doing something wrong, but because you’re doing something right.

 

The greatest gift you can give someone is your time, your attention, your love, your concern.

 

Instead of telling God how big your problems are, tell your problem how BIG your God is.

 

Don't do anything that you wouldn't feel comfortable reading about in the newspaper the next day.

 

Don’t just accept whatever comes your way in life. You were born to win; you were born for greatness; you were created to be a champion in life.

 

I believe God will fight my battles for me.

 

Make up your mind that no matter what comes your way, no matter how difficult, no matter how unfair, you will do more than simply survive. You will thrive in spite of it.

 

Life’s too short to spend it trying to keep others happy. You can’t please everyone. To fulfill your destiny, stay true to your heart.

 

Don’t just go through it; grow through it.

 

Don’t allow negative people to steal your joy. When you lose your joy, you lose your strength.

 

You’re going to go through tough times — that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you.’ See the positive in negative events.

 

Today could be the start of something amazing.

 

Slow down and enjoy the journey right now. Take time for the people in your life. They won’t always be there.

 

It’s our faith that activates the power of God.

 

To live your best life now, you must learn to trust God’s timing, you may not think He’s working, but you can be sure that right now, behind the scenes, God is arranging all the pieces to come together to work out His plan for your life.

 

Whatever follows ‘I AM’ will always come looking for you!

 

Your job isn’t to judge. Your job isn’t to figure out if someone deserves something or decide who is right or wrong. Your job is to lift the fallen, restore the broken, and heal the hurting.

 

Change the way you speak about yourself and you can change your life.

 

God knows your value; He sees your potential. You may not understand everything you are going through right now. But hold your head up high, knowing that God is in control and he has a great plan and purpose for your life.

 

No matter what’s happening, choose to be happy. Don’t focus on what’s wrong. Find something positive in your life. Thank God for the small things.

 

I’m blessed to be a blessing to someone else.

 

You’ve got to believe that God is in control of your life. It may be a tough time but you’ve got to believe that God has a reason for it and he’s going to make everything good.

 

No matter what comes your way, shake it off and move forward. When you have a positive mindset, you can’t be defeated.

 

I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone. You have so much incredible potential on the inside. God has put gifts and talents in you that you probably don’t know anything about.

 

Don’t make excuses, don’t blame the past. The rest of your life can be the best of your life!

 

You spend your time like you spend money. You can waste it or invest it.

 

You will become what you believe. The truth is, I am what I am today because of what I believed about myself yesterday. And I will be tomorrow what I believe about myself right now.

 

You may have had unfair things happen to you, but the depth of your pain is an indication of the height of your future.

 

Your destiny is too great, your assignment too important, your time too valuable. Don’t let fear intimidate you.

 

God’s way is better than your way. His plan is bigger than your plan. His dream for your life is more rewarding, more fulfilling, better than you’ve ever dreamed of. Now stay open and let God do it His way.

 

No matter what may be happening today, God has good things in store for your future! It may not be easy to see now, but God has already lined up a new beginning, new friendships and new opportunities for you.

 

When you face difficult times, know that challenges are not sent to destroy you. They’re sent to promote, increase and strengthen you.

 

Life is short. Don’t miss opportunities to spend time with the people that you love.

 

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.

 

Keep on keeping on!!!

 

You may not be where you want to be, but you can look back and be thankful you’re not where you used to be.

 

It may look impossible, but God can do the impossible. Just because you don’t see anything happening doesn’t mean God is not working.

 

God planted a dream in your heart for a reason. No one else can dream it for you. No one else will accomplish it for you.

 

You may have failed, but you are not a failure. That’s what you did. That’s not who you are.

 

You have to turn it around and say God still has a great plan for my life. I may not understand things that happen, but faith is all about trusting when you don’t understand it.

 

You may be in a tough time but that setback is simply a setup for a greater comeback.

 

Life is going by. Don’t waste a minute being negative, offended, or bitter. Choose to be happy.

 

Start calling yourself healed, happy, whole, blessed, and prosperous. Stop talking to God about how big your mountains are, and start talking to your mountains about how big your God is!

 

I believe if you keep your faith, you keep your trust, you keep the right attitude, if you’re grateful, you’ll see God open up new doors.

 

There will always be somebody more successful, more beautiful, more talented. You have to realize you’re not running their race. You’re running your race.

 

Act like you’re blessed. Talk like you’re blessed. Walk like you’re blessed. Put actions behind your faith, and one day you will see it become a reality.

 

The more you talk about negative things in your life, the more you call them in. Speak victory not defeat.

 

If you will transform your mind, God will transform your life.

 

Every day, set your mind in the right direction. Find something to be grateful for.

 

Your time is too valuable, your destiny is too great, and your future is too bright to waste a single moment. Be a now person.

 

No matter how many times you get knocked down, keep getting back up. God sees your resolve. He sees your determination. And when you do everything you can do, that’s when God will step in and do what you can’t do.

 

If you have your health, if you have people in your life to love, you are blessed. Slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.

 

God wants you to be a winner, not a whiner.

 

Don’t get stuck where you are, keep growing. It’s a decision you have to make because it is easy to get stuck. Make a decision to develop better habits, to have better relationships and just to keep the enthusiasm for life.

 

When you serve others, when you make somebody else’s life better, when you lift up people, when you help heal those that are hurting, not only are they being blessed, but you’re being blessed.

 

You are a person of destiny. You are not here by accident. There is no obstacle too big, no dream you can’t accomplish.

 

Quit worrying about people that are trying to hold you back. God knows how to move the wrong people out of your life and bring the right people in. He knows how to prepare you to Break Out.

 

Difficult times don’t come your way just so you can survive them; God uses these times in your life to form and refine you.

 

To reach up for the new, you must let go of the old. What lies behind you is not nearly as important as what lies in front of you.

 

Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you’re going to live your life.

 

If you want to be happy, you have to be happy on purpose. When you wake up, you can’t just wait to see what kind of day you’ll have. You have to decide what kind of day you’ll have.

 

When you’re blessed, the haters come out. When you wear God’s blessings well, don’t be surprised if it draws jealousy out on people.

 

Our words have creative power. With our words, we can speak blessings over our future or we can speak negative things over our future.

 

God made you a masterpiece – be blessed, secure, disciplined and equipped.

 

Today, use your words to lift up and bless the people around you.

 

There are some things you can only learn in a storm.

 

God will give you strength when you think you can’t go on. He will give you joy when you should be discouraged. He can make a way when it looks impossible.

 

Don’t use your words to describe the situation. Use your words to change the situation.

 

Before you leave the house, you need to make up your mind that you’re going to stay positive and enjoy the day no matter what comes your way. You have to decide ahead of time.

 

People can call you many different things, but you are not what people call you. You are what you answer to.

 

If you truly want to become a better you, it is imperative that you learn to feel good about yourself.

 

God has destined you to soar. You have victory, freedom and excellence on the inside.

 

When you have a spirit of excellence, you do the right thing not because somebody is watching or making you do it; you do it because it’s the right thing to do.

 

Don’t go into the new year holding a grudge from last year. Leave the hurts and disappointments behind.

 

Every day is a gift from God. There’s no guarantee of tomorrow, so that tells me to see the good in this day to make the most of it.

 

Sometimes, God uses difficult people, like sandpaper, to rub the rough edges off us.

 

No matter how many times you get knocked down, keep getting back up.

 

People will try to label you not good enough, too slow, too old, too many mistakes. You can’t stop negative comments or prevent negative labels, but you can choose to not let them hold you back.

 

God works where there’s an attitude of faith. I believe faith is all about hope.

 

Take your dreams and the promises God has put in your heart, and every day declare that they will come to pass.

 

Don’t talk about the way you are. Talk about the way you want to be.

 

You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.

 

You have greatness in you. The key is to get it out.

 

Make the decision and say, “I’m not letting that worry in. I’m done being upset when my plans don’t work out. I’m not letting that stress in.” Negative thoughts will still come to your mind, but you don’t have to let them into your spirit.

 

Fear and faith have something in common. They both ask us to believe in something we cannot see.

 

Where God gives vision He always provides provision.

 

If you will focus on meeting other people’s needs, God will always make sure your needs are supplied. God will take care of your problems for you.

 

If you don’t set the tone for the day, the devil will set it for you.

 

You’re not RESPONSIBLE for somebody else’s happiness. You’re responsible for your own HAPPINESS.

 

God is preparing you for greater things. He’s going to take you further than you thought possible, so don’t be surprised when He asks you to think better of yourself and to act accordingly.

 

No matter how dark it looks, no matter how long it’s been, no matter how many people are trying to push you down; if you will stay in faith, God will always take you from Friday to Sunday. He will always complete what He started in you!

 

You can be committed to Church but not committed to Christ, but you cannot be committed to Christ and not committed to church.

 

Just because we’re in a STRESSFUL situation doesn’t mean that we have to get stressed out. You may be in the storm. The key is, don’t let the storm get in YOU.

 

At this very moment, God’s working behind the scenes in your life, arranging things in your favor. Stay in faith!

 

Keep honoring God with your life, stay in peace, trust His timing and God will open doors that no man can shut.

 

The moment God put a dream in your heart, the moment the promise took root, God not only started it, but He set a completion date.

 

When nobody else celebrates you, learn to celebrate yourself. When nobody else compliments you, then compliment yourself. It’s not up to other people to keep you encouraged. It’s up to you. Encouragement should come from the inside.

 

You will never change what you tolerate.

 

God will always bring the right people into your life, but you have to let the wrong people walk away.

 

Being successful doesn’t necessarily make you great. What makes you great is when you reach back and help somebody else become great.

 

You are not defined by your past. You are prepared by your past.

 

Quit questioning God and start trusting Him!

 

Wake up every morning with a thankful attitude. Expect something good to happen in your life today.

 

Believe that God is in control. There is no need to be stressed out or worried.

 

Let’s be the kind of people that do good for others whether we get paid back or not, whether they say thank you or not.

 

Learn to trust His timing. Don’t get in a hurry; don’t grow impatient; don’t try to force doors open. Don’t try to make things happen in your own strength. Let God do it His way.

 

If you can see the invisible, God will do the impossible.

 

God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh ideas and creativity.

 

Bottom line: God will not allow any person to keep you from your destiny. They may be bigger, stronger, or more powerful, but God knows how to shift things around and get you to where you’re supposed to be.

 

There may be times when you just have to love people from a distance.

 

“We live in a society that likes to kick people when they’re down. Don’t be a fair-weather friend. Stick with people. They need you more in the tough times than they do in the good times.”

 

Quit worrying about how everything is going to turn out. Live one day at a time; better yet, make the most of this moment.

 

God’s got you in the palm of His hand. You won’t leave one second before your time. If God wants you to be here, then you’re going to be here.

 

A grateful heart is like a sponge that soaks up God’s goodness.

 

Life is short. You can’t afford to put off what God has put in your heart. You don’t have time to live with things holding you back.

 

Faith is about trusting God when you have unanswered questions.

 

You only have so much emotional energy each day. Don’t fight battles that don’t matter.

 

You don’t have to fight every battle. You don’t have to respond to every critic. You don’t have to be offended because of what others say. You can rise above these things and soar.

 

There’s a lot that is good in your life-don’t take it for granted. Don’t get so focused on the struggles that you miss the gift of today.

 

Life’s a fight. It’s a good fight of faith.

 

When you face adversity, you need to remind yourself that whatever is trying to defeat you could very well be what God will use to promote you.

 

Your best days are still out in front of you.

 

Where you are now is not where you will always be. There are brighter days up ahead.

 

Replace those thoughts of worry with thoughts of hope, faith, and victory.

 

When you get knocked down, don’t stay down; get back up again. Nothing good is going to happen as long as you’re down on yourself.

 

It is your choice to be happy. Make up your mind to enjoy this day, to have a blessed, prosperous, victorious year. You may have some setbacks and your circumstances may change, but don’t let that change your mind. Keep it set to happiness.

 

Don’t put a question mark where God has put a period.

 

When you smile and project an aura of warmth, kindness, and friendliness, you will attract warms, kindness, and friendliness. Happy people will be drawn to you.

 

You weren’t created to be unhappy in order to keep everyone else happy. Run your own race.

 

God loves to use ordinary people just like you and me, faults and all, to do extraordinary things.

 

Often, out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction.

 

If you develop an image of success, health, abundance, joy, peace, happiness, nothing on earth will be able to hold those things from you.

 

Let go of yesterday. Let today be a new beginning and be the best that you can, and you’ll get to where God wants you to be.

 

The only difference between black coal and a precious diamond is the amount of pressure it endured.

 

Too often we make the mistake of remembering what we should forget-our hurts, failures and disappointments -and we forget what we should remember our victories, accomplishments and the times we have made it through.

 

I mean we all need a second chance sometimes.

 

When you’re tempted to be upset, ask yourself ‘Is this worth giving up my joy?

 

Don’t focus on the adversity; focus on God. No matter what you go through, stay in faith, be your best each day and trust that God will use it to position you for greatness.

 

The prerequisite to loving others is to love yourself. If you don’t have a healthy respect for who you are, and if you don’t learn to accept yourself faults and all, you will never be able to properly love other people.

 

True love turns words and feelings into actions.

 

If you spend your life trying to please people or letting them control you, you may make them happy, but you’ll miss your destiny.

 

Keep a good attitude and do the right thing even when it’s hard. When you do that you are passing the test. And God promises you your marked moments are on their way.

 

You were created to excel. There’s no limit to how high you can go in life. Keep stretching to the next level.

 

Associate with people of vision. Be around those who inspire you and motivate you to reach your dreams.

 

God’s dream is that you have an abundance, that you be totally out of debt, pay your house off, pay your credit cards off, and have so much overflow that you can be a blessing to everyone around you!

 

When things are difficult, smile by faith. Don’t wait until you feel better.

 

Truth is, no two people are completely compatible. We have to learn to become one. That means we may have to make sacrifices; we may have to overlook some things. We must be willing to compromise for the good of the relationship.

 

To become a better you, you must be positive towards yourself, develop better relationships, embrace the place where you are.

 

I will not talk to God about how big my problems are. I will talk to my problems about how big my God is. This is my declaration.

 

God doesn’t ask you to figure it all out. He only asks you to believe.

 

God didn’t make a mistake when He made you. You need to see yourself as God sees you.

 

Faith is not in your head. Faith is in your heart. Sometimes you have to turn your mind off and listen to your heart.

 

Marriage is a commitment, not a feeling.

 

Nothing in life has happened to you. It’s happened for you. Every disappointment. Every wrong. Even every closed door has helped make you into who you are.

 

Be careful what you say. You can say something hurtful in ten seconds, but ten years later, the wounds are still there.

 

You may think you’ve got a long way to go, but you need to look back at how far you’ve already come. You may not be everything you want to be but atleast you can thank God that you’re not what you used to be.

 

At the start of each new day, remind yourself: I am talented. I am creative. I am greatly favored by God. I am equipped. I am well able. I will see my dreams come to pass.

 

Your life will follow your expectations. What you expect is what you will get. If you dwell on positive thoughts, you will move in that direction; if you continually think negative thoughts, you will live a negative life.

 

You cannot soar with the eagles as long as you hang out with the turkeys.

 

Ask God to give you the strength to endure, and rest assured, He will take care of you.

 

You can live your life angry, bitter, mad at somebody or even guilty, not letting go of your own mistakes, but you won’t receive the good things God has in store.

 

And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

 

Be a people builder. Look for opportunities to encourage others to bring out the best in them.

 

No matter what comes your way, don’t lose your joy.

 

You don’t have to tell people what they’re doing wrong. They already know. Your job is to love them.

 

Not every person is going to understand you and that’s okay. They have a right to their opinion and you have every right to ignore it.

 

Sometimes in life, a fog sets in and you don’t know which way is the right direction. Every voice may tell you it’s not going to happen, but God has placed a promise in your heart. Refuse to listen to those voices. Keep believing.

 

If you never feel like giving up, then your dreams are too small.

 

God can make greatness out of a great mess.

 

He is still in control. He still has you in the palm of His hand.

 

Quit worrying about what other people think and just be who God made you to be. If you will run your race, God will take care of your critics.

 

The power to see change in your life can be found in the words you speak. You have the power to set the destiny for your life by what comes out of your mouth.

 

God has put people in your life on purpose, Don’t live to get, live to give.

 

I know what’s in my future is greater than what’s in my past so I am pressing forward in life.

 

Send your life to a whole new level! Zip up the negative words and start speaking faith and victory into your future.

 

You don’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations, just be the best you can be.

 

A victor’s mentality becomes a victor’s reality.

 

Keep believing. You may be tired, discouraged, but don’t give up on your future.

 

Hard times may have held you down, but they will not last forever. When all is said and done, you will be increased.

 

I think a big test we all face in life on a regular basis is that discouragement test. Life’s not always fair, but I believe if you keep doing the right thing, God will get you to where you are.

 

Your past does not determine who you are. Your past prepares you for who you are to become.

 

If one dream dies, dream another dream. If you get knocked down, get back up and go again.

 

Keep in mind, just because you don’t know the answer doesn’t mean that one does not exist. You simply haven’t discovered it yet.

 

Sometimes we focus on the mess or the broken dream, but in all the mess God sees greatness. He knows how to take your troubles and turn them into trophies, how to take the test and make it your testimony.

 

When someone is rude, keep a smile on your face. when you stay on the high road ...

 

Don’t hold on to the old when you’re being led somewhere new. Come out of your comfort zone.

 

God never said that we wouldn’t have unfair situations, that we wouldn’t experience loss. But He promised if we would stay in faith, He would restore everything that was stolen.

 

There are people in your path just so you can be a blessing to them. Anytime you do good for others, you are sowing a seed for God to be good to you.

 

Quit dwelling on the negative things people have said about you. You don’t have to have everyone’s approval. You have God’s approval.

 

Take the limits off of yourself. You will never rise higher than your thinking. Create a great vision for your life.

 

Happiness does not depend on your circumstances; it depends on your will. It’s a choice that you make.

 

Forgiveness is a choice, but it is not an option.

 

Don’t be intimidated by the size of your problem or the size of your dream. God will see to it that it is finished completely.

 

Instead of focusing on how big your problems are, focus on how big your God is! He is everything you need. He is the Great I AM, and He is the one leading and guiding you into victory in every area of your life!

 

My core message is that God has got a good plan for your lives, and we must trust Him, and let go of the past. That’s my main message.

 

If you’ll spend time praying for people instead of talking about them, you’ll get better results.

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your peace that rules my heart. I choose Your peace today and thank You for guiding my every step. I choose to be thankful today and bless You for Your faithfulness. In Jesus Name. Amen.

 

This is a day that God has given me. It’s a gift. I can never relive this day. And I’m not going to live it angry, in unforgiveness, and mad at somebody. If I don’t get my way, I’m going to believe that God’s still in control.

 

Love overlooks a person’s faults. That’s not always easy, but love believes the best in every person. Anybody can return evil for evil, but God wants His people to help heal wounded hearts.

 

Next time you’re tempted to be upset, frustrated, offended, remind yourself, it’s a part of that ten percent of things in life that you can’t control — but you can control how you respond.

 

The greatest difficulty always comes right before the birth of a dream.

 

If your alive and breathing, you can still become everything God has created you to be.

 

Closed doors are a test of our faith. Keep moving forward, being your best, living with determination and faith. When you do, you’ll see amazing changes all around you.

 

What you receive is directly connected to what you believe.

 

The creator of the universe is lining up things in my favor.

 

If you will keep being your best right where you are, you will come into more favor, promotion and opportunity than you ever imagined.

 

Sometimes you have to put your own dreams on hold temporarily so you can help release a dream in somebody else. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.

 

See, people are watching you. Especially your children. They’re taking in every single thing you do. They are like video cameras with legs. And they are always in the record mode. They learn more from what you do than from what you say.

 

Nobody owes me anything. I am not at a disadvantage. I am equipped, empowered, and anointed.

 

You’ll never rise any higher than the way you see yourself.

 

Start announcing freedom from anything that’s holding you back. Freedom from addictions, freedom from loneliness, freedom from lack, freedom from struggle.  You are prophesying your future. Your words are setting the direction for your life.

 

When God puts love and compassion in your heart toward someone, He’s offering you an opportunity to make a difference in that person’s life. You must learn to follow that love. Don’t ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have.

 

God wants to use you in spite of your weaknesses. Of God chose to use perfect people only, He’d have no one to use.

 

Just because you’ve come to a dead end, it’s not time to give up. Find a different route and keep pressing forward.

 

Hold on to that new, enlarged vision of victory that God has given you. Start expecting things to change in your favor. Dare to boldly declare that you are standing strong against the forces of darkness.

 

Selfishness is weakness. But loving and caring for others is a position of power beyond anything we can possibly imagine.

 

Your enemies, your critics, the people that are trying to push you down-God can use them to push you up.

 

You can have average talent, but when God breathes on your life, you will go further than people that have great talent. Don’t talk yourself out of it.

 

I don’t have to figure out how God is going to solve my problem. I don’t have to understand how He’s going to bring it to pass. That’s His responsibility.  My job is to simply believe that He will.

 

Friend, there’s no greater investment in life than in being a people builder. Relationships are more important than our accomplishments.

 

Keep doing the right. God is building character in you, and you are passing that test. Remember, the greater the struggle, the greater the reward.

 

This is not the time to shrink back in fear. Move forward in faith. Get up every morning knowing you are gifted.

 

Don’t just look for your miracle. Become someone else’s miracle.

 

When you go through enough dark places, you don’t complain about little things. You don’t lose your joy because you got stuck in traffic; you don’t get offended because a coworker was rude to you. You’ve been through too much to let that sour you.

 

When you go through enough dark places, you don’t complain about little things. You don’t lose your joy because you got stuck in traffic; you don’t get offended because a coworker was rude to you. You’ve been through too much to let that sour you.

 

There’s a belief that you’re supposed to be poor, and suffering, and show your humility. I just don’t see the Bible that way. I see that God came and Jesus died so that we might live an abundant life and be a blessing to others.

 

You’re not really free until you’re free from trying to please everybody.

 

If you will lie about the little things, before long you’ll lie about bigger things.

 

Every setback means you’re one step closer to seeing the dream come to pass.

 

When you have big dreams, you’re going to have big challenges. If you were an average person you would have average problems.

 

If they left you, you didn’t need them. If they walked away, they weren’t part of your DESTINY.

 

You need to get ready because I have explosive blessings coming your way.

 

Let go of offense. Let go of fear. Let go of revenge. Don’t live angry, let go now!

 

You don’t know why God has put that person in your path. It’s not a coincidence. He’s strategically lined up every person, every detail and every step of your life. Now do your part — don’t miss an opportunity to do good for others.

 

You have to change on the inside before change will happen on the outside.

 

There is a winner in you. You were created to be successful, to accomplish your goals, to leave your mark on this generation. You have greatness in you. The key is to get it out.

 

God doesn’t care what you’re not. He cares who you are. You are His, you come from the Master, and when He adds His extra to your ordinary and His super to your natural, nothing is impossible for you.