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Join me in reading Today’s Word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:
CALL IT LIKE YOU SEE IT
One thing I’ve learned is that God calls the things that are not as if they already are. He doesn’t call you what you are; He calls you the way He sees you. That’s because He creates with His words, and you do, too.
When I stepped up to pastor the church eleven years ago after my father went to be with the Lord, I’d never ministered before. I was afraid. I felt unqualified, inexperienced, and intimidated. The whole time, on the inside, I could hear that still, small voice saying, “Joel, you are well able. You can do all things. You have what it takes. You are strong in the Lord.” God was calling me something that I was not. I was not strong and bold and confident. I was weak, insecure, and intimidated. Somehow, I had the faith to believe what God said about me. And it didn’t happen overnight, but little by little, I became what God called me.
Today, follow His example and call things that are not as though they are. Look through your eyes of faith and call it like you see it. Don’t use your words to talk about your situation; use your words to change your situation. Keep speaking words of faith, keep praying, keep believing and keep moving forward into the bright future He has for you!
Prayer:
Father God, today I choose to look through my eyes of faith and call things that are not as though they are. I declare victory over every area of my life no matter what is happening around me. Thank You for the gift of faith. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Today I am reading day 4 of Joseph Prince: Understanding Righteousness:
Speak Out Your Righteousness
Let me share something powerful with you about righteousness. In Romans 10:6, God’s Word tells us that the “righteousness of faith speaks.”
Now, what does this mean? It means that God encourages us to not just believe in our hearts that we are righteous, but to also speak it out!
So righteous one, declare your righteousness. Every day, boldly say, “Father, I thank You that I am righteous in Christ, not because of what I have done, but because of what Christ has done. It’s a gift and I receive it with all my heart.”
I believe that when you speak and declare your righteousness, good things happen. You become conscious of all the blessings and promises that are due the righteous. Instead of disqualifying yourself, you’ll start to believe God for good success, favor and wisdom. Experiencing provision becomes effortless because you know your right standing in Christ. So stop disqualifying yourself and confess your righteousness!
Today I am reading day 344 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 344
Call It The Way God Calls It!
Romans 4:17 17… God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
Many a time, when we look at ourselves, we don’t see what we can become. But when God looks at us, He sees what we can become by His grace.
When Jesus first saw Simon, whose name in Greek means “reed”, He changed his name to “Peter”, which means “rock”. But did Peter instantly become someone with the characteristics of a rock — solid, stable and unshakable? No, for a long time, he continued to act like a reed that bends every which way the wind blows.
Once, when Peter saw Jesus walking on water, he took a bold step of faith and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Then, as he was walking on the water, he saw the boisterous wind, got scared and when he began to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:28–30) Another time, he said, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33) Then, a few hours later, he denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times. (Luke 22:54–62)
Yet, throughout his reed-like behavior, Jesus kept calling him “rock” until one day, how Jesus saw him began to take root in him. That day, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood up to preach and 3,000 people were saved! (Acts 2:41) Peter had indeed become a rock, a pillar in the early church.
That was how Jesus transformed Peter. And that is how God wants us to change the people and situations in our lives.
“Pastor Prince, are you telling me to call my wife ‘a fruitful vine’ as in Psalm 128:3? You should see my wife. She looks more like a dried-up sour prune!”
My friend, God did not tell us to call those things that exist as they exist. What is the point of stating the obvious? It is not going to change anything. No, God tells us to call those things that do not exist as though they did, and they will!
Thought For The Day
God tells us to call things that do not exist as though they did, and they will!
Today I am reading day 316 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 316
You Will Have Whatever You Say
Mark 11:23 23For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
God says that we will have whatever we say. So whatever we want to have, we can say it and have it. Unfortunately, we often say what we don’t want to have.
For example, we say, “I don’t know why I go through my money so fast every month. Even when my boss gives me an increment, there never seems to be enough money.” And true enough, we see a lack of money at the end of every month.
You see, you will have whatever you say, good or bad. So why not change what you have been saying to, “From now on, I will have more than enough because Jesus became poor at the cross, so that I might be financially supplied — 2 Corinthians 8:9. So lack, be gone in Jesus’ name!”
Whatever mountain of difficulty you have, be it a mountain of debt or serious health condition, Jesus says, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”
Jesus highlights the importance of saying by mentioning the word “say” thrice, but the word “believe” only once. Our problem today is that there is more preaching on believing than saying. So the reason people find it hard to walk in faith is that they are not saying enough of the Word.
But if we would focus more on saying God’s Word, faith will come. That is how God quickened Abraham’s faith. He changed Abraham’s saying when He changed his name from Abram to Abraham, which means “father of many nations”. (Genesis 17:5) From then on, whenever Abraham introduced himself, he would say, “Hi, my name is Father Of Many Nations.”
Beloved, declare your abundance, saying, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) Speak forth your healing, saying, “By Jesus’ stripes I am healed!” (Isaiah 53:5) And you will have whatever you say!
Thought For The Day
Whatever we want to have, we can say it and have it.
Today I am reading day 284 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 284
Pronounce Yourself Clean!
Matthew 8:3 3Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Most of us are familiar with the healing of the leper in Matthew 8. It is a beautiful account of God’s willingness to touch and heal the sick, no matter how unclean they may be. Whenever we doubt God’s willingness to heal us, we should listen to the words of Jesus again: “I am willing; be cleansed.” He is the same yesterday, today and forever!
Since the Bible is clear about God’s willingness to heal, why do we still have problems with our health? Why do we still experience symptoms in our bodies?
I believe that the answer is found in what Jesus told the leper to do next. He told him to go and show himself to the priest. (Matthew 8:4) This was the law then for lepers who were healed. (Leviticus 14:2–3) And he was to hear the priest pronounce the word “clean” over him. (Leviticus 14:7)
You see, as believers, when we received Jesus, His blood cleansed us from sin as well as sickness. (Isaiah 53:4–5) But we keep hearing people pronounce sin, sickness, poverty and death over us. We keep hearing people tell us that we are unclean, undeserving, poor, weak, and that it is only natural that we grow old and sickly, and die.
God is waiting for a priesthood that will rise up and pronounce His people clean!
“But Pastor Prince, where can I find such priests?”
Who are the priests today? You and I! In fact, we have more authority to pronounce good things than the Levitical priests of the Old Testament. They were just priests. But we are king-priests by the blood of Jesus! (Revelation 1:5–6) Where the word of the king is, there is power. (Ecclesiastes 8:4) And by the word of a priest, every controversy and every assault shall be settled. (Deuteronomy 21:5)
Beloved, God has cleansed you, so pronounce yourself clean! Right now, put your hand on your heart and pronounce good things over yourself. Say, “I pronounce myself clean, righteous, healed, whole and abundantly supplied by the blood of Jesus!” By your word as a king-priest, every assault against you shall be settled!
Thought For The Day
Because you are a king-priest by the blood of Jesus, you can pronounce good things over yourself and see them come to pass!
Today I am reading day 254 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 254
Declare God’s Word Over Your Situation
Psalm 91:2 2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
When a great storm arose as Jesus and His disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, He did not say to His disciples, “The storm is here to teach us courage.” Instead, He took authority over the storm and said, “Peace, be still!” And there was a perfect calm. (Mark 4:39)
When He met the widow of Nain whose only son had died, and on another occasion, the two sisters whose brother Lazarus had died, He didn’t tell them, “God wanted to take him home.” No, He spoke to the dead son: “Young man, I say to you, arise.” (Luke 7:14) And standing outside Lazarus’ tomb, He said, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43) And both men came back to life.
What have you been saying about your situation?
When you feel the pain in your body, don’t say of the Lord, “God wants me sick to teach me to trust Him more.” Instead, say, “Lord Jesus, I thank You that by Your stripes I am healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
And while trying to make ends meet, don’t say of the Lord, “The Lord keeps me poor to keep me humble.” Instead, say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
We are living in the last days when there are terrorist attacks and deadly viruses lurking around, and the world is afraid. But we will not speak negative words and be fearful like the people of the world. Instead, we will speak God’s Word and reign over these things. Like the psalmist, we will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
So find out what God’s Word says about your situation, believe it and declare it. And because God’s Word cannot return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11), you will see what you believe and confess come to pass!
Thought For The Day
Declare God’s Word and reign over the things that the people of the world are afraid of.
Today I am reading day 127 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 127
The Mind Of Christ Doesn’t Grow Old
1 Corinthians 2:16 16… we have the mind of Christ.
“Oh dear, my memory is not as good as it used to be. I must be getting old.” Have you heard that before? Maybe you have even said it yourself a couple of times! But who says that as you grow older, you are supposed to forget things?
When the late Reverend Kenneth E Hagin was in his eighties, he was still healthy and strong. This amazing man of God would run around the platform as he preached. And those who have heard him preach would tell you that he had an amazing memory with which he could recall specific details such as the day of the week that a specific date fell on and even the time. Even at that age, the man’s memory was superb!
He once shared how he had started to forget things when he was in his fifties. He had read a medical journal that said that every day millions of cells in our brains die. He didn’t realize it, but those words got into his spirit and he started to forget things.
So he asked the Lord, “What is happening to me?” And the Lord said, “You read that article and you believed it.” He repented and asked the Lord what he should do. The Lord said, “Confess My Word. My Word says that you have the mind of Christ, and the mind of Christ never forgets.” He started to confess that he had the mind of Christ and that was how his memory remained sharp for the rest of his life.
My friend, the Word of God says that you have the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is not old, slow or forgetful! I don’t care how old you get. You don’t have to become forgetful. Don’t believe and confess what medical science or your friends say. Believe and confess the Word of God that brings life.
The power of life and death is in your tongue. (Proverbs 18:21) So use your tongue for life. Don’t sit around saying, “I am getting old and forgetful.” Say, “I have the mind of Christ. My mind is sharp and quick because it is the mind of Christ!” Believe it, confess it, and see your thinking and memory live up to it!
Thought For The Day
You have the mind of Christ that is not old, slow or forgetful!
Today I am reading day 73 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 73
You Have It, So Say It!
Matthew 25:29 29‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
Have you come across people who have little, yet even that little is taken away from them? On the other hand, there are those who already have much, yet they receive even more.
Jesus said, “To everyone who has, more will be given. From him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t go on to say what it is we have. He simply says, “But to everyone who has.”
Jesus is talking about a firm belief in God’s Word that gives one the courage to say, “I have it!” If you say that you have it, you have it, and more will be given to you. But if you say that you don’t have it, when you actually do because God has freely given us all things (Romans 8:32), then even what you have will be taken away — not by God but by the devil! The devil does not want you to walk in God’s blessings. So when you say that you don’t have it, he can rob you of your blessings because he has your agreement!
When you need something, God says that you are to ask of Him. And when you ask, believe that you receive it. (Mark 11:24) Say you already have it even if you don’t see it in the physical realm yet, and one day, you will see it!
God is not saying, “Oh come on, pretend that you see it. And if you pretend long enough, you will have it.” This is not a game! God is telling us to call forth those things that don’t exist as though they do. (Romans 4:17)
Today, we are talking about the haves and have-nots in the church. If you believe that it is yours, you will have it. You will see yourself possessing it and enjoying it, and more will be given to you. But if you say, “Well, I don’t feel it and I’m not sure if it will come,” in essence, you are saying that you don’t have it when you actually do. Then, even what you have will be taken away. So say you have it today!
Thought For The Day
If you believe that it is yours, you will have it.
Today I am reading day 42 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 42
The Power Of Your Words
Proverbs 18:21 21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Most people, when they desperately want something, will say things like, “I am dying for that piece of cake!” Few will say, “I am living for that piece of cake!”
What is worse is that we are quick to mention death when things go wrong. We Singaporeans are quick to say things like, “Die lah! Die lah!” at the drop of a hat. Nobody says, “Live lah! Live lah!”
Yet, the truth is that every word you speak has power — to build or destroy hopes and dreams, to restore or cause loss, to heal or break the spirit, to bring delight or despair, to bless or curse — for God’s Word says that death and life are in the power of the tongue.
So stop lining your words up with the negative circumstances. Instead, start lining your words up with God’s Word and release the power of His Word to work for you.
For example, instead of speaking lack and poverty, say, “God’s Word tells me that the good things are already here. I therefore pronounce my life blessed. I pronounce my life successful. I pronounce my life great. Darkness and gloom, poverty and sickness, defeat and depression, will not be in my life!”
Instead of speaking sickness and death, say, “I will live long. I will not die young. Jesus died young for me so that I can live long for Him. I am the righteousness of God in Christ and God’s Word declares that no evil befalls the righteous. So no evil will come on me now and in the future!”
Instead of speaking fear over your children, say, “God’s Word declares that the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Therefore, my children are delivered from every curse, every power of darkness and every evil. In the name of Jesus, I call forth a great, bright and blessed future for my children!”
God wants you to have a life filled with good days and an abundance of every good thing. So say, “In the name of Jesus, I command blessings, favor, health, provision, protection, dominion and power to fill my life!”
Thought For The Day
Line your words up with God’s Word and release the power of His Word to work for you.
Today I am reading day 28 of Joseph Prince’s Devotional:
Day 28
See The Favor Of God Multiplied In Your Life
2 Peter 1:2 2Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
If you would like to walk in a greater measure of God’s favor, 2 Peter 1:2 says that grace, which is the undeserved favor of God, and peace, can be multiplied to you. Peace is the word “shalom” in Hebrew. Its definition includes wholeness, health, safety and provision. So when you walk in divine favor and peace, you will walk in blessings in every area of your life!
But how do the undeserved favor and shalom of God increase in your life?
It is not by your laboring or toiling to earn it. The Bible says that it comes as your knowledge of Jesus and His finished work increases. It comes as you learn more about and believe that through Jesus’ one sacrifice at the cross, God removed all your sins, gave you His righteousness as a gift and put you in Christ to enjoy everything Jesus has. God’s favor is multiplied in your life when you simply believe that the favor of God that is on Christ is also on you because of what Jesus’ work at the cross has accomplished.
Today, you don’t have to struggle for favor. Just release it by speaking forth God’s Word in faith. On your way to work, say, “God’s favor surrounds me as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:12) As you continue to speak God’s favor over your life out of a revelation of Jesus’ finished work, you will see more of it being released.
When I first entered the workforce, I began to declare the favor of God in my job. Every time I was given a new assignment, I proclaimed that the divine favor of God was on me. The company began to prosper and I was blessed financially. By the time I left the company to serve God full-time, my income had increased so that I was in the top 15 per cent of earners in my age group in Singapore.
Today, in your workplace or at home, begin to declare the favor of God by faith. Expect to receive preferential treatment wherever you are. Say, “I am surrounded with the favor of God because of Jesus’ finished work. I have favor before God and man!” And see God’s favor work for you!
Thought For The Day
You don’t have to struggle for favor. Just release it by speaking forth God’s Word in faith.
Lord, lead me everyday 