Today’s Scripture:

…those who hope in me will not be disappointed. – Isaiah 49:23, NIV.

Today’s Word:

What a powerful promise we have from Almighty God! When we put our hope in Him, we will never be disappointed. Of course, that doesn’t mean that things will always go our way. There may be temporary disappointments, but we will never be permanently disappointed. Somewhere down the road, God will cause it to all work out for our good. With God on your side, you will always end in victory!

Are you carrying frustration, worry or aggravation about something? That’s usually a clear sign that your hope is in the wrong place. If you hope in circumstances, it will deplete you of joy and peace. But when you turn those circumstances over to God, when you refuse to worry, when you refuse to allow the temporary things of this world to dictate your happiness, that’s when God can do a work in your life. When you trust in Him, He will make your crooked places straight; He will cause you to mount up with wings like the eagle.

Today, choose to put your hope in the Father; you won’t be disappointed. Trust Him because He is faithful. Find rest for your soul in knowing that He is good, and He has good things in store for your future!

Prayer for Today:

Father, today I give You every frustration, every aggravation, every difficulty. I release total control into Your loving and able hands. Speak to my heart and give me Your peace. Show me Your love as I place my hope in You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Posted by Joel Osteen on 8/24/2012

A friend of mine was sitting next to a young man on a plane who grew up in a very poor village in east Africa. Their country was in great famine, and they were struggling just to survive. At seven years old, his father was killed. At twelve years old, his mother died. He was separated from his brothers and sisters and then sent to live with his grandmother. His grandmother was very old and very sick, so at twelve years old, he became her caretaker. He would get up at five in the morning and study for an hour. He loved to study and read and learn. At six o’clock, he would walk to get water—an hour and a half each way. He would come back, make his grandmother breakfast, and then go to the school in the little village. He got out of school at three o’clock, went home, made his grandmother something else to eat, and then took the three-hour walk once again to get more water.

In the natural, it didn’t look like this boy had much of a future. All the odds were against him. He was an orphan living in the slums with no parents and nobody to watch after him. But there was something special about this young man. Deep down, he believed that he was a person of destiny, that he had seeds of greatness on the inside. Every night before going to bed in that little mud hut, he would get down on his knees and say, “Lord, I want to go to college. God, I want to have an education. I want to make a difference with my life.”

There were tens of thousands of young children living in the slums all around him. Nobody ever got out. But when you pray bold prayers of faith, it gets God’s attention. When you believe, it causes the Creator of the universe to respond.

In that country, the children only went to school through junior high. To attend high school, you had to pay tuition. Ninety-nine percent of the children couldn’t afford it. One night at twelve years old, this boy had a dream. In this dream, he saw himself walking through the village to a house about thirty minutes away. At that house, he met a man by the name of Mr. Stanley who was from Belgium. In the dream, Mr. Stanley helped him. When the boy woke up, he remembered the dream so vividly, right down to the smallest detail.

The next morning, he took that thirty-minute walk through the village and saw the exact house that was in his dream. The house was surrounded by guards. He walked up to them and said, “I’m here to see Mr. Stanley.” The guards were amazed, even shocked. They said, “How do you know anything about Mr. Stanley?” He said, “I saw him in a dream.” Intrigued, Mr. Stanley invited him in and said, “Son, what can I do for you?” The young boy said, “I want to go to school, but I have no money. I’m an orphan. I live in the slums.”

Mr. Stanley said, “You go find the best high school you can find, and I’ll pay your tuition. I’ll give you the books. I’ll pay for all your supplies. Anything you need, I’ll take care of it.”

In high school, the teachers noticed what an excellent student he was and how he loved to learn. They got him an internship at the Parliament working underneath the government officials, the lawmakers. They, too, could see there was something special about him. When he graduated from high school, the government said, “We’re going to send you to college in America to study law.”

My friend was sitting next to him on the plane. He had just gotten his law degree and was headed back to his country. My friend said to him, “They have groomed you to become the Prime Minister, haven’t they?” He smiled and said, “What you are saying, ma’am, is true.”

Friends, when you pray bold prayers, you never know where God is going to take you. When you follow the desires He has placed in your heart, He opens supernatural doors. He will connect you to the right people. He will go before you and make the crooked places straight. He will even speak to you in dreams. What you couldn’t make happen on your own, God can make happen for you! He is not limited by your background, by what country you come from, by your education or by your talent. Open your heart and mind to Him and believe that He will do exceedingly, abundantly in every area of your life!

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, NIV).

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Scripture:

…stand and see the salvation of the Lord…- 2 Chronicles 20:17, NASB.

Today’s Word:

So many people today run from anything that’s hard. They run from their problems. They run from responsibility. They run from people they don’t like. They run from the past. They run from anything that makes them uncomfortable. Instead of facing the issues and dealing with them, they just take the easy way out and go down the path of least resistance. But if you’re going to live in victory the way God intends, you have to learn how to face your challenges head on.

Notice today’s verse doesn’t say, “Keep running until you see the salvation of the Lord.” It doesn’t say, “Bury your head in the sand until God delivers you.” No, God wants us to stand strong, set our faces like a flint, and fight the good fight of faith. And the good news is that you don’t have to do it in your own strength! He’s equipped you with His supernatural power to overcome every obstacle.

Make the decision today to stand strong and face the challenges in your life. Be bold and dare to conquer! As you stand in faith, you will see the salvation, the deliverance of Almighty God in every area of your life!

Prayer for Today:

Father in heaven, search my heart. Show me any area in my life where I may be hiding. I choose today to stand in faith and invite You to move mightily on my behalf in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Scripture:

Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.- Ecclesiastes 11:1, NLT.

Today’s Word:

God has a system that is based on the principle of sowing and reaping. In other words, what you pour out to others will come back to you in increased measure. When you give generously, a generous harvest will return to you. When you help others succeed, you will find abundant success on your path, too.

Are you helping others succeed? Are you helping others get ahead? There are some people in your life who hold the keys for you to reach your full potential. These are people that God has placed in your life for you to help along. The higher they rise up, the higher you will rise up, too. When you give generously of your time, talents and resources, you are setting yourself up for greater success. People will come across your path that will help you grow and reach your full potential.

Do your part to step out and sow the seed. Be on the lookout for ways you can help others. As you give of yourself to help others grow, you’ll see increase in return. You’ll see success and live the abundant life He has prepared for you.

Prayer for Today:

Father in heaven, I open my whole heart You. I invite You to use me to be a blessing in the lives of others. Show me where to invest my time, talents and resources for Your glory. Thank You for the harvest that is coming back to me in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Posted by Victoria Osteen on 8/21/2012

Have you ever thought about the relationship between stretching and increase? Really, they go hand in hand. If you want to see increase in your life, you have to enlarge yourself. You have to stretch yourself so you can be prepared to receive more and give more. If you want to stretch, you have to take a step of faith and be obedient to what God has placed in your heart.

What are you doing to stretch yourself? You can’t just sit back and wait for something to happen. You have so much to offer this world. There’s more inside of you than you think!

There’s a story about a woman who was newly divorced, almost penniless, afraid of public places, and trying to raise two teenage sons. Through several tragedies in her life, she developed severe agoraphobia and was afraid to even leave her house. She had to make a living, so she searched her heart for ways to support herself and her two sons.

She loved to cook, and all she knew to do for income was to make sandwiches and other simple foods. She found a few customers, but because she was so uncomfortable leaving the house, her two sons had to deliver the sandwiches. Her little home business quickly grew beyond the size of her kitchen, and she now faced a decision. Would she stand still and stop growing, or would she confront her fears and step outside her comfort zone and stretch herself? Though fear constantly harassed her, she recognized that cooking was the seed she had in her hand. As she sat in her house, she could imagine her business growing, and she began to see success. She made the decision to step out and learn and grow. First, she decided to confront the agoraphobia that imprisoned her. Reaching deep inside herself, she was able to take a job as a chef at a local hotel.

Her seeds began to spring forth, and once again, she experienced tremendous success. She was learning step by step that the gifts inside of her were seeds of greatness. A few years later, she opened her own restaurant, The Lady and Sons, right in the heart of Savannah, Georgia. The restaurant’s reputation quickly spread and received national recognition.

Paula Deen’s restaurant was such a success that she eventually landed her own television show, published cookbooks, and even had a role on the silver screen. Today she is one of America’s most beloved television chefs, and it all started when she realized that the power that dwelt inside of her was greater than the fear that held her back.

Oftentimes, people stay where they are in life simply because of fear. Don’t let that be you! Be willing to step out of your comfort zone. Be willing to stretch. Prepare yourself for increase because God has so much more in store for you!

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” (Isaiah 54:2, NIV)

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Scripture:

Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise… – Micah 7:8, NIV.

Today’s Word:

Anytime you set out to do something great in life, there will be critics. If you’re going to be a great businessperson, coach, student, leader or employee, there will be opposition. The more success you have, the more opportunities there will be for distractions. The higher you go, the more haters will come out. When you start stretching to a new level and pursuing what God has placed in your heart, the jealous people, the critical people, and the small-minded people come out of the woodwork and start making negative comments, but you don’t have to let that distract you.

If you are under pressure today, if the critical voices are coming against you, know that it’s because you are making a difference. Don’t let them throw you off course. Instead, dig your heels in, set your face like a flint, and say, “I will not get distracted. I will not get drawn into battles that don’t matter. It doesn’t matter what others think; it matters what God thinks!”

Today, look beyond the critics. Stand strong in adversity. Press forward to what lies ahead and win the prize of life that He has prepared for you!

Prayer for Today:

Father, today I choose to let go of the negative voices, offenses and hurts from critical voices. I choose to focus on You and the good plan You have for me. Give me Your peace and joy as I move forward in the victory You have prepared for me in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Scripture:

Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense. – Proverbs 19:11, AMP.

Today’s Word:

Every day, we have opportunities to get upset, be frustrated, or get offended. Maybe you had plans that didn’t work out, or someone was rude to you at the office. Maybe you were doing something that should have taken one hour and it ended up taking three. Life is full of inconveniences, but even though we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control our reaction. I heard somebody say, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.”

We should always go out each day with a positive attitude, full of hope and expecting God’s favor. But at the same time, we should recognize that most days are not going to go exactly as we plan. Remember, we were created to live in peace. Peace is our position of power. If you get stressed because you got off schedule or upset because your child wouldn’t eat his breakfast, or frustrated because somebody offended you, what you’re doing is giving away your power. Instead, make the decision to release those offenses and disappointments so you can live in peace and enjoy the day as the blessing God prepared for you!

Prayer for Today:

Father in heaven, today I release every care, concern, offense and disappointment to You. I choose to keep the peace that You have given me. I look forward to today knowing that You are with me, leading me in victory in Jesus’ name! Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Today’s Scripture:

Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. – Psalm 119:37, NIV.

Today’s Word:

In order to live the life of victory God has promised, you have to be very selective about what you give your time and attention to. You have to recognize which thoughts to ignore, which comments to ignore, and sometimes, which people to ignore. Every “battle” that comes across your path is not a battle that you’re supposed to fight. Many battles are simply distractions to try to lure you off course. If that battle is not between you and your God-given destiny, it’s a battle you should ignore.

Many people get thrown off course because they are always trying to straighten everyone else out or win their approval. But if that’s your focus, you are wasting valuable time and energy that you should be using to pursue your dreams. Turn away from that distraction! You don’t need the approval of everyone around you; you only need God’s approval!

Friend, it’s very freeing when you realize you don’t have to fight every battle. You don’t have to straighten people out. You don’t have to pay somebody back. Instead, focus on what matters, focus on God and His Word so you can live in peace and happiness every day of your life!

Prayer for Today:

Father, thank You for ordering my steps. Thank You for planning good things for me. Help me to discern the things I should ignore. Help me to avoid distractions as I focus my heart and mind on You today in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries

Posted by Victoria Osteen on 8/14/2012

One time I was being interviewed by a journalist for a news article, and after asking several questions, the man said, “What would you like to change if you could change anything about yourself?” I thought for a second and said, “Well, I’d like to change myself.” He looked at me sort of funny and said, “Well, what’s wrong with you?” I said, “Well, I know that if I constantly change myself, if I work on myself, if I’m constantly growing and improving, then I have the ability to change and impact the things around me.”

See, we weren’t meant to be stagnant. We were meant to grow, change and improve. I want to be a better mother. I want to be a better wife. I want to be a better leader. I want to have more discipline, more focus and more wisdom. I want to be able to hear from God better. I want hear His truth spoken everywhere that I am! I want to be a better person and a better example for Him. Don’t you?

Today, I just encourage you; don’t ever settle for “good enough.” Don’t ever settle for “just getting by.” Keep pressing forward. Keep pressing into God. Let His Word renew your thinking and transform you into His image. Be the best version of you that you can possibly be! Don’t be afraid to grow; don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to change because a little change will do you good!

“And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude]” (Ephesians 4:23, AMP).

Copyright © 2012 Joel Osteen Ministries