Today’s Scripture:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13, NKJV.

Today’s Word:

Today, I want to remind you of what God says about you. No matter what’s happening in your life today, remember: you are not limited by your resources, your family or your background. Almighty God has equipped and empowered you. He has given you creativity, ideas, inventions, skills and talents. Don’t you dare settle for a mediocre life! Today, I call forth the seeds of greatness inside of you.

Today, I declare that your best days are ahead. That you are going to go further than anyone in your family ever did; that you are going to dream bigger and live higher. I declare that you are a leader, an influencer, a minister of reconciliation. You are the fragrance of God to the nations.

Before anyone put a curse on you, God Almighty put a blessing on you. Walk and live in that blessing by following His commands and staying fully committed to Him in everything you do!

Prayer for Today:

Father, thank You for blessing me and calling me according to Your purposes. I receive Your Word which is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I will hide Your truth in my heart that I might not sin against You n Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Posted by Joel Osteen on 9/21/2012

One thing I’ve learned in life is that you aren’t going to agree on everything with every single person you encounter. Backgrounds, upbringing, friends and family all have influence on people’s perspective. Scripture shows us in Ephesians 4 that our goal should be to come together in the unity of the faith in the knowledge of the Son of God. In other words, we are eternally connected by believing that Jesus is the Son of God; that He lived on earth, died for our sins, and rose from the dead so that we could live in eternity with Him. Unity in Christ is the foundation upon which everything else in our lives should be built.

My friend Andy Stanley talks about this in his new book, Deep and Wide—Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend. He writes:

“For millennia, before the invention of concrete, builders used stones to lay a foundation for a new building. They gathered granite, marble, or limestone from a quarry and chiseled the material into giant brick-shaped blocks. They then selected one particular stone and designated it the “cornerstone”—the reference stone that would determine the placement of every other stone in the foundation. As they laid other stones end-to-end to form the outline of the building’s foundation, they made sure each one was level and square with the cornerstone.

In a clever play on words, Jesus used Peter’s nickname to connect his declaration to what was to come. The cornerstone or foundation for this new entity called ‘the church’ would be the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Two millennia later, that is still the unifying factor within the church. Truth is, belief in Jesus as the Son of God is about the only thing all Bible churches hold in common. As Jesus predicted, Peter’s declaration became the common ground and a compass point for everything that was to follow.”

Today, instead of focusing on your differences, focus on your agreements. Focus on unity in knowing Christ and allowing Him to do His perfect work in every area of your life!

“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13, NLT)

Today’s Scripture:

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. – Proverbs 18:21, NIV.

Today’s Word:

Every word you speak matters. Something you say may seem insignificant to you, but to someone else those words can be life changing. When you use your words to lift someone’s spirit and speak words of vision and life over them, you are depositing seeds that will last throughout eternity.

It’s especially important to speak vision into our children. As a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend, the children in your life need to hear on a regular basis that they can do something great with their lives. As parents, our words carry incredible weight. That’s why you should never put a child down. Don’t ever say, “You’re slow, clumsy or dumb. Why can’t you make good grades like your sister? Why can’t you hit the baseball like your cousin?” Those words are seeds. They can take root and affect that child many years later. Too many people have been crippled by low expectations. But today, all of that can change. Today, you can start to speak vision over yourself and over the people in your life. Today, you can call out the seeds of greatness in others and stir up the gift of God inside. Today, speak life, speak hope and speak vision!

Prayer for Today:

Father, today I choose to speak life. I choose to speak hope. I choose to speak vision. Let me see the people in my life the way You see them. Let me see the potential You have placed in them so that I can call forth their seeds of greatness in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Scripture:

…It is more blessed to give than to receive. – Acts 20:35, NIV.

Today’s Word:

So much of our culture is inward focused. People are conditioned to think, “What’s in it for me?” But the most rewarding way to live is not with the attitude, “How can I get blessed today?” No, if we are always self-focused wondering how we can benefit, that’s living with a shallow, temporary mentality. Instead of looking out only for your good, turn it around and say, “How can I be a blessing to others? Who can I inspire to rise higher? What seeds of greatness can I call forth out of someone?” Friend, that’s living at a higher level.

Today, I encourage you to be on the lookout for ways to be a blessing to other people. It’s amazing how one word of encouragement can change the direction of a person’s life forever. When you reach out and speak faith over others, when you speak vision and cause others to rise higher, something supernatural happens to your own life. It won’t be long before you see yourself excelling and rising up higher when you live with an eternal perspective!

Prayer for Today:

Father, help me to live with an eternal perspective. Help me to stay focused on meeting the needs of others. Let me be Your hands and feet, let me be Your mouthpiece and bring You glory in everything I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Posted by Victoria Osteen on 9/18/2012

Sometimes opportunities cross our paths that seem small or insignificant. Perhaps you don’t quite see how a seemingly little thing can fit into the big picture of your life. However, if you know in your heart that God is presenting you with an opportunity, He has a purpose for it. He can use that opportunity to increase you and promote you beyond your wildest dreams.

Long before Joel and I became Pastors of Lakewood Church, I spent many years helping his father get ready for the weekly services and television program. Now, it wasn’t something I had planned on doing, but it all came about when his hair stylist announced her resignation. I happened to be standing there when she did, and Joel’s father immediately turned to me and asked if I would take her place. I wasn’t a hairdresser. I didn’t go to cosmetology school. My first thought was, “If you’re bold enough to trust me, I’m bold enough to do it. It’s your hair!” And the rest is history.

Joel’s father used to tell us that he was going to preach into his nineties, and we had no reason to believe differently. I just figured I would be right there helping him. I remember one day, I was calculating how old I would be when he was ninety; and I can tell you, I would have been doing his hair for a long time! Nevertheless, I was committed. I said to God, “If this is what You have for me to do, I am going to be the most faithful person You can find.” And I was faithful even when there were many other things I would have rather done, given the choice. At the time, it was difficult to see how this fit into the “big picture” of my life or where this could possibly take me. But I just kept meditating on that scripture, “If you will be faithful in the little, God will trust you with much more.” (See Matthew 25)

What I didn’t know at the time is that God was preparing me for ministry through that experience. As I look back over my time with Daddy Osteen, I wouldn’t trade it for the world! He loved me and I loved him. Learning from him about ministry prepared me for where I am today. I believe if it were not for those years we spent together, I would not have the same opportunities.

Always remember, when you are faithful with what God has called you to do, no matter how big or small, you are planting seeds for your future. If you want to grow and increase in any area of your life, you have to use what you have been given, and then God will multiply it. Stay faithful. Give your best to whatever you do because you never know what door God will open when you are faithful in the little things.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24, NIV)

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Scripture:

Two are better than one…if either of them falls down, one can help the other up… – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, NIV.

Today’s Word:

We all need somebody to believe in us more than we believe in ourselves. We all need people who will push us up, so to speak. After all, there are enough people trying to push us down in life. There are enough people telling us what we can’t become and how we don’t have what it takes.

I know in my own life, I wouldn’t be half of who I am if it were not for Victoria. She has spoken so much faith into me. She has called out the potential on the inside.

I believe we all have the responsibility to do this for others. Let’s push people up. Let’s look with our eyes of faith and see their potential and tell them what they can become. If you will be that person for somebody else, God will make sure somebody will be that person for you.

Friend, every person has seeds of greatness inside. You can cause your children to rise to a new level. You can be the catalyst for your family to do things they never thought possible. Your words have creative power. When you speak vision, that can be the seed God uses to thrust them to a new level.

Prayer for Today:

Father, today I commit to push people up. I choose to speak life and call forth the seeds of greatness within. Thank You for using me to help others fulfill their destiny in Jesus’ name. Amen.