Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: Victory
Dr. Charles Stanley Saturday sermon: Victory Over Fear In Touch Ministries. In a world of anxious circumstances, it's no wonder that many of us find ourselves dealing with fear. However, God's people are called to live courageously. How can we live with peace and confidence in the midst of a frightening world? The only way is to remember that the Lord has promised to strengthen, help, and uphold us, and He always keeps His Word. When you're in almighty God's hands, you can face anything in life and experience the joy of His peace.
Watch Jonathan Cahn Sermon: The Secret of Sharpening Your Vision for Victory. The great heroes of the Bible shared a secret and a practice that enabled them to do what they could never have done without it. Learn the secret.
Joyce Meyer Sermon - How God Can Turn Your Painful Story into Victory. In today's teaching, Joyce Meyer shares her painful testimony of abuse, while teaching us how God can redeem our story. Join us as we explore the transformative power of faith and God's love in overcoming life's challenges. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring content!
TD Jakes Daily Devotional (March 5, 2024) A Declaration of Victory.
Bible Quote: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;" - 2 Corinthians 10:4 (KJV)
Perhaps you're facing an unseen barrier of low self-esteem, or maybe it's the daunting shadow of imposter syndrome. But hear this: I am determined not to spend another moment imprisoned by my own doubts, nor shackled by my own fears. No matter the obstacle, I stand ready to demolish it, sending a clear message to all my adversaries—you cannot erect a barrier I cannot surpass. If it's too high, I'll find a way beneath. If it's too deep, I will raise my voice until it crumbles. I refuse to retreat to desolation just to ease your discomfort. I'm about to unleash a breakthrough, a seismic shift in the next three days, entering a realm previously unimagined. And if you're resonating with this, let your affirmation be heard. The walls that confine us are destined to fall.
Extend your hand to those near and proclaim, "It must come down." This declaration spans all aspects of life: marriage, finances, business, leadership, and beyond. The cycle of monotony ends now—the devil is a liar. Today, I stand, evoking the spirit of change, "Mr. Govachoff, tear down this wall." Every hindrance before us... it's time I remind myself of the battle we're engaged in. This isn't about maintaining decorum at a conference; it's about engaging in spiritual warfare. I boldly declare that every obstacle in your path will be dismantled.
If shouting doesn't suffice, then let's physically dismantle it. If words don't bring it down, let our applause do the job. If applause falls short, then let's claw our way through. You've come too far, perhaps all the way to Orlando, just to let this stand. Grab hold of someone next to you and say, "I will tear it down." While others may stand by, looking on, I choose to actively demolish these barriers. I am determined to see them reduced to nothing but dust, and then I'll triumphantly step over the debris, reclaiming what was wrongfully taken. I refuse to succumb, to abandon the fight, to relinquish my dreams, or to walk away from what's rightfully mine. I refuse to let defeat have the final say. I refuse.
Final Prayer: Lord Almighty, in Your mighty name, we stand armed with faith and conviction, ready to confront and tear down every barrier that stands in our way. Empower us, Father, to face our giants with the assurance that with You, no obstacle is insurmountable. Grant us the strength to break through, to break free, and to claim the victory that You have promised. As we stand in unity, help us to remember that through Your divine power, every wall that seeks to confine us will crumble. May we march forward, not with the spirit of fear, but with the courage and determination that comes from You alone. We declare freedom, breakthrough, and divine advancement in every area of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Joel Osteen - Sermon: Keep Speaking Victory. Our words are powerful. You can't speak defeat and expect to see victory. When you use your words to speak in faith, you'll usher in God's blessings, favor and abundance. I want to talk to you today about keep speaking victory. Our words are setting the direction for our lives. If you want to know what you're going to be like five years from now, listen to what you're saying about yourself. "Well, I'll never get well. I'll never break this addiction." You are prophesying your future. You can't speak defeat and have victory. You can't talk sickness and have health. You can't speak lack and struggle and have abundance. The scripture says you will eat the fruit of your words. Pay attention to what you're saying about yourself, your family, your finances, your health. You're going to become what you're continually saying. That's why it's so important to get in a habit of speaking victory over your life all through the day. "I am blessed. I am strong. I am healthy. I'm surrounded by favor. Something good is going to happen to me." The fruit of those words are blessing, favor, abundance. It's not enough to just think it; give life to our faith by speaking it out.
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You may be struggling with depression. Your report should be, "This is only temporary. This is not who I am. I am free. I am happy. I have a bright future. The dream may look too big, but I know with God all things are possible. New doors are about to open, good breaks are looking for me, divine connections, the right people are headed my way."
God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes, and I hope you'll stay connected with us throughout the week. We have a daily podcast that you can download, you can go to our YouTube channel and watch the messages anytime, or you can follow us on social media. But we want to keep you encouraged and inspired. Thanks so much for tuning in. Thanks again for coming out. I'd like to start with something funny. I heard about this minister who was driving down the road when he got pulled over by a policeman. The officer came to his window and smelled alcohol. He saw a thermos and said, "Sir, what are you drinking?" The minister said, "Just water, officer." He asked to see the thermos, he took one sniff, and said, "This smells like wine to me." The minister said, "What do you know, Jesus did it again."
Say it like you mean it, "This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I will be taught the word of God. I'll boldly confess: my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be the same, in Jesus' name." God bless you.
I want to talk to you today about keep speaking victory. Our words are setting the direction for our lives. If you want to know what you're going to be like five years from now, listen to what you're saying about yourself. "Well, I'll never get well. I'll never break this addiction." You are prophesying your future. You can't speak defeat and have victory. You can't talk sickness and have health. You can't speak lack and struggle and have abundance. The scripture says you will eat the fruit of your words. Pay attention to what you're saying about yourself, your family, your finances, your health. You're going to become what you're continually saying. That's why it's so important to get in a habit of speaking victory over your life all through the day. "I am blessed. I am strong. I am healthy. I'm surrounded by favor. Something good is going to happen to me." The fruit of those words are blessing, favor, abundance. It's not enough to just think it; give life to our faith by speaking it out.
When you're in tough times, you can complain, talk about the problem, "I can't believe this happened," or you can say, "Father, thank you that you're fighting my battles. Thank you that what was meant for harm, you turn into my advantage. Thanking that you always cause me to triumph, then I'll come out of this better than I was before." That's prophesying victory. That's prophesying a great ending to the situation.
But, "I'll never get out of debt," you're inviting defeat. "I'm not that talented," you're inviting limitations. "I'll never accomplish my dreams. I don't have the connections," you're inviting mediocrity. You need to send out some new invitations. You may be struggling with depression. Your report should be, "This is only temporary. This is not who I am. I am free. I am happy. I have a bright future. The dream may look too big, but I know with God all things are possible. New doors are about to open, good breaks are looking for me. Divine connections, the right people are headed my way."
Posted in Ephesians, "Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those that hear them." One person that hears your words is you. They go out of your mouth and back into your own ears. If you hear them long enough, they'll take root in your spirit. You believe what you say about yourself more than what anyone else says. And there's nothing more powerful than you speaking victory over your own life.
When my father went to be with the Lord, and I stepped up to pastor the church, every thought told me that I couldn't. "Joel, you don't have the experience. You're not qualified. You're not that talented." One thing I've learned is to not verbalize the negative. Don't give those thoughts life by speaking them out. Instead of talking about how I felt insecure, unqualified, intimidated, I said what God said about me. "I can do all things through Christ. I am strong in the Lord. I'm equipped, empowered, anointed." The whole time I was saying that, I didn't feel confident. I didn't feel qualified. I felt just the opposite. But as I kept speaking victory, as I kept calling myself who God says I am, it took root on the inside, and over time, I started to feel strong, confident, well able. I started to see favor, new doors opening, God taking me where I've never imagined. What happened? I ate the fruit of my words. It may not happen overnight, but you have to keep speaking victory. Keep calling yourself healthy. Keep declaring your children are mighty in the land. Keep declaring those dreams are coming to pass.
James chapter 3 compares the tongue to a rudder of a ship. Verse 4 says, "Although a ship is large and driven by strong winds, it is steered by a small rudder wherever the pilot wants it to go." It's the same way with the tongue. Even though it's a small part of the body, it's steering your life. What you're saying is determining which direction you go. The good news is you have control over the rudder. You control your tongue. Are you sending your words out in the direction you want your life to go? That's the wrong direction. Why don't you say what God says about you? "God is restoring health back into me. By his stripes, I am healed. I will live and not die."
My child's been off course so long, I don't think he'll ever make good decisions. Change your rudder. You're headed the wrong way. "Father, thank you that my children are mighty in the land. You said the seed of the righteous, my seed, is blessed. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
"Well, I don't see how I can get ahead, Joel. Nobody in my family's been successful. This pandemic is going to put my business under." When you talk defeat, you're headed toward defeat. When you talk failure, lack, mediocrity, you're headed that way. "Well, I'm praying that God will help me." He will help you, but you control the rudder. You're setting the direction with your words. Are you in agreement with God? He said you're blessed. Are you saying something else? He said you're fearfully and wonderfully made, a masterpiece, crowned with favor. Are you calling yourself inferior, weak, not enough?
Start declaring what he promised. "Father, you said even in famine, the righteous will have more than enough. You said what I put my hands to would prosper and succeed." When someone asks you how you're doing, don't go through all your troubles, how bad it is. Keep your ship going in the right direction. "I'm blessed. I'm strong. I'm valuable. I'm favored." Think about a ship. It can be carrying very valuable cargo—oil, minerals, equipment—but all that valuable cargo is at the mercy of the small rudder of the ship. The captain didn't steer the ship the proper way. If the rudder wasn't in the right position, the ship would never make it to the intended destination. All that cargo would go to waste.
In the same way, you are carrying valuable cargo. When God breathed his life into you, he put gifts, talents, potential. You have seeds of greatness. You were destined to leave your mark, to take your family to a new level. The question is not, are you equipped? Are you favored? Do you have what it takes? Your ship is fully loaded. The question is, are you going to keep your rudder going in the right direction? Are you going to speak victory, abundance, new levels, or are you going to talk like you're average? "I can't get ahead. I'm never getting any good breaks. This addiction has been in my family for years." You're not being limited by your circumstances. You're being limited by your words. Your rudder is going in the wrong direction. What you speak, you're moving toward. When you speak victory, you're moving toward victory. When you speak health, you're moving toward health. When you speak overflow, more than enough, you're moving toward abundance. Here's the key: You have to speak it before you see it. "I'm strong." You may not feel strong, but when you say, "I am strong," you're moving towards strength. You may be fighting an illness, but when you say, "I'm healthy," you're moving toward health. Perhaps you feel stuck in your career, seems like you've reached your limits, but when you say, "New doors are about to open. Something good is going to happen to me. God is taking me from glory to glory," you're moving toward new levels, faith, something that you've never seen.
Are you steering your ship in the direction you want your life to go? Is your rudder, your tongue, taking you to blessing, increase, abundance, or are you talking about what's not working out, how you don't feel that talented, the obstacles are too big? That's going to keep you from your destiny. In the scripture, God told Jeremiah that he was going to become a great prophet and speak to nations, but Jeremiah was young and afraid. The first thing he said was, "God, I can't speak to nations. I'm too young. I wouldn't know what to say." God could have said, "Jeremiah, I understand. This seems over your head. Don't worry, I'm going to help you." No, God said, "Jeremiah, say not that you're too young." God told him to zip it up. He knew Jeremiah kept speaking those negative words, telling himself that he was too young, not qualified, didn't have what it takes, that he would never become who he was created to be. Your tongue is the rudder for your life. It's determining the directions. Next time you're tempted to say something negative about yourself, your future, your children, your finances, zip it up. Don't steer yourself toward defeat. Say not you're too young, say not you can't get well, say not you'll never meet the right person, say not you can't accomplish your dreams. God wouldn't have given them to you if you weren't well able. Verse 9 says, "God reached out his hand and touched Jeremiah's lips and said, 'I have put my words in your mouth.'" God was saying, in effect, "Jeremiah, say what I say about you. Don't say how you feel. Don't say what the experts say. Don't say what it looks like. Start saying what God says about you." In Psalms, he will crown the year with a bountiful harvest. Even the hard places will overflow with abundance. You can go around saying, "This year, I can't wait till it's over," or you can say, "Father, thank you that even in hard times, I will have more than enough. Thank you that you're an overflow God, that you're not limited by my circumstances, you're not limited by the economy. I'm thinking that I'm blessed in a down year. I'm favored in a famine. I'm prosperous in a pandemic. I overflow. I have more than enough joy, more than enough strength, more than enough health." That's steering your ship toward increase.
Stella, in her career, but when the pandemic hit, things started to slow down. She was concerned about how it was going to work out. She heard me talking about how this was going to be an overflow year, how the economy is not our source, but God is our source. Something came alive on the inside. She started saying that all through the day, repeating it under her breath, again and again, "Lord, thank you that the economy is not my source, but you are my source. Thank you for an overflow year." It looked just the opposite. Things were going down, decreasing, yet she was declaring increase, declaring favor, talking about the greatness of our God. What was she doing? Steering her ship in the right direction.
In difficult times, it's easy to talk about the problem, complain, be negative. 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. I may not see how it can happen, but I know you're still in control." She and her husband decided to start their own business. Against all odds, it took off more than they ever imagined. They just closed on their first house. Their business continues to increase. She said, "In the midst of all this uncertainty, with people afraid, struggling, we've seen favor in ways we've never dreamed." That's what the scripture says. Even in hard times, the righteous will have more than enough. I don't think this would have happened if she would have gone around negative, complaining. Pay attention to which way you're steering your ship. 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, you're going to draw in blessings, favor, increase. Psalm 35 says, "Let them continually say, 'Let the Lord be magnified, who takes pleasure in the prosperity of his children.'" It's interesting that they were supposed to continually say this. You would think they could say it once, twice, that would be enough. But something powerful happens when you go through the day, not talking about how big the problem is, how your back will probably never stop hurting, how you don't see how that child is going to turn around. Instead, you're saying, "Let not be magnified who takes pleasure in prospering me, who takes pleasure in healing me, who takes pleasure in favoring me."
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. When you wake up in the morning, "Lord, thank you for another beautiful day. And Lord, thank you. Something good is going to happen to me today. Thank you that your favor is surrounding me. For me is more than the world being against me." Setting your rudder in the right direction.
You can't be silent and reach your potential. Nothing happens until you speak. Your words give life to your faith. Joshua said it this way, "This book of the law, these promises, shall not depart out of your mouth. You shall meditate on them day and night. Then you will prosper and have good success." It doesn't say they shouldn't depart out of your mind. If you think positive, you'll be fine. Not depart out of your eyes. If you read it enough, it says they should not depart out of your mouth. If you'll keep speaking what God says about you, then you will have good success.
Mark chapter 5, there was a lady that had been sick for 12 years. She'd spent all her money going to different doctors, but still, nothing had helped. One day she heard that Jesus was coming through town. The scripture says she kept saying to herself, "When I get to Jesus, I will be made whole." In the midst of the sickness, she was prophesying health. All through the day, not just one time, but she kept saying, over and over, "Healing is coming. Restoration is coming. A breakthrough is coming." She saw Jesus, but it was very crowded. People were packed in all around him. She could have been discouraged, complained. Instead, she kept saying, "This is my time. Things are about to change in my favor." And she kept speaking it. She got closer and closer. She finally reached out and touched Jesus' robe. Instantly, she was healed. But notice the principle. Whatever you're constantly saying, you're moving toward. If you're always saying, "I'll never get out of debt," you're moving toward struggle, lack. If you're saying, "My marriage is not going to last. We don't get along," you're moving toward separation, a breakup. If you're saying, "I'll never get well. This sickness will be the end of me," you're moving toward defeat and mediocrity. But if you'll send your words out in a different direction, your life will go in a different direction. When you say, "I am blessed," you're moving toward blessing. When you say, "I have the favor of God," you're moving toward increase. When you say, "I'm excited about my future. Something good is going to happen to me," you're moving toward new opportunities, divine connections.
Or when you say, "I'm going to break this addiction. I am not going to live bound by this alcohol, by this anger, by this bad habit," when you say that, you're moving toward freedom, breakthroughs, victory. Pay attention to what you're saying. Your life is going in that direction. God gave Abraham the promise that his wife Sarah would have a child. The problem was they were both way too old. Abraham was 99, and Sarah was 90. And sometimes God will give you a promise that seems impossible. You're too young, too old, you don't have the connections, the medical report's not good. You don't have to figure out how it's going to happen. Just get in agreement with God. "Father, you said that I'm going to have a baby. So, Lord, thank you that my baby is on the way." The mistake we make too often is we send our words out in the wrong direction. "I can't have a baby. I can't get well. I'll never start my business." Negative words can stop what God has for you. God told the Israelites that they would live in the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey, but negative words kept them from going in. The ten spies said, "The people are too big. There are giants in the land." The opposition didn't defeat them. Their negative words defeated them. They said, "We're not able. We don't have what it takes." They became what they said. They prophesied their future. They turned around and wandered in the desert for 40 years.
When God puts something in your heart, don't start talking about how it's not going to happen, how you don't have, how big the opposition is. Abraham had this promise that seemed impossible. God did something interesting. He changed his name from Abram to Abraham. Abraham means "the father of many nations." He didn't feel like a father, but every time someone said, "Hello, Abraham," they were saying, "Hello, father of many nations." He could have thought, "Ain't the wrong person. I don't have any children." When he met someone new, he would say, "Hello, I am Abraham." He said that over and over, month after month. It began to get down in his spirit. He had to see himself a new way before the promise could come to pass. The way God changed his self-image was through his words. That's why it's so important, all through the day, under your breath, you need to be saying, "I'm blessed. I'm strong. I'm successful. I'm talented." That's helping to determine how you see yourself.
God changed Sarah's name from Sarai to Sarah. Sarah means "princess." She didn't feel like a princess. She was barren. Women in that day that didn't have children were looked down on. She could have felt inferior, ashamed. But when someone said, "Hello, Sarah," they were saying, "Hello, princess. Good morning, Sarah. Good morning, princess." When she told people her name, she was saying, in effect, "I'm chosen. I'm favored. I'm blessed." She said all this while she was still barren. Your tongue is the rudder. It's deciding which direction your life is going to go. Every time Abraham and Sarah said their names, their rudder was pointed toward the promise. They gave birth to a son. God did the impossible.
What do you say about your dream, your finances, your children? "I'm too old. Too many mistakes." No, that will keep you from giving birth to what God has put in you. You can't speak defeat and reach your potential. Why don't you start saying what God says about you? He calls you what you are before it happens. "I don't feel blessed, healthy, favored." That's okay. Just get in agreement with God, and he'll make things happen that you couldn't make happen.
I talked to a young man that came from a small town in Mississippi. He got a scholarship to play soccer at a major university, but his dream was to play football. In his junior year, he talked to the coaches about it. They allowed him to switch from soccer, and he joined the football team as the kicker. He was thrilled to be on the team, but the coaches never gave him a chance. For two years, he sat the bench, never kicked a single field goal. At the end of his last college season, there was a scout day where coaches came from professional teams, and they would look at the different players and ask them to work out so they could evaluate them. He was hoping he would get some good leads, but no one was interested in him. It looked like his days of playing football were over.
Driving home from college, he turned the radio on and came across our Sirius XM. He heard me talking about how a shift is coming, how you're just one phone call away from your destiny, how one touch of God's favor can catapult you to the next level. When he heard that, something ignited in his spirit. He knew it was for him. He got his cell phone out and made a three-minute video telling people that he was going to play that year in the NFL. Most people thought that he had lost his mind. He had never kicked one field goal, had no track record, and you go to play professional football? That doesn't make sense. He let that go in one ear and out the other. He started speaking victory. "Father, thank you that opportunity is coming my way. Thank you that favor is causing me to stand out." He was setting his rudder in the right direction, prophesying his future.
Four hours after he made the video, he received a phone call from the kicking coach of the Cincinnati Bengals football team, inviting him to come try out for the team. He couldn't believe it. He had never spoken to the coach, never met him. He went to the camp, tried out, and against all odds, he made the team. He became the only African-American football kicker in the NFL at the time. When you speak victory over your life, God will open doors that no person can shut. He'll take you where you can't go on your own. Dreams he's put in your heart, the promises you're standing on, it's not enough to just believe them. That's important, but something happens when you speak. Angels go to work.
What you're up against may seem permanent. Just keep speaking victory. When the medical report is not good, keep speaking health. When business is slow, keep speaking abundance. When the addiction seems like it will never change, keep speaking freedom. When your family member is off course, keep speaking breakthroughs. If you'll keep declaring what God promised—not, "Joel, I tried this for three days. It didn't work." I'm talking about a lifestyle where you've developed a habit of speaking health, speaking favor, speaking abundance. When you continually do this, God said you will have good success.
Friends, you're going to eat the fruit of your words. Make sure you're sending out words that you want to eat. If it's not positive, hopeful, faith-filled, zip it up. Say not that you can't get well. Our God is a healer. Say not that you can't accomplish your dreams. Our God is a way maker. Say not that you'll never have enough. Our God is a provider. Now get in agreement with him. Start sending your words out in the right direction. If you'll keep speaking victory, I believe and declare, like this football player, good breaks are coming. Like that woman, healing is coming. Like Abraham, promises that seem impossible are about to come to pass. Problems that look permanent are about to turn around. Favor is coming, breakthroughs, restoration, abundance, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name. If you receive it, can you say amen today?
I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, "Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior." If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to send you some free information. Just text the number on the screen or go to the website. I hope you get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place. Victoria and I'll be right back to speak a blessing over you.
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Matt Hagee - Watch Message: How to Live a Life of Victory. The Word of God is alive and active, but why are so many Christians living in defeat? Pastor Matt Hagee reveals how to step out of defeat with this critical key to victory...
Joel Osteen - Sermon: Victory Begins In The Dark. Each new day begins hours before dawn. In the same way, though you may not see anything changing, you can trust that victory is coming. When God gave you the promise, your new day began. You may not see it yet, but breakthrough is on the horizon. I want to talk to you today about victory begins in the dark. The book of Genesis starts off telling how God created everything. It says, "The evening and the morning were the first day." You would think it would be the reverse, the morning and the evening were the first day, but God starts the day in the dark.
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God bless you. Thanks so much for letting us come into your homes. We are praying for you and your family for God's very best. I like to start with something funny.
One day Adam was feeling very lonely. God said, "Adam, I'm going to make you a companion. It's going to be called a woman. This person will cook for you, and wash your clothes, she will bear you children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night. She will always agree with you. If you do have a disagreement, she'll be the first to admit she was wrong." Adam said, "Wow God, what will a woman like this cost?" God said, "An arm and a leg." Adam said, "What can I get for a rib?" And the rest is history. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess: My mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you.
I want to talk to you today about victory begins in the dark. The book of Genesis starts off telling how God created everything. It says, "The evening and the morning were the first day." You would think it would be the reverse, the morning and the evening were the first day, but God starts the day in the dark. At twelve AM, nothing looks any different. If you didn't have a watch, you wouldn't know you've entered a new day. It's still dark outside. It looks the same as it did at 9 o'clock, at 10 o'clock, at 11 o'clock. There's no sign that something has changed. But when the clock strikes midnight, in that one second, when nothing is looking any different, it goes from PM to AM.
It's still dark but it's a new day. It would make more sense if God started the day in the light. When the sun came up. At six or seven in the morning, when the dawn breaks, the light comes, then it's obvious, we would know it's a new day. We can see it, things have changed. We hear the birds start chirping, the sun comes over the horizon. We have all this evidence that we've entered a new day. But on purpose, God chose to start the day in the dark. It's symbolic of how he does things in our lives. He gives us a promise. He says we've come into a new day, he's restoring health back into us, we're going to lend and not borrow, our child is going to get back on course. We believe, we pray, we stand in faith but nothing is changing. Nothing looks any different, nothing feels any different. It's still dark outside. "Joel my back is still hurting, my business hasn't grown, my health hasn't improved." This is what faith is all about. You can't see it, but you have to know, you've passed midnight. You've gone from PM to AM. Yes, it's still dark outside, yes nothing has changed but the sun is on its way up. Healing is on the horizon, promotion, freedom, the right people. It's just a matter of time before you see the light come breaking forth.
Don't be discouraged by the dark. The dark doesn't mean nothing has changed. The dark is not a sign that God is not working, that he didn't hear your prayer. Thoughts will tell you, "You would have seen something by now. You would feel a little better, one of those companies would have called you back, that addiction wouldn't be this strong." You have to walk by faith and not by sight. If you walk by sight, you'll talk yourself out of it. Because 11:30 at night doesn't look any different than midnight. Everything you can see, feel, touch, smell looks just the same. There's no evidence that it's a new day. But the Psalmist said, "The moment you pray, the tide of the battle turns." You can't see it but when you prayed you left the PM and you came into AM. It's a new day. You may not be able to see any sign of it, that's okay, victory begins in the dark. We all go through these times where we don't think it's going to work out, seasons where nothing is changing. We're being our best, but the business is not growing. We're standing in faith, but our health is not improving. It's tempting to think that God has forgotten about us. We're always going to have this obstacle; the fact is light is on the way. What God promised you is in route. You may have struggled in an area a long time, you've been believing for things to change in your marriage, your finances, with an addiction, it seems permanent.
God is saying, "You've already entered a new day. You've already passed midnight. You can't see it yet, but victory is on the way." Now instead of complaining about the dark, have a new perspective. The dark means the sun is on the way up. The promise is about to come forth. Who can stop the sun from rising each morning? Who can keep light from breaking forth over the horizon? All the forces of darkness cannot stop what God has ordained for you. They cannot keep what he promised from coming to pass. In the face of that darkness, when you don't see any light, get in agreement with God. "Father, thank you that it's a new day. It may still be dark out, but I don't go by what I see, I go by what I know. I know I've passed midnight, that means my healing is coming, my breakthrough is coming, my abundance is coming, my victory is coming." When you realize God starts with darkness to bring about new things in our life, then you won't get discouraged by the darkness, you'll thank him in the middle of the darkness, you'll praise him despite what's trying to stop you. This is what Paul and Silas did. They were put in prison for sharing their faith.
The religious leaders, the Sadducees didn't like them. They accused them of causing a disturbance. They were in the deepest part of the dungeon, to make sure they couldn't escape. But God won't let you get in a problem that he can't bring you out of. If that difficulty was going to stop your destiny, God wouldn't have allowed it. It may seem too big for you; you could never overcome it but it's not too big for our God. He already has the solution. That trouble can't keep you from your purpose. That setback in your finances, the anxiety, the depression is not permanent. It may be dark now, you've had some bad breaks, or you brought trouble on yourself. You think you're stuck, no get ready. God is not through with you. What he ordained for your life will come to pass. That difficulty is a setup for him so show out in your life. He's going to do something unusual, something out of the ordinary that will thrust you into your purpose, something that will suddenly change things in your favor. Paul and Silas had chains around their feet, guards standing outside the prison gates. It looked like they would be put away and we'd never hear from them again. All the odds were against them. But people don't have the final say. What you're up against may be bigger, more powerful, more influential, but you and God are a majority. Him being for you is more than the world being against you. There's not an obstacle he can't move. There's not a sickness he can't heal, not an addiction he can't free you from. Sitting in the dungeon, falsely accused, they could have been depressed, "God, why is this happening? It's not fair. We were doing what you wanted us to do." But the scripture says, "At midnight, they were singing praises and giving thanks to God." It's interesting that we're told when this happened. Most other miracles we read about; we don't have the time. That detail isn't recorded. But God had the writer tell us this time, because midnight means it was a new day.
As they were singing praises, suddenly there was a great earthquake, the prison doors flew open, the chains fell off their feet and they walked out as free men. It's not a coincidence that this all happened at midnight. They may have been singing at ten o'clock in the evening, nothing happened. Thanking God at eleven o'clock, nothing happened. Praising at 11:30, still nothing. But when they hit midnight, when that new day started, suddenly things changed. God was showing us, it may be dark all around you, you don't see a way out, but when you come into that new day, when you cross from PM to AM, things suddenly shift.
Sometimes you see it all at once, like with Paul and Silas, other times you see it later. But the moment you praise things change in your favor. There may be a period of darkness, where it doesn't look like anything is happening, but if you'll do like them, and just keep thanking God that he's fighting your battles, thanking him that he's making ways where you don't see a way, then you're going to come in to these times where God will suddenly show out in your life. He'll make things happen that you couldn't make happen. You may have areas where it feels dark right now. Nothing is changing, that's a test. Will you praise him in the dark? Will you thank him that what he promised is on the way? Will you talk like it's going to turn around, believe that healing is coming even though the medical report isn't improving? Don't go by what you feel. Your feelings don't always tell you the truth. Your emotions will try to convince you that it's never going to work out. Your mind will tell you all the reasons it's not going to happen. "Look how big those obstacles are." Walk by faith. "Father thank you that I've come into my midnight, that it's new day. It may still be dark out but I know you start the day in the dark. I know that means the light is on the way." Keep a song of praise in your heart. "Well Joel, I've been doing this a long time, I don't understand why nothing is changing." God's timing is not our timing. Keep doing the right thing. You're in a new day. You've passed midnight. It may be three in the morning, you have a few more hours so to speak before the sun comes up. I've learned, the longer it's taking, the better it's going to be.
God is getting you prepared for the blessing he's already prepared for you. When it's taking a long time that's because the blessing is bigger than you can handle right now. He's getting you stronger, more mature, more confident. He's getting other people that are involved in place. He's doing a work in them. Don't be discouraged because it's been dark a long time, that's a sign that God is about to do something that you've never seen. It's going to be bigger, more rewarding, more fulfilling than you've ever imagined. Now keep praising him in the dark, keep being good to other people in the dark, giving, serving. When you do that, like Paul and Silas, suddenly doors are going to open. Suddenly you're going to come into opportunity, the right people, healing, breakthroughs. It's going to catapult you ahead. When my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1981, she had been in the hospital for twenty-one days. One Monday evening, the doctor's called my father in and said there was nothing more they could do for her. They gave her a few weeks to live. My father drove her home that afternoon in the traffic. It felt like the longest drive of their lives. It was a very dark time. My mother could have been depressed, given up on life but she knew that God is a healer and that he has the final say. She and my father went to their bedroom, laid down on the floor and prayed.
God said in Psalm 50, "Call unto me in the day of trouble and I will rescue you." A lot of times in our difficulties we call people, call friends, call relatives, call experts and that's all fine, but make sure you call out to God. Ask him to help you. He created the universe. He flung stars into place. He has all power. You don't have to beg him, you don't have to plead with him, he's longing to be good to you. The scripture says, "It is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Just ask in faith for what he's already promised. One of the most powerful things we can do is take God's word to him. Remind him what he said. "Father you said you would restore health back unto me. Lord, I'm asking for your healing, I'm asking you to do what medicine cannot do." Take his word and pray bold prayers. "Father, you said my children will be mighty in the land. I'm asking you to free them from this addiction; take away these wrong friends, help them fulfill their destiny." Or, "Father, you said I would prosper and be in good health, that I would lend and not borrow. That you are Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord my provider. So, Lord, I'm asking you to supply all of my needs. Make rivers in the desert, give me overflow so I can be a bigger blessing."
On December 11, 1981 when my mother and father prayed and asked God to heal her from that cancer, my mother believed that day she received her healing, that she came in to her midnight; that she went from PM to AM. But here's the key: Nothing looked any different. She was still was very frail, her skin was yellow, she only weighed eighty-nine pounds. I never heard her complain, she never talked defeat. She would go through the house quoting scriptures, "I will live and not die and declare the works of the Lord." It was still dark; the medical report hadn't changed. Month after month, no sign of improvement. All of her senses said, "It's not going to work out." She didn't look good; she didn't feel well. Her emotions, her thoughts said she wasn't going to make it, but she wasn't moved by what she saw. She kept thanking God, walking by faith and not by sight. Sight said, "It's dark, nothing has changed. You'll never get well." But faith said, "I've entered a new day. It's dark now but light is coming. It's just a matter of time before the healing breaks forth over the horizon." It didn't happen like Paul and Silas, suddenly, but over time, little by little, she started getting better and better. Her skin color came back to normal, she gained her weight back, got her strength. Today, almost forty years later, she's perfectly healthy and whole. No cancer in her body.
God has the final say. It may be dark in your life right now, but don't let the dark fool you. The dark is not a sign that you're never going to get well, it's not a sign that your child is never going to do right, it's not a sign that your business is not going to make it. It may have been meant to stop you, the enemy sent it to keep you from your destiny, the good news God has overruled that scheme. He's thwarting the plans of the enemy. That darkness is not going to last, the depression is not permanent, the addiction, the sickness, that trouble at work, is not how your story ends. You've gone from PM to AM. It's a new day. The sun is about to break forth. Healing is in your future, abundance is in your future, good relationships are in your future, victory is in your future. Instead of complaining about the dark, being discouraged by the dark, have a new perspective. The dark means light is coming. Now do your part, start praising him in the dark. Start thanking him that things are changing in your favor. Don't be moved by what you see. Eleven-thirty at night doesn't look any different than midnight, but midnight is a new day. God is saying, "The clock has ticked in your favor." You've passed midnight. Things may not look any different yet, don't worry, light is on the way. The sun has never once not come up. God has never once not made good on his promises. It may not happen on our timetable, or the way we thought but I can assure you the sun is going to come up in your life.
You wouldn't be alive if God didn't have something amazing in your future. "Well, Joel, it sure feels like midnight." Midnight is a good thing. God always starts in the dark. That's a sign he's about to birth something new, something big, something unusual. If he started in the light it wouldn't take any faith. If we could see how it was going to happen and we had all the resources, the connections, the solution, we wouldn't have to depend on him. The time to show what you're made of is when it's dark and you don't see anything changing. Thoughts will tell you, "You'll never get out of debt, you'll never meet the right person, you'll never accomplish that dream." Instead of getting depressed, the right attitude is, "Yes it's still dark, yes I don't see anything changing but I'm not worried, I know it's after midnight, light is coming." God is faithful. What he promised you, he's going to bring to pass.
In the scripture Job went through a dark time. Everything was going great; life was good, then the bottom fell out. He lost his health, lost his family and lost his business. It didn't seem fair. The scripture says, "Job was the most righteous man of his day." You would think he wouldn't have any dark seasons; he wouldn't have to deal with disappointments, bad breaks, but life happens to us all. Rain falls on the just and the unjust. The difference with the just, with people like you, people that honor God, is God promises to take what was meant for harm and turn it for your good. There may be dark seasons but if you'll stay in faith and not get bitter, God won't just bring you out, he'll bring you out better than you were before. He'll make the enemy pay for bringing that trouble. God said to Satan, "Have you seen my servant Job? There's no one like him in all the land. He's blameless. He's a man of integrity. He has a spirit of excellence." I love the fact that God was bragging on Job. If you could hear what God is saying about you, you would be amazed.
We think God is focused on all of our faults, our shortcomings, but God sees all the good things in you. He sees your heart to help others, he sees your sincerity, your kindness, your courage. I can hear him telling the angels. "Have you seen my son Jim? He's really amazing. Have you seen my daughter Rachel? There's no one like her." God is proud of you. He made you in his own image, he calls you a masterpiece. Just because you're having difficulty, it doesn't mean you've done something wrong. We all go through tests; seasons we don't understand. What I want us to see is the darkness is not permanent. At some point, you're going to go from PM to AM. God is going to shift things. You're going to come out promoted, increased, at a new level of your destiny. When Job lost everything, he was very discouraged. He sat down among the ashes and put on sack cloth. He went through phases of being upset, bitter, frustrated.
God knows we're human. We feel things. There may be times where you feel those emotions, that's okay. Just don't stay there. Job eventually got up out of the ashes. It was still dark, nothing had changed but he made the statement, "I know my redeemer lives." He was saying, "God is still on the throne. He has the final say. I'm not going to drag around sour over what I've lost, I'm getting ready for the new things he has in store." A few chapters later, in the middle of all the difficulty, it was still as dark as ever, nothing had changed, but Job said, "I know God has granted me favor." He was saying, "I know I've entered a new day. I know I've gone from PM to AM. I know this darkness is not permanent." In Chapter 8, a man came along to encourage him. He said, "Job, God will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy."
He was saying to Job what God is saying to us, "Don't let this dark season fool you. Don't let this pandemic, don't let the sickness, don't let the break-up cause you to live defeated. You're going to laugh again, you're going to love again, you're going to dream again, you're going to build again, you're going to lead again, you're going to flourish again." I've heard it said, what if the darkness you're going through is not the darkness of the tomb but the darkness of the womb. The darkness that precedes God doing something amazing in your life. You're not in the darkness of the tomb. Have a new perspective, you're in the darkness of the womb. God is about to do something that you haven't seen. You're going to discover talent that you didn't know you had. That person that broke your heart, walked out on you, they didn't stop your destiny. You're about to meet someone better than you ever imagined. That dark time is not wasted, God is using it to birth something that you could have never experienced without it. When my father went to be with the Lord that was a dark time for me. But I can tell you, I wasn't in the darkness of the tomb, I was in the darkness of the womb.
God birthed talent in me that I didn't know was there. He took what I thought would be my darkest hour and turned it into my brightest hour. The scripture says, "God will turn your mourning into dancing. He will take away your sadness and clothe you with joy." I believe there's sadness that's about to be taken away. That darkness is about to lift off of you. You're going to be clothed with joy, happy, fulfilled, vibrant, with fresh vision, fresh passion. Not just come out okay, "Hey, I made it through." That mourning is about to be turned to dancing. God is going to make up for the sadness. He's going to pay you back for the sorrow, the hurt, the injustice. Now get your hopes up. Like Job, keep thanking him that he's granted you favor. Keep declaring, "My redeemer lives." Job went through this dark season, but that's not where he ended. The scripture says, "God restored back to Job twice what he had before. He was more blessed in the second part of his life than he was the first." Yes, it was dark, but when the sun rose up, he came out with double. Don't believe those lies that the darkness is permanent, it's never going to change. That darkness is a sign that double is coming.
The sun is going to rise in your life again. You're going to see the goodness of God in ways you've never seen. He's breathing in your direction right now. In the unseen realm things are changing in your favor. Forces of darkness are being pushed back. The right breaks are headed your way. He's going to make things happen that you couldn't make happen. You're going to know it was the hand of God.
When we talk about Job, we think that must have been fifty years of his life, that was such a terrible time. But some commentaries believe that difficulty was only a nine-month period. It wasn't years and years. What you're dealing with is not going to last as long as it looks. It's not going to hinder you the rest of your life. The sun is going to come up sooner than you think. You're already way past midnight. Daybreak is about to happen. Light is about to break forth on the horizon. Get ready for favor, get ready for breakthroughs, get ready for double. You're not in the darkness of the tomb, you're in the darkness of the womb. God is about to birth something out of this that thrusts you to a new level. My challenge is trust him in the dark. You may not see anything improving, that's okay, walk by faith and not by sight. If you'll do this I believe and declare God is about to turn your mourning into dancing, your sadness into joy. Like Job, you're going to come out restored, promoted, healthy, free, better than you were before, in Jesus' name.
Well, I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, "Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior." If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd love to give you some literature to help you on your walk with the Lord. Just text the number on your screen. Get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.
Joel: Thanks for watching this message. I hope you enjoyed it. We upload new videos every week to keep you inspired and encouraged. So don't forget to hit the like button and make sure you subscribe to our channel.
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Faith the Facts: Give God A Job! - Jesse Duplantis. NOTHING is too difficult for God! It’s time to give God a job and walk in victory.
Joel Osteen - Sermon: From Valley To Victory. When you’re in a valley of trouble, it’s easy to get discouraged and think things are never going to change. But that setback was never meant to stop you. God wants to use the valley to lead you into victory.
God bless you. Thanks so much for letting us come into your homes. We are praying for you and your family. I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our podcast, social media, our YouTube channel. There are lots of ways you can receive these messages and stay inspired and encouraged. Plus, you can share them with a friend. Thanks for tuning in. I like to start with something funny. I heard about this man that died and went to heaven. Saint Peter escorted him down this long hallway filled with thousands of clocks on the wall. The hands on the clocks were moving at all different speeds. Peter explained that every person has a clock, when they sin the clock ticks. One clock was barely moving, that was Billy Graham's clock. Another clock was creeping along, Mother Theresa's clock. The man said curiously, "Can I see my clock?" Peter said, "Yeah, we keep yours in the office and use it as a fan." Hold up your Bibles. Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess: My mind is alert.
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My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about from valley to victory. We all go through difficulties in life, things we don't understand. We have a setback in our finances, a challenge in our health, a relationship didn't make it. When we're in the valley, it's easy to get discouraged and think it's never going to improve. But the scripture says in Hosea, "God will transform the valley of trouble into a gateway of hope." You may be in a valley of trouble, a valley of loneliness, a valley of debt. You don't see any way out. It looks permanent. God is saying, "I'm about to transform that valley into a gateway of hope, a gateway of increase, a gateway of favor." The valley is leading you to new levels, to better relationships, to greater influence. The medical report may not look good. You're in a valley of sickness. God is about to transform it into a gateway of healing, a gateway of wholeness. Don't let the valley fool you. God has the final say. Nothing can snatch you out of His hands. Maybe you're in a valley in your finances, business is slow. You lost a contract. That valley is not the end. It's about to be transformed into a gateway of blessing, a gateway of favor, a gateway of overflow. God is going to open new doors, He's going to cause opportunities to find you. Perhaps you've struggled with an addiction for a long time. You've accepted that you'll always be in that valley. Your relatives lived in the valley, they all struggled. No, this is a new day. God is doing a new thing.
That valley is about to be transformed into a gateway of freedom. God has a breakthrough coming your way. He's going to make things happen you couldn't make happen. The valley is not your destiny. The addiction, the loneliness, the anxiety is not going to hinder you your whole life. You were created to be free, to be happy, to live an abundant, fulfilled life. Instead of complaining about the valley, being discouraged over what you're going through, all through the day, "Father, thank you that this valley is only temporary. I believe what you promised. You're about to transform it into a gateway of hope, a gateway of blessing, a gateway of victory." That valley is leading you to the awesome future God has in store. The truth is you can't reach your destiny without going through valleys. The valleys are strategic. When you're on top of a mountain, the only way to go higher is to come down that mountain, go through the valley, then you can go up a bigger mountain. God allows valleys not to hold us back but because he's taking us higher. Without the valleys, we would get stuck. Are you discouraged over what God is going to use to take you to a new level? Frustrated, thinking the valley is permanent? Have a new perspective.
The valley is not there to stop you, it's there to promote you. What you're up against may be bigger, you feel outnumbered, you don't have the resources. On your own, you can't get out. The good news is you're not on your own. The most high God is right there with you. He knows how to turn that battlefield into a blessing field. That valley of trouble into a gateway of victory. This is what happened with David. When he was a teenager, he faced Goliath in the valley of Elah. It's not a coincidence that this battle took place in a valley. Every morning and every evening for forty days Goliath came out, stood on the side of the mountain, and shouted insults at the Israelites. Taunting them, making fun, trying to stir up trouble. Goliath was huge, he stood over nine feet tall, his coat of armor weighed 125 pounds. He was the champion of the Philistine army. When King Saul and the Israelites heard him, they were terrified. They turned and ran out of sight. This went on time and time again. One day David showed up, seventeen years old, when he heard these threats something rose up in him, a fire, a passion, a courage. He said, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" He was saying, "This man is not in covenant with our God. He doesn't have the blessing of Jehovah. We may be in a valley but Goliath can't keep us here. He doesn't control our destiny." David looked at Goliath. He said, "You come against me with a sword and a shield, but I come against you in the name of the Lord God of Israel. This day I will defeat you and feed your head to the birds of the air." All the Israelites were in the same valley, they heard the same threats but David had a different attitude. He talked back to the enemy.
When you're in the valley, like David, you will hear the enemy's threats. He'll try to intimidate you. "You'll never get out of this problem. It's too big. You'll never get well. You saw the report. Your child will never get back on course." Don't do like the Israelites and believe those lies, live in fear, worried. Do like David and talk back to the enemy. What you're saying in the valley is going to have a great impact on whether or not you come out. The Israelites were saying, "He's too big, we don't have a chance, we'll never defeat him." When you talk defeat, you're inviting defeat. When you talk sickness, you're going to have sickness. When you say, "I'll never get out of this problem," it's going to keep you there. Instead of agreeing with the enemy, start declaring what God says about you. When the enemy shouts, "You'll never get well." Do like David. "I will live and not die, God is restoring health back unto me." "You'll never get out of debt, this valley of lack, valley of struggle, not having enough, it's permanent." "I will lend and not borrow. God is opening the windows of heaven pouring out blessings that I cannot contain." "Well, that child is never going to do right. He's never going to break the addiction." "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. My children are mighty in the land. What God has purposed for their life, no bad breaks, no addictions, no person can
stop." It's so important what you're saying in the valley. If it's going to be transformed into a gateway of hope, you have to speak words of life, words of faith, words of victory. This is where the Israelites missed it. They were talking about how big Goliath was, David was talking about how big our God is. They were magnifying the problem, David came along and started magnifying our God. The enemy has no new tricks.
He's not creative. You can go back and look at what he's done in the past, that's how he's going to try to deceive you. In this valley thousands of years ago, he was threatening with loud insults, trying to intimidate with lies. It's no different today. Goliath may not stand on the mountainside and shout down to your valley, but in your thoughts, loud threats will come, things that can keep you awake at night, cause you to live worried, stressed out. Recognize what's happening. Don't be one of the Israelites and run and hide for forty days, and let forty days turn into forty months, then forty years. Be a David. There's nothing more powerful against these negative threats than God's word coming out of your mouth. "I may be in a valley, but can I tell you I am coming out. I will fulfill my destiny. I will accomplish my dreams. I am strong, I am healthy, I am well able."
David told King Saul that he wanted to fight Goliath. Saul told him all the reasons why he couldn't do it. "You're too young, you don't have the training, the experience. He's too big, he's their most skilled warrior." Sometimes people will try to keep you in the valley. People will tell you what you can't do, what you don't have, and how you should just learn to live with the addiction. "Don't try to start that business, there are giants out there. You can't teach that class. There's too much competition. You better stay where you are."
Don't expect everyone to cheer you on. All your friends are not going to celebrate you and challenge you to stretch to the next level. But just because they don't see it in you doesn't mean you don't have it. God has put greatness in you, things that other people have never imagined. Potential that's going to catapult you to a new level. Don't let someone talk you out of what God put in you. Don't let their lack of support cause you to stay in the valley.
David could have thought, "I guess King Saul is right. I don't have the training, I don't come from an influential family. He is much bigger than I am. Maybe I should just accept the valley." If David would have let Saul discourage him, we wouldn't be talking about him. If he would have believed the threats of Goliath, he would have never fulfilled his destiny.
At some point, we will all be where David was. In a valley, with a big obstacle. We didn't get the scholarship. The relationship didn't work out. We lost a loved one. The fear, depression, anxiety, it feels permanent. Nobody is there to support us. That's when you have to dig down deep and say, "No, this valley is not my home, this defeat, this lack, this trouble, this addiction is not how my story ends." You are on the verge of seeing that valley transformed into a gateway of something amazing. God is about to do something unusual, out of the ordinary, something that will thrust you to a new level.
King Saul wasn't for David, but that didn't stop David. David's family didn't believe in him. His brothers made fun of him, but that didn't keep him from his destiny. Don't be discouraged by who's not for you, by who doesn't cheer you on. You don't need them. You and God are a majority. He is breathing in your direction right now. You're about to come out of that valley.
It's going to happen sooner than you think. There's a breakthrough, a promotion, a healing, a divine connection that's headed your way. Get ready for that valley to be transformed. It looks permanent, but things are suddenly going to change. Suddenly your health turns around, suddenly your business takes off, suddenly your child gets back on course. That valley is leading you to victory. David was in this valley of Elah. Goliath was coming down the mountain to face him. David didn't have any armor, didn't have a sword, a shield, all he had was a slingshot. He reached down and picked up five smooth stones from the stream. God was showing us there is provision in the valley. David didn't bring the stones into the valley. He didn't have someone helping him, giving him the stones. What he needed was within reach.
What you need to get out of that valley is within your reach. You don't have to wait on some person, some good break, a company to call, a neighbor to help you out. Look around you and look in you. Sometimes all you need is your praise. Praise is a weapon, praise breaks chains, praise confuses the enemy, praise makes you powerful. When you have praise coming out of your mouth, you are unstoppable. The enemy cannot keep a praiser down. Just ask Paul and Silas. As they sang praises at midnight, prison doors flung open. Just ask Jonah. Sitting in the belly of a fish, as he offered the sacrifice of praise, the fish spit him up on dry ground. All David had was five small stones, that didn't seem like much. But a stone with God's favor is more powerful than an automatic weapon. Your praise may not seem like much, but when you praise, angels go to work. When you praise, the Creator of the Universe begins to change things in your favor. Most of the battles we fight are not physical, they're spiritual. Praise is a powerful weapon. When you praise in the valley, it's even more effective because the enemy expects you in the valley to be negative, bitter, complaining. But when you go through the day saying, "Father, thank you that you are still on the throne, thank you that you're bigger than this problem, thank you that no weapon formed against me will ever prosper." Praise will cause you to defeat giants in your life.
When Goliath saw David, how young he was and how small, he began to laugh. He said, "Am I a dog that you would come at me with a stick." He was saying, "Is this the best you can do? Is this all you've got." He discounted David and made fun of him. David didn't pay any attention. He took a stone, put it in the slingshot, when he slung it, it hit Goliath right between the eyes and knocked him unconscious. David went over, he took Goliath's own sword and cut his head off. Overnight, David became a national hero. He went from a shepherd boy, that nobody had ever heard of to being the talk of the town, everyone admired and loved.
God knows how to transform a valley of trouble into a gateway of blessing. You may be in trouble now, in your health, your finances, a relationship. It's a setup. It was meant to stop you but God has another plan. He allowed it because it's about to launch you to a new level. You're going to come out promoted, stronger, healthier, better than you were before. It's not a coincidence that David wrote in Psalm 23, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." He didn't say, "Though I stay in the valley, though I live in the valley." No, the valley is not your home. The valley is temporary. You're just passing through the valley.
It's just a matter of time before it's turned into a gateway, a gateway of favor, a gateway of healing. Don't let the valley become permanent in your thinking. Don't go around talking about my sickness, my depression, "my arthritis is acting up." Don't take ownership of it. It's not yours. God made you healthy, whole, free, blessed, prosperous. Anything otherwise is on foreign territory. David said though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Then the next verse he said, "God anoints my head with oil and my cup runs over." God was showing us, you have to go through some valleys before you come to the anointing where your cup runs over. David could have started the chapter talking about my cup runs over, God anoints my head, then at the end talked about the valleys. He did just the opposite. It's because valleys precede overflow. You may be dealing with a sickness now but on the other side of that valley is your cup running over with good health. Things may be slow at the office but when you make it through the valley, there's an abundance, good breaks, promotion. That family member is causing trouble, but on the other side of the valley is great joy, great peace. Your cup is going to run over with great relationships. None of us like to go through valleys, but if you'll keep the right perspective, knowing that that valley is leading you to overflow, then you'll go through it with a good attitude. I wonder how often we get stuck in the valley, complaining, "I can't believe this happened." God is waiting to transform it into a gateway of blessings but we have to pass the test. How we go through the valley makes a difference.
I know a pastor that wanted to build a new auditorium. They had needed the space for a long time. He saw friends building nice sanctuaries. They were doing great things but every time he tried to move forward he had some kind of setback. He was tempted to get discouraged and think it would never work out. When you're in the valley, it's a test. God is up to something that you can't see. It's easy to complain and live negative, but you have to trust him in the valley. This pastor kept being his best month after month, thanking God that he was working, declaring that a new sanctuary was on the way. It looked like he was stuck, the odds were against him, said it would never happen, but God knows how to transform that valley of trouble into a gateway of blessing. When it's your time, all the forces of darkness cannot stop what God has ordained for you. One day unexpectedly, the mayor of this small town called and told how there was a group that built a huge building for a casino, but before they moved in they went bankrupt. They had over forty acres of parking, a building that could fit four football fields inside. It was just a few miles from his church. The mayor asked if he was interested in purchasing it. The pastor thought it would be over fifty million dollars, it was huge, first class. The mayor said, "No you can purchase it for under two million dollars." Instead of having to build his own facility, God dropped a much bigger, better facility into their hands.
When you go through the valley in faith, thanking God, then you're going to come into that anointing where your cup runs over. God is going to do things that you never dreamed. He's going to transform the valley of trouble into a gateway of abundance. You may feel like you're stuck, you're doing the right thing but the wrong thing is happening. The good news is that valley is not permanent, you are coming through. If you could see what was on the other side, you would be amazed. Your cup is going to run over. Maybe a relationship didn't work out, that person left you, now you're in the valley. That is not the end of your story. God has a running over blessing, somebody better than you've ever dreamed. Stay in faith in the valley. Don't listen to Goliath. Don't believe the lies that it's never going to work out. It's too late, the obstacle is too big. Like this pastor, that valley of trouble is leading to a gateway of abundance, abundance of joy, abundance of good health, abundance of resources.
In 2 Kings Chapter 3, the Israelites had been traveling for seven days on their way to attack the Moabites. They went the long way around to surprise them but they ran out of water. There was nothing for them or their animals to drink. The King of Israel said, "Has God brought us out here to die?" Someone spoke up and said, "Let's ask the prophet Elisha." He said in verse 16, "This is what the Lord says, this dry valley will be filled with water. You will see neither wind nor rain, but you will have an abundance of water, plenty for yourselves and your animals. And the Lord will give you victory over the Moabites." That didn't make sense. The valley was going to be filled with water with no rain. I'm sure they thought, "Elisha you missed it this time. That's impossible. Where's the water going to come from?" The next morning they woke up and suddenly water started flowing into the valley with no source. They went out and defeated the Moabites. You don't have to figure out how God is going to bring you out. It may not seem possible. You've looked at all the options and don't see a way. That's okay. God has ways we've never thought of. We think natural but God is supernatural. He can cause the property to find you. He can have the right people knock on your door. He can heal you without the treatment. The valley doesn't stop our God. He's not limited by what you don't have. He's not intimidated by what you're up against. He spoke worlds into existence. He flung stars into space. He knows how to turn your situation around. You may be in a valley that's dry. It looks permanent. Get ready, water is about to flow into your valley. You're not going to see wind nor rain. It's not going to be ordinary. It's not going to happen a normal way, it's going to be the hand of God. There's no explanation, it doesn't make sense. It's God bringing water without rain. Promotion without the qualifications, an auditorium without having to build it, a baby when you were told it wasn't possible.
Don't get discouraged because the valley is dry, there's no water. God controls the faucet. His favor can open a door that couldn't open. He can make things happen that can't be explained. When David was thirty-seven years old, he was about to step into a new level of his destiny and become the king of all of Israel. He was at the valley of Rephaim, Rephaim means "giants". Twenty years earlier he defeated Goliath, now he faced not just one giant, but a valley full of giants. God helped him and his men and they won the victory. The scripture says, David renamed the valley. Instead of leaving it the valley of Rephaim, he called it Baal-Perazim, which means "The God of the Breakthrough". You may be in a valley now, things are difficult but like with David one day you're going to rename that valley. Instead of a valley of disappointment, when you see what God does, you're going to say that was a valley of favor, a valley of blessing, a valley where God showed out in my life. Instead of a valley of sickness, a valley of suffering, that was a valley of healing, a valley of wholeness, where God made a way where I didn't see a way. Or instead of a valley of addiction, a valley of failure, that was a valley of freedom, a valley of restoration, where I saw God's grace as never before. Don't let the name of that valley fool you, God is about to transform that valley into a gateway of blessing. When my father went to be with the Lord, I was in a valley of loss, a valley of sadness, I can say now that was a valley of increase. That valley launched me to a new level. When my mother faced terminal cancer, that was a valley of illness, a valley of pain. But now forty years later, she can say that was a valley of breakthrough, a valley where God helped me defeat a giant. When King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah, were surrounded by three major armies, they didn't have a chance. But God caused those armies to become confused and they ended up destroying each other. The people of Judah went in and gathered up all the spoils. Jehoshaphat named that place the Valley of Blessing.
Things may be tough right now, stay encouraged, one day you're going to say like him, that was a valley of blessing. God is working behind the scenes in your life. He hasn't brought you this far to leave you. He sees the tears, the injustice. That valley of trouble is about to be transformed into a gateway of hope, a gateway of healing, a gateway of promotion. It may be uncomfortable now but the valley is necessary, God is using it to take you to a new level. Now do your part, praise Him in the valley, keep a good attitude in the valley, be good to others in the valley. If you'll do this, I believe and declare, like David, you're going to defeat giants that are much bigger. Like Elisha, you're going to see water without rain. God is about to do things you can't explain, unusual favor, healing, restoration, breakthroughs. Get ready, you're about to go from the valley to victory, in Jesus' name. I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, "Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you my lord and savior." If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. We'd like to send you some free information on your new walk with the Lord. Just text the number on the screen. Be sure to get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place. Victoria and I will > Joel: Thanks for watching this message. I hope you enjoyed it. We upload new videos every week to keep you inspired and encouraged. So don't forget to hit the like button and make sure you subscribe to our channel. > Victoria: Let us know in the comments below how this message has encouraged you. We would love to hear from you. We're praying for you and your family. We'll see you next time!